For reasons best known to Vivo, the V23 series follows on from last year’s V21 – with no V22 in the middle. Otherwise this is a natural continuation though, with a strong front-facing camera and slim designs on both phones – though eagle-eyed fans may spot that these are really re-brands of the Vivo S12 and S12 Pro recently released in China. Here’s what you need to know, or read our V23 review and V23 Pro review to find out what we think of the two phones.
When is the Vivo V23 release date?
Vivo announced the V23 series with a launch in India on 5 January, where the phones are already available to order. They’re also widely available across Asia, and the regular V23 – though not the Pro – has reached European markets including Germany and Spain. So far there’s no word on either phone launching in the UK however. For the moment Vivo also doesn’t sell any phones officially in the US, so a launch there is likely off the cards entirely.
What’s the Vivo V23 price?
Here are the V23 prices, with rough conversions. Vivo V23:
8GB+128GB – ₹29,990 (around £300/€360/$400)12GB+256GB – ₹34,990/€499 (around £350/$470)
Note that so far the 12+256GB model of the V23 is the only one to launch in Europe, and its pricing does vary here – while in Spain and some markets it costs €499, in Germany prices start at €549. Vivo V23 Pro:
8GB+128GB – ₹38,990 (around £390/€460/$520)12GB+256GB – ₹43,990 (around £440/€520/$590)
What’s new in the V23 design and specs?
There are two phones in the V23 series, so let’s break them down one by one.
Vivo V23 Pro specs
The V23 Pro is a step up for the V-series, getting closer to true flagship specs without compromising on the selfie camera. The first thing to note is that the phone is still as compact and lightweight as ever – just 7.36mm thick and weighing only 171g. Thanks to curves on both the display and the body itself, the phone actually feels even thinner than that. It comes coated in the same Fluorite AG Glass that Vivo has used on previous handsets, with colours that seem to shift depending on the light: Sunshine Gold and Stardust Black. What’s impressive is that the V23 Pro is so compact despite a sizeable 6.56in display. This is an AMOLED screen with a Full HD+ resolution, but note that it is limited to 90Hz, which feels a little behind the times with 120Hz now so commonplace. Inside the phone you’ll find the MediaTek Dimensity 1200. That’s MediaTek’s previous-gen flagship, since replaced by the Dimensity 9000, but it’s still a solid chipset that sits at the upper mid-range of the market. Let’s get to cameras. On the front, you’ll find a dual selfie camera: a 50Mp main camera with autofocus, paired with an 8Mp ultra-wide. Surprisingly, the optical image stabilisation (OIS) that was the big selling point of the selfie shooter of the V21 isn’t found here, so there is a worry that lowlight performance will be worse than the previous-gen, though perhaps the option of an ultra-wide is more appealing than OIS for Vivo’s target market. On the rear, a 108Mp main camera is powered by the Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor, joined by an 8Mp ultra-wide and a less exciting 2Mp macro shooter. As for battery, there’s a 4300mAh cell – pretty typical for a phone of this size and spec – with 44W wired charging, though there’s no support for Qi wireless. Finally, the phone ships with Android 12, running Vivo’s own Funtouch OS 12 skin on top. Here are the V23 Pro specs in full:
56in Full HD+ 90Hz AMOLED displayMediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset8/12GB RAM128/256GB storageTriple rear camera:108Mp main camera8Mp ultra-wide2Mp macroDual front camera:50Mp main selfie camera8Mp ultra-wide selfie camera4300mAh battery44W wired charging5×73.3×7.4mm171gSunshine Gold and Stardust BlackAndroid 12 + Funtouch OS 12
If you want to know more, watch us review it on an episode of our weekly podcast Fast Charge:
Vivo V23 specs
The base Vivo V23 is pretty similarly specced, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at it. The phone has a completely different chassis to the V23 Pro, with squared off sides that are immediately reminiscent of the design of the latest iPhones – though the similar camera module and matching Sunshine Gold and Stardust Black colour options give away that this is from the same series. It’s ever so slightly thicker and heavier than the Pro model, though not by much – but the straight sides do make it feel a bit heftier than the rounded and curved Pro body. It has a slightly smaller screen, at 6.44in, but it’s still a Full HD+ 90Hz AMOLED. Specs are similar, but vary in a few key areas. The processor is a little slower, with the cheaper MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset used here, and it’s paired with a fractionally smaller 4200mAh battery. Charging is the same though. While the front-facing camera pair is identical, you’ll find a lower resolution and smaller sensor for the main rear camera, limited to 64Mp. Here are the full V23 specs:
44in Full HD+ 90Hz AMOLED displayMediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset8/12GB RAM128/256GB storageTriple rear camera:64Mp main camera8Mp ultra-wide2Mp macroDual front camera:50Mp main selfie camera8Mp ultra-wide selfie camera4200mAh battery44W wired charging2×72.4×7.4mm179gSunshine Gold and Stardust BlackAndroid 12 + Funtouch OS 12
Tech Advisor’s Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he’s a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
