X

Vivo's new midrange phones are designed for selfie lovers

Chinese phone-maker Vivo's V20 series spotlights the front-facing camera.

Sareena Dayaram Senior Editor
Sareena is a senior editor for CNET covering the mobile beat including device reviews. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with more than a decade's worth of experience producing stories for television and digital publications across Asia's financial capitals including Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. Prior to CNET, Sareena worked at CNN as a news writer and Reuters as a producer.
Expertise Huawei, Oppo, smartphones, smartwatches Credentials
  • More than a decade of journalism experience
Sareena Dayaram
2 min read
img-8969

Vivo's V20 (left) and V20 Pro (right).

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

Rear cameras have been basking in the limelight for a while now. Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 Ultra with a massive 108-megapixel camera on its rear. So did Xiaomi with the Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10T Pro. But Chinese phone-maker Vivo is hoping to redirect the spotlight to the front camera with an affordable line of phones

The V20 family, which consists of the V20 SE, V20, and V20 Pro, is Vivo's new midrange series that's being marketed as  a "front-camera photography flagship." Designed for selfie lovers, the two fancier phones have a 48-megapixel main lens and 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter housed in a dew-drop notch on the middle of the phone screen. Meanwhile, the base V20 SE comes with a 32-megapixel lens.

With so many devices, things can get confusing about what makes these handsets different from each other. All three phones sport a 6.44-inch display, run on Android 11 and use a 33W charger. The two pricier models, the V20 and V20 Pro, share even more similarities like display resolution, selfie and rear camera setup. But the key differentiator across all three devices is 5G and processing power. The V20 Pro gets the most powerful chipset in the form of the Snapdragon 765, which also means it's 5G-enabled. The V20 and V20 SE do not have 5G and feature less advanced processors. 

We haven't received pricing details from Vivo at the time of this writing, but we'll update this article when we do, so be sure to check back. Vivo won't be selling these phones in the US, but you can expect to see it roll out in parts of South Asia, eastern Europe, and Latin America.  For a full rundown on Vivo's V20 line, take a look at the chart below, where you can see their specs side-by-side. 

V20 SE vs. V20 vs. V20 Pro


Vivo V20 SEVivo V20Vivo V20 Pro
Display size, resolution 6.44-inch AMOLED; 1080p6.44-inch AMOLED; FHD6.44-inch AMOLED; FHD
Thickness 7.83 mm 7.38mm7.39mm
Weight 171 grams171 grams170 grams
Mobile software Android 11Android 11Android 11
Camera 48-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide)64-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (wide-angle), 2-megapixel (mono)64-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (wide-angle), 2-megapixel (mono)
Front-facing camera 32-megapixel44-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (wide) with 105 degree field of view44-megapixel(main), 8-megapixel (wide) with 105 degree field of view
Video capture 4K4K4K
Processor Snapdragon 665Snapdragon 720GSnapdragon 765G
Storage 128GB128GB/256GB128GB/256GB
RAM 8GB8GB8GB
Battery 4,100 mAh4,000 mAh4,000 mAh