vivo V25 Review: Design, Software and Camera Quality

The vivo V25 arrived in September 2022 as a mid-range phone built around photography, and this vivo V25 Review: Design, Software and Camera Quality looks at the three areas that matter most to buyers: how it looks and feels, how its software behaves day after day, and how good its cameras really are. It sits below the V25 Pro in vivo’s 2022 line-up, yet it keeps the two features the series is known for, a 50MP autofocus front camera and a 64MP main camera with optical image stabilisation. If you are wondering is the vivo V25 still worth buying in 2026, the short answer is that it depends on the price you find it at, because the hardware has aged well in some areas and shows its age in others.

On paper, the vivo V25 specs cover the mid-range basics with confidence. A 6.44-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support sits on the front, a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chip powers the phone, and memory options run to 8GB or 12GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of built-in storage. The vivo V25 price at launch sat around 350 EUR, which placed it against strong rivals from Samsung, OnePlus and Xiaomi. This review works through the vivo V25 design, the vivo V25 software, the vivo V25 performance, the vivo V25 camera system, the vivo V25 battery and the vivo V25 charging speed, so you can judge whether this 2022 phone still earns a place in your pocket.

Design and Build Quality

The first thing anyone notices about this phone is its back panel. The vivo V25 build quality glass back and slim 7.8mm body give it a light, polished feel that stands out next to thicker plastic rivals, and at 186 grams it never feels heavy during long calls or long photo sessions. Glass covers both the front and the back, the frame is slim, and the camera module sits in a neat rectangular island in the top-left corner with two large lenses stacked vertically. The vivo V25 dimensions of 159.2 x 74.2 x 7.8 mm make it easy to hold, and the curved edges of the rear glass help it sit comfortably in the palm.

Colour is where vivo tried something different. The vivo V25 colour changing back panel Sunrise Gold design shifts its shade when sunlight hits it, moving from a warm gold toward a deeper blue-green tone, which makes the phone look different indoors and outdoors. The vivo V25 Elegant Black and Surfing Blue colour options cover buyers who prefer a quieter look, and all three finishes share the same slim glass construction. There is no stated water resistance rating, so the phone should be kept away from rain and splashes, and a case is worth using because the glossy glass back can pick up fingerprints and slide on smooth tables.

Colour-Changing Back and In-Hand Feel

The colour-changing effect works through a photochromic layer under the glass, and it reacts within seconds of direct sunlight. It is a party trick rather than a practical feature, but it gives the phone a clear identity, and it is one of the reasons the vivo V25 design still gets noticed years after launch. A typical vivo V25 unboxing includes the phone, a 44W charger, a USB-C cable, a protective case and a pre-applied screen protector, so the phone is ready to use without buying accessories on day one.

Display Quality and Brightness

The screen is a 6.44-inch AMOLED panel with a 1080 x 2404 resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio and around 409 pixels per inch, which keeps text sharp and icons clean. The vivo V25 AMOLED display 90Hz HDR10+ brightness test figures show a peak brightness of 1300 nits, with measured brightness around 781 nits in testing, so the screen stays readable outdoors in bright daylight. The vivo V25 screen size 6.44 inch AMOLED display review verdict is simple: colours look rich, blacks are deep, and HDR10+ video looks noticeably better than on a standard LCD panel. The 90Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through feeds and menus feel smoother than a 60Hz screen, even though it is not as fluid as the 120Hz panels found on some rivals. The vivo V25 display can be tuned after every vivo V25 update, and the vivo V25 colors setting in the display menu lets you shift the screen tone between vivid and natural.

Everyday Handling

The vivo V25 weight 186 grams and comfortable one hand use go together well, because the slim body and narrow width let most people reach across the screen without shifting their grip. The flat display avoids accidental touches at the edges, the power key and volume rocker sit within easy reach on the right side, and the phone slips into a jacket pocket without a noticeable bulge. Glass on both sides does mean the phone can feel slippery, so the case in the box is worth keeping on.

Fingerprint Sensor and Buttons

Unlocking is handled by an optical fingerprint sensor under the display, and the vivo V25 in-display fingerprint sensor speed and accuracy are solid for daily use, with quick recognition in most conditions and a clear animation when it scans. Face unlock is also available for faster access, though it is less secure than the fingerprint reader. The vivo V25 fingerprint reader sits low on the screen, so it takes a day or two to learn its exact position, and wet fingers can still cause the odd missed read, which is normal for optical sensors of this generation.

Software and Everyday Experience

The phone launched with Android 12 and Funtouch OS 12, and the vivo V25 Funtouch OS 12 features based on Android 12 include a clean home screen layout, a customisable always-on display, flexible widgets, and a set of camera and photo editing tools built into the gallery. The vivo V25 software feels colourful and busy compared with stock Android, with its own notification shade, settings layout and app drawer style, but it is easy to learn and it runs smoothly on the Dimensity 900 hardware. The vivo V25 software update to Android 13 and Funtouch 13 arrived later, bringing refreshed widgets, better privacy controls and small visual changes, and buyers of a used unit should check that the update has been installed.

There are pre-installed apps to remove, and some duplicate apps overlap with Google’s own versions, which is a familiar vivo habit. The settings menu offers plenty of control over animations, gestures, dark mode scheduling and battery saving, and the phone supports extended RAM, which borrows up to 8GB from storage to keep more apps open in the background. The vivo V25 RAM options of 8GB or 12GB already give it generous headroom for multitasking, so the virtual RAM feature is a bonus rather than a necessity.

Funtouch OS 12 on Android 12

Funtouch OS 12 keeps the Android 12 foundation but adds vivo’s own visual language, with large folders, a smart sidebar for quick app access, and a game mode that blocks notifications while playing. The vivo V25 Funtouch experience is stable in daily use, with no major crashes reported across normal use, and the interface responds quickly thanks to the 90Hz display. Some menus bury settings deeper than stock Android does, so finding a specific toggle can take an extra tap or two, but the search bar inside settings solves most of that.

Daily Speed and Multitasking

The vivo V25 everyday speed apps multitasking and RAM expansion combination works well for the way most people use a phone: social apps, messaging, browsing, maps and streaming all open quickly and stay in memory when switching between them. The vivo V25 storage options 128GB and 256GB with microSD give buyers room to grow, since the shared SIM tray accepts a microSDXC card for photos and offline media. App installs are quick, the camera app opens without a long delay, and the phone rarely stutters during normal use, which is what matters more than benchmark numbers for most owners.

Performance and Gaming

At the heart of the phone sits the Dimensity 900 chipset, a 6nm part with two Cortex-A78 performance cores running at 2.4 GHz and six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores at 2.0 GHz, paired with a Mali-G68 MC4 graphics unit. The vivo V25 Dimensity 900 performance for everyday gaming is comfortable at medium settings, with popular titles running smoothly and the phone staying only mildly warm during longer sessions. The vivo V25 vs V25 Pro differences in chipset and camera are the main reason the Pro costs more, since the Pro uses a faster Dimensity 1300 chip, as covered in the vivo V25 Pro Review: Build Quality, Software and Daily Speed, while the standard V25 keeps the Dimensity 900 and still handles daily tasks without fuss.

For demanding games at the highest graphics settings, the V25 can drop frames and warm up, so lowering shadows or resolution gives a steadier result. The vivo V25 gaming experience is helped by the AMOLED screen, the responsive touch sampling and the game mode that keeps notifications quiet, and casual games run without any trouble at all. The vivo V25 performance in benchmarks sits in the upper mid-range for its year, and in real use the phone feels quick because the chip, the fast storage and the 90Hz display work together well.

Dimensity 900 and Benchmark Results

The numbers back up the everyday feel. The vivo V25 AnTuTu score 461428 and Geekbench results of 2023 points in Geekbench 5.1 place it clearly above budget phones of the same period, while the GFXBench result of 21 frames per second in the ES 3.1 onscreen test shows its graphics limits honestly. The vivo V25 gaming performance with Mali G68 GPU test results like these explain why medium settings are the sweet spot: the chip is strong for daily work and light 3D gaming, but it is not a flagship gaming chip. Thermal control is reasonable, with performance holding up across a 30-minute session rather than falling off a cliff after a few minutes.

Camera Quality

The headline feature for many buyers is the 50MP autofocus selfie camera, and it is the main reason this phone was marketed toward vloggers and selfie lovers. The rear system pairs a 64MP main camera with optical image stabilisation, an 8MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view, and a 2MP macro camera for close-up shots. The vivo V25 camera setup records 4K video at 30 frames per second from both the rear and the front camera, which is still unusual at this price. The question of how good is the vivo V25 camera in low light has a fair answer: the main camera uses OIS and night mode to keep evening shots usable, though fine detail softens as the light falls and the ultrawide struggles sooner than the main sensor.

In daylight, the vivo V25 64MP OIS main camera photo samples and video show natural colours, good dynamic range and sharp detail in the centre of the frame, with HDR keeping bright skies and shaded foregrounds balanced. The vivo V25 OIS helps with handheld shots at dusk and steadies video when walking, which makes a visible difference compared with phones that rely on electronic stabilisation alone. The vivo V25 portrait mode produces soft background blur with generally clean edge detection on people, and the vivo V25 portrait mode bokeh and night mode results are strongest when the subject is well lit and standing still.

Rear Cameras: 64MP OIS Main Shooter

The 64MP sensor uses an f/1.8 aperture, phase detection autofocus and OIS, and it bins pixels by default to produce bright 16MP images with less noise. The vivo V25 ultrawide camera 8MP landscape photos review is mixed: wide scenes look good on a phone screen, but detail drops toward the edges and colours can differ slightly from the main camera. The 2MP macro camera is the weakest part of the system, with soft results that are fun for the odd close-up but not a reason to buy the phone. The vivo V25 night mode combines several frames to lift shadows and control bright lights, and it works best with the phone held steady for a second or two.

Selfies and Video

The front camera is the star of the show. The vivo V25 front camera 50MP selfie quality with autofocus keeps faces sharp even when the phone is held at arm’s length, and autofocus means group selfies stay in focus from edge to edge instead of only in the centre. The vivo V25 selfie camera handles skin tones naturally, offers portrait blur and HDR for backlit scenes, and records 4K video with HDR, which suits vlogging and video calls alike. The vivo V25 4K video recording with rear and front camera is steady enough for casual clips, and the microphone picks up clear audio in quiet rooms, though wind noise can intrude outdoors. Buyers who mainly want selfies on a smaller budget often compare this phone with its 4G sibling, covered in the vivo V25e Review: Daily Performance and Key Features, while a newer camera-first option is described in the vivo V27e Review: Cameras, Performance and Battery Life.

Battery Life and Charging

Charging is handled by 44W FlashCharge, which fills the battery quickly for a phone of this size. The vivo V25 battery life with 4500mAh and 44W charging is good rather than outstanding: the 4500mAh cell is smaller than the 5000mAh batteries common in rivals, but the efficient 6nm chip and the AMOLED screen keep power use in check. The vivo V25 charging speed 61 percent in 30 minutes means a short top-up before leaving the house adds a useful amount of power, and a full charge takes around an hour. The vivo V25 battery easily covers a full day of mixed use with social apps, messaging, browsing and photography, and lighter users can stretch it into a second morning.

Battery Endurance in Daily Use

The vivo V25 battery endurance rating 120 hours test result reflects standby-heavy mixed use, and in practice screen-on time lands around six to seven hours depending on brightness and 5G use. Video streaming over Wi-Fi is efficient, gaming drains the battery faster, and the 90Hz refresh rate costs a little power compared with 60Hz, though the smoother feel is worth it for most owners. The vivo V25 charging setup includes the 44W adapter in the box, so there is no need to buy a separate charger, and the USB-C port supports OTG for accessories and external drives.

Full Specifications

The table below lists the complete vivo V25 specs, from the Dimensity 900 platform and the 6.44-inch AMOLED display to the 64MP OIS rear camera, the 50MP front camera and the 4500mAh battery with 44W charging.

Pros and Cons

Searching for vivo V25 pros and cons after long term use is common among buyers comparing older mid-range phones, and the balance below reflects the specification sheet and the way the phone behaves in everyday use rather than a single first impression.

Pros

• 50MP autofocus front camera with 4K video, ideal for selfies and vlogging.
• 64MP main camera with OIS for steadier photos and video in low light.
• Bright 6.44-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support.
• Slim 7.8mm glass body with a colour-changing Sunrise Gold finish.
• 44W charging that reaches 61 percent in 30 minutes, with the charger in the box.
• 5G connectivity, microSD expansion and up to 12GB of RAM.

Cons

• 4500mAh battery is smaller than the 5000mAh cells in many rivals.
• No 3.5mm headphone jack and only a single loudspeaker.
• 2MP macro camera adds little and produces soft close-up shots.
• No stated water resistance rating.
• Funtouch OS includes pre-installed apps that need removing.
• Dimensity 900 handles heavy games at high settings less smoothly than newer chips.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the vivo V25 released?

The vivo V25 was announced on 17 August 2022 and released on 21 September 2022. The vivo V25 price in India and global launch details varied by market, with the launch price sitting around 350 EUR in Europe and competitive mid-range pricing in Asian markets.

Does the vivo V25 support 5G?

Yes. To answer the common question does vivo V25 support 5G bands and dual SIM, the phone supports 5G bands 1, 3, 41, 77 and 78 with SA and NSA modes, and it takes two Nano-SIM cards, though the second slot is shared with the microSD card. The vivo V25 5G connection works alongside LTE and HSPA for areas without 5G coverage.

How fast does the vivo V25 charge?

The phone supports 44W wired charging, and the vivo V25 charging speed 61 percent in 30 minutes is the headline figure, with a full charge taking around an hour. The 44W charger is included in the box, and the 4500mAh battery keeps the phone running through a full day of mixed use.

Does the vivo V25 have a headphone jack?

No, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack. Buyers often ask about the vivo V25 no headphone jack and single speaker sound quality before choosing it over rivals with stereo speakers, and the answer is that wired listening needs a USB-C adapter or a pair of wireless earphones, while the single loudspeaker is loud enough for casual video but lacks stereo separation.

Is the vivo V25 good for gaming?

It is good for casual and medium-settings gaming. The vivo V25 gaming performance with Mali G68 GPU test results show smooth play in popular titles at medium graphics, with the Dimensity 900 chip and 8GB or 12GB of RAM keeping everyday games responsive. Heavy 3D titles at maximum settings can drop frames, so lowering the graphics quality gives a steadier frame rate.

Verdict

This vivo V25 Review: Design, Software and Camera Quality finds a phone that still makes sense in 2026 when the price is right. Its strengths are clear: a slim colour-changing glass body, a bright 90Hz AMOLED screen, a 50MP autofocus selfie camera, a 64MP OIS main camera and 44W charging with the adapter included. Its weaknesses are equally clear: a 4500mAh battery that is smaller than rivals, no headphone jack, a single speaker and a macro camera that adds little. The vivo V25 value depends on the price you pay, because at a low used or clearance price it is a capable camera-first mid-range phone, while at a price close to newer models the newer hardware wins. The vivo V25 best alternatives in the mid range segment include its own successors, so for a newer everyday 5G option see the vivo Y300 5G Review: Everyday Speed, Cameras and Value, and for the direct successor line the vivo V27 Review: Strengths, Trade-Offs and Everyday Use shows how vivo moved the series forward.