BackFaceoff: Vivo V3 Max takes on OnePlus 2
With the new V3 Max, Vivo has got most things right but the phone is still far from perfect
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Chinese phone makers have come up with some quality smartphones in the last few months, not just in the budget segment but in the mid-range as well. Vivo’s new phone V3 Max ( ₹ 23,980) is one such phone that seems to have got most things right. However, it faces stiff competition from the OnePlus 2 ( ₹ 22,999).
Design: Sleek and well-built but feels slippery
The V3 Max is a big screen phone with the size that suits users with big hands. The phone’s all metal finish gives it a sturdy feel but the back feels a little slippery, which makes using it with single hand difficult. It weighs 168g and is 7.58mm thick, but that excludes the camera module which sticks out a little. This makes the camera prone to scratches every time you put the phone down. The phone comes with a small but very responsive finger print scanner that can take the user from the lock screen to the home screen almost instantly.
The OnePlus 2, which tips the scales at 175g and feels slightly thicker at 9.85mm, with its sandstone back and multiple back cover options, looks funky and feels more comfortable in the hand.
Display: Sharp and big
The V3 Max’s 5.5-inch LCD display is ideal for watching movies and playing games. It has a screen resolution of 1920x1080p which is quite adequate if not impressive. The colours look rich and the display looks quite bright itself, even when used under bright light. The wide viewing angles are brilliant too. The rival OnePlus 2 also comes with a 5.5-inch display with the same screen resolution, but has a slightly warmer tone compared to the V3 Max, which reduces strain on eyes.
Software: Runs old Android with a customisable UI
Even though the adoption of Android Marshmallow has picked up in the last few weeks, we won’t be getting it on the V3 Max right away. It runs Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with a typical Chinese user interface (UI). It feels a bit complicated to use. However, it offers plenty of customizations and themes.
The settings window has been separated from the drop down notification panel to minimise the clutter. To access shortcut settings, you can swipe up from the screen and see all the apps currently running. It supports OTG which means you can connect a standard USB drive to the phone. The OnePlus 2 was launched on Android 5.1 (Lollipop) but has started receiving Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) updates. Moreover, it has a clean and clutter-free interface that looks almost like plain Android yet runs a customisable custom ROM, called Oxygen OS.
Performance: Fast and consistent
This is one area where we could not fault the Vivo V3 Max. Powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM, the phone was able to handle all tasks smoothly. We noticed slight heating up on the back when playing games, but that was negligible compared to the OnePlus 2. It even handled games such as FIFA 16 and Mortal Kombat X with ease. The phone has dual SIM slots, which allow nano SIM cards only. Though internal storage stands at 32GB, it supports micro SD cards up to 128GB.
The battery back-up is reliable as the 3,000mAh battery can muster a whole day’s back-up with moderate use.
The OnePlus 2 runs on a more powerful Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, but faces heating issues, and affects battery back-up too. OnePlus 2 is also a dual SIM phone with 64GB of internal storage, but lacks the option of expandable memory.
Camera: Good in daylight, struggles indoors
The smartphone has a good daylight camera. On paper, its 13-megapixel camera is at par with the likes of OnePlus 2, but in real life, it offers better picture quality. Daylight shots look particularly clear and colour accurate. There are some additional modes in the camera to enhance picture quality, but not all of them are very effective. The night mode, for instance, tries to lighten up dark images, but apart from lighting up the image makes little difference to the picture quality, which continues to look washed out and noisy. The OnePlus 2’s camera can capture detail well but tends to over-saturate colours a bit, giving the images a slightly unnatural look.
Verdict
The Vivo V3 Max is at par with the OnePlus 2 in terms of performance, battery back-up, looks and display quality. What gives the V3 Max an edge over the OnePlus 2 is its camera and sleek looks.
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