The vivo V27 5G is a big upgrade in the “Portrait Master” smartphone series with its Aura Light Portrait technology.

I’m also excited to experience its more premium curved-edge display, improved overall performance, and smoother video recording. Here’s my unboxing and hands-on experience with the vivo V27 5G…

 

vivo V27 5G: What’s inside the box?

vivo V27 5G box.

vivo V27 5G box.

The vivo V27 5G comes in the usual vivo gray box with shiny prints of the brand and model names.

Upon removing the protective plastic and opening the box, I was immediately greeted by the the vivo V27 5G smartphone itself. Underneath it are the free transparent phone case, quick start guide, and warranty booklet.

 

Contents of the vivo V27 5G box.

Contents of the vivo V27 5G box.

 

vivo V27 5G with phone case.

vivo V27 5G with phone case.

There’s also a standard USB type-C cable, hefty fast charger, and SIM ejector pin.

The charger is a vivo FlashCharge power brick with a maximum output of 80W but vivo says the smartphone dynamically adjusts the power to 66W.

 

vivo V27 5G: First Impressions

Curved-edge display of the vivo V27 5G.

Curved-edge display of the vivo V27 5G.

 

SIM card tray

SIM card tray

 

Top view

Top view

I have the Emerald Green color variant of the vivo V27 5G and it’s the only color option as of this time.

Holding the phone in my hands for the first time immediately gave me a premium vibe. The curved-edge display contributes a lot to the impression but the sturdy build quality completes the experience.

There’s a slight gradient in the light green color scheme of the back panel and some subtle patterns that reminds me of marble counter tops. When brought outside under bright sunlight, the color slowly changes to a deeper shade of green.

 

Outdoor color scheme of the vivo V27 5G.

Outdoor color scheme of the vivo V27 5G.

 

Close-up look at the cameras of the vivo V27 5G.

Close-up look at the cameras of the vivo V27 5G.

Of course, my attention was drawn to the rear cameras. There are three cameras at the back neatly arranged vertically with a 50 Megapixel Sony IMX766 main camera in the middle.

Then there’s the Aura Light – a mini ring light that replaces the traditional LED flash in most smartphones. It shines brightly and has a bigger light area that should make flash photography yield more pleasing portrait pictures at night.

I’ll have to test these cameras further in the full review but when it comes to the design, the vivo V27 5G has a full-fledged flagship quality.

 

Using the vivo V27 5G for the first time…

Home screen of the vivo V27 5G.

Home screen of the vivo V27 5G.

 

Web browsing on the vivo V27 5G.

Web browsing on the vivo V27 5G.

 

The camera app interface of the vivo V27 5G.

The camera app interface of the vivo V27 5G.

After setting-up the vivo V27 5G, it shows the default home screen with some pre-installed apps. Not everything can be uninstalled but it has negligible effect on the large 256GB internal storage.

Swiping across the home screen and scrolling on Facebook feels very smooth thanks to the high screen refresh rate. Its processor’s performance also seems lag-free although I have to test its gaming performance in the full review.

I then checked its camera app. It’s neat and intuitive to use with the different modes readily available in a swipe. Here are a few sample pictures I took using the vivo V27 5G:

 

vivo V27 5G sample picture (Portrait mode, default beautification, Aura Light flash on).

vivo V27 5G sample picture (Portrait mode, default beautification, Aura Light flash on).

 

vivo V27 5G sample picture (Portrait mode, beautification off, Aura Light flash off).

vivo V27 5G sample picture (Portrait mode, beautification off, Aura Light flash off).

 

vivo V27 5G sample picture (Portrait mode, beautification off, Aura Light flash on).

vivo V27 5G sample picture (Portrait mode, beautification off, Aura Light flash on).

 

The vivo V27 5G produces high-quality pictures using the default camera mode and Portrait mode both in well-lit and low-light situations with just a slight graininess in the latter. Its built-in beautification can be too much though so I disabled it.

When the Aura Light flash is used, it captures Portrait shots with more pleasing skin tone. I’m inclined to agree with vivo’s claim that the vivo V27 5G is a “studio in your pocket”.

However, I need to take more pictures to fully reach this conclusion.

 

vivo V27 5G Full Review soon…

The vivo V27 5G and its box.

The vivo V27 5G and its box.

Next week, I will publish my full review of the vivo V27 5G. It will contain a more detailed exploration of its cameras and Aura Light Portrait system, overall performance, and quality.

Subscribe to the PINOY TECHNO GUIDE YouTube channel to be notified once the video review becomes available.


vivo V27 5G specs:

Average rating of 4 stars from 115 users.
  • 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display (1080 x 2400 Pixels), 388 ppi
  • Android 13 Operating System
  • MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Chipset
  • 12 GB of RAM
  • Triple Cameras (50+8+2 MP) with Circular Multi-LED Flash
  • 50 Megapixel Front Camera
  • Dual SIM (Nano-SIM)
  • 256GB Internal Storage
  • 5G, 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, 2G EDGE & GPRS Networks
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (dual band)
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • USB Type-C
  • Fingerprint Sensor (under-display)
  • 4600mAh Battery
  • 66W Fast Charging (50% in 19 minutes)
  • 164.1 x 74.8 x 7.4 mm @ 180 g
  • 24,999.00 Official Price in the Philippines