Vivo aims for selfie supremacy with the V5

Whether you get the hype or not, selfie-centric smartphones are continuing to arrive in droves and this time Vivo aims to be the best of the best.

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The successor to the V3 packs in a whopping 20-megapixel front-facing camera with a 1/2.78″ Sony IMX376 camera sensor, 5P lens system, and f/2.0 aperture. From that alone, you can tell Vivo is targeting its fellow Chinese manufacturer OPPO, who released its own selfie-geared smartphone. Accompanying the front-facing camera is a 13-megapixel rear sensor with phase-detect autofocus to help you shoot photos in an instant.

Design-wise, the V5 doesn’t stand out from the crop of mid-range, China-made devices with its all-metal unibody that’s available in the “in colors” champagne gold and rose gold. It has a 5.5-inch HD display protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass and a front-facing fingerprint scanner that Vivo boasts can unlock the phone in 0.2 seconds.

Under the hood, the V5 runs on a MediaTek MT6750 1.5GHz octa-core processor, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD. Aside from the selfie camera, Vivo boasts that the V5 comes with a 32-bit AK4376 digital-to-analog converter Hi-Fi chip, which audiophiles can appreciate. The phone comes with a non-removable 3,000mAh battery.

The best part is the phone retails for P12,990, which pits it directly against the OPPO F1s but with specs that can easily rival its competitors’ unit (at least on paper). The V5 should be coming to Vivo concept stores and major retailers any day now and the phone is already available for pre-order with extra freebies on offer for those who sign up to get the phone. Vivo is also working with the likes of Flexi Finance and Home Credit to make it easier for consumers to buy the phone on an installment basis.

But wait, there’s more

During the press event for the V5, Vivo also teased the V5 Plus, which houses a 5.5-inch display as well but it’ll be a Full HD screen. It’ll have 20-megapixel dual front-facing camera, which is reminiscent of the LG V10.

Vivo also unveiled the brand’s new ambassador for the Philippines, the record-breaking NBA star Stephen Curry. After breaking into the list of a top five global smartphone ranking, looks like the brand is ready to be extra aggressive with attracting more customers from the country. It’s a good thing for consumers as we get more and more compelling devices at competitive prices.