The Philippines is the fast-growing market for smartphones in the region according to IDC, that’s why VIVO came to join the competition and I guess they will hit it right beginning with the V3 Max. Stay tuned as we share our VIVO V3 Max Review.
To get us started, the VIVO V3 Max has a premium looks and a very decent internal specs. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 64-bit Octa-core 1.8GHz and is paired with a 4G of RAM and is balanced by a 32G internal storage.
Unboxing VIVO V3 Max
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Here’s our video unboxing posted two weeks ago on our YouTube channel. While it is not the most watched video in our channel, it is the author’s favorite smartphone as of this time.
See also: V3 Max Hands-on and initial impressions
Design and build
Who would not like a metal build with round corners and an ergonomically positioned fingerprint scanner at the back? Even the buttons on the right side provided me optimum comfort during my usage.
On the opposite of the power and volume rocker is the SIM card tray. It uses a hybrid SIM card tray that can use a tandem of nano and micro SIM, or micro SD and micro SIM.
So you are left with the option to use dual-SIM or one SIM with additional storage thru the micro SD support. Both SIMs are 4G/LTE enabled.
On top of the device is the 3.5mm audio port and at the back on the far right is the 13MP camera. At the bottom is the micro USB port which is flanked by the mic and the very powerful loudspeaker.
The speakers of the V3 Max has a loud sound, you don’t need those small BT speakers for your Spotify playbacks or YouTube videos.
V3 Max uses capacitive buttons but has no backlit, which is a little downside specially when you are in dark areas like cinemas.
Display, UI and Software
Vivo V3 Max comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop but has a custom UI called Funtouch UI. If you are familiar with the UI of iPhone, then you can be comfortable with V3 Max.
Instead of the pull-down menu from the top of the screen to reveal quick settings, it is accessed from the bottom by swiping up.
I’ve accidentally opened this menu several times when I am using the SMS app which is annoying at times.
To uninstall apps you just need to long press the icon on the screen and the press the X that appears on the upper left of the icon.
The 1080P display provided me with a really bright and crisp display and I never encountered viewing angle issues.
It is also nice that Vivo V3 Max has very less pre-installed unwanted apps which we call bloatware.
Fingerprint Sensor
You know that inputting your password is kind of annoying that’s why most users just leave their smartphones without a password. But with fingerprint sensor becoming a standard inclusion in today’s Android smartphones, I must say and I encourage everyone to use it as security lock.
Now the fingerprint sensor on the V3 Max is one of the best I must say. I registered both my left and right index finger and unlocking the phone is a swift! Very responsive and easy to configure.
Performance
Armed with a Snapdragon 652 64-bit Octa-core 1.8GHz, paired with Adreno 510 and 4GB of RAM, all you get is a smooth general performance from this device.
Antutu benchmarking app gave Vivo V3 Max a high score of 70,767, which is one step higher than the recorded score of LG V10.
Battery life
There is a 3,000mAH non-removable battery onboard the V3 Max. With my usual usage with mobile data turned on the whole day, it gave me more or less nine (9) hours. On WiFI, more than 16 hours is observed.
Camera
The best way to judge the camera is by posting sample shots. So here it is.
With the images posted above using the camera’s automatic settings, I invite you to be the judge. Is it beautiful?
Conclusion
The SRP of V3 Max in the Philippines is P16,999 and there is one SKU only which is the 4G/32G. At this price, the regular Juan may have to save money at least within two months. But for the middle managers they can easily swipe their credit cards and get the V3 Max already.
What I am saying is that VIVO V3 Max priced is justified given the premium build and the smooth performance of the device.
