The Portrait King With ZEISS Magic

The vivo V50 has officially made its debut in Malaysia on March 13, 2025, and it’s already setting a high standard for smartphone photography. Dubbed the “Portrait King,” this device is tailor-made for those who love taking breathtaking portraits, thanks to its ZEISS Portrait So Pro camera system. vivo has always been known for its innovation in mobile photography, and with the V50, they have taken things up a notch.

But the vivo V50 isn’t just about the camera. It is also vivo’s slimmest phone to date that still manages to pack a massive 6,000mAh battery. This battery is supported by 90W flash charging, which means you’ll spend less time tethered to a charger and more time enjoying everything this smartphone has to offer. To add to the appeal, vivo introduces a stunning Ancora Red colour variant, which exudes elegance and luxury while still maintaining a modern, minimalist design.

How does this phone perform in real-world use? Let’s break it down and see if the vivo V50 truly deserves its title as the ultimate portrait photography smartphone.

First Look and Design

When you first take the vivo V50 out of the box, the Ancora Red colourway immediately catches your eye. This shade is inspired by red sandstone, resulting in a deep, rich hue that gives off a natural yet refined aesthetic. It isn’t just another red phone—it has a sense of depth and uniqueness that makes it stand out. The smooth, satin-like matte finish on the back adds a premium touch while preventing annoying fingerprints. If red isn’t your style, vivo offers the V50 in Most Purple and Satin Black, ensuring a colour option for every preference.

Holding the phone feels incredibly premium. Despite housing a massive battery, vivo has managed to keep the V50 slim and lightweight, making it comfortable for one-handed use. The metal frame, finished in the same shade as the body, seamlessly integrates into the design, enhancing its sleek, unified look.

Flipping the phone over, you’re greeted by a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 1080×2392 resolution. The screen is absolutely stunning, offering HDR10+ support and an ultra-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Whether you’re scrolling through social media, gaming, or watching videos, the experience is fluid and immersive. The 4500-nit peak brightness ensures excellent visibility even under bright sunlight, making outdoor usage hassle-free. To top it off, the screen is protected by Diamond Shield Glass, offering improved resistance against scratches and drops.

The button placement is clean and ergonomic. The volume rocker and power button sit on the right side for easy access, while the left side remains sleek and uninterrupted. The top houses microphones, while at the bottom, you’ll find a USB-C port, SIM tray, and a bottom-firing speaker. The V50 is equipped with a stereo speaker setup, which significantly improves the audio experience, delivering rich, immersive sound whether you’re gaming or watching movies.

At the back, the camera module is designed with precision. The dual-camera setup is housed within a circular bump, accompanied by vivo’s AI Aura Light 2.0 positioned right below it. The placement is not just about aesthetics—it also enhances low-light photography. The bezel around the display is impressively thin and symmetrical, contributing to a more seamless, sophisticated design.

Performance and Daily Use

Beneath the stylish exterior, the vivo V50 runs on the latest Android 15, layered with FunTouch OS 15. This ensures a smooth, intuitive user experience, optimized for efficiency and convenience. One of the standout software features is the inclusion of Google Gemini Assistant, which integrates advanced AI to handle complex tasks such as circle to search feature that provides smarter search results, and improve overall device functionality.

For frequent travellers or those who work in international environments, vivo’s Live Call Translation is a game-changer. Supporting 7 major languages, this feature enables real-time translation during phone calls, making communication across different languages seamless. Additionally, the on-screen AI translation feature supports 132 languages, allowing users to quickly translate text on web pages, documents, and even images with just a tap.

Power and Speed

The vivo V50 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, which offers a perfect balance between efficiency and performance. Paired with 12GB of RAM (with an option to expand it by another 12GB virtually), multitasking is handled effortlessly. Whether you’re switching between apps, editing photos, or streaming in high resolution, the experience is lag-free and responsive.

Storage options include 256GB and 512GB, catering to users who need ample space for their apps, media, and high-resolution photos. If you tend to keep large files on your device, the higher storage variant ensures you won’t run out of space anytime soon.

Gaming Experience

For gamers, the vivo V50 doesn’t disappoint. Titles like PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact run smoothly, with no noticeable frame drops. The AMOLED display, combined with 120Hz refresh rate, enhances the overall gaming experience, making animations fluid and gameplay immersive. The VC Smart Cooling System, with a 25,489mm² heat dissipation area, ensures the phone stays cool even during extended gaming sessions. Thanks to nine temperature sensors, the system effectively reduces heat buildup, preventing performance throttling.

The vivo V50 achieved an impressive 817,181 points on the Antutu 3D benchmark, which is a solid score for a mid-to-high-end smartphone. This means that whether you’re switching between multiple apps, editing high-resolution photos, or streaming high-definition videos, the device handles it all with ease. Additionally, it scored 5,269 points on the 3DMark benchmark, proving its gaming capability in rendering high-quality graphics quite smoothly.

With good benchmark scores, advanced cooling technology, and powerful hardware, the vivo V50 proves to be an excellent choice for gamers, content creators, and professionals who need a reliable, high-performing device. If you’re into gaming, streaming, or multitasking, this smartphone ensures that every interaction is fast, responsive, and enjoyable.

Battery Life and Charging

The 6,000mAh battery provides all-day endurance, even with intensive usage. Whether you’re gaming, streaming, or taking photos, the battery holds up impressively well. When you do need a recharge, the 90W FlashCharge technology provides a massive boost in just 10 minutes, giving you up to 6 hours of standby time.

The vivo V50 is also IP68 and IP69 rated, meaning it can withstand dust and water exposure. Whether you get caught in the rain or accidentally drop it in water, your phone remains safe and fully functional.

Camera and Photography

If there’s one area where the vivo V50 truly excels, it’s in the camera department. Known as the Portrait King, this smartphone is designed to deliver stunning, high-quality portrait shots with professional-grade ZEISS optics. It is equipped with a 50MP main ZEISS camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP front selfie camera, ensuring that no matter which lens you use, you get crystal-clear, detailed images that rival those of professional DSLR cameras.

ZEISS Portrait So Pro: Bringing Studio-Quality Portraits to Your Pocket

At the heart of the vivo V50’s camera prowess is ZEISS Portrait So Pro, a technology developed in collaboration with ZEISS to create true-to-life portraits with DSLR-like clarity and depth. The CIPA 4.0 stabilization system ensures that every shot is sharp, clear, and shake-free, even in low-light or dynamic environments. Whether you’re capturing portraits in natural light or under artificial lighting, the intelligent image processing adjusts to deliver the perfect balance of colours, contrast, and details.

AI Aura Light Portrait 2.0: Flawless Low-Light Portraits

A game-changing feature of the vivo V50 is its AI Aura Light Portrait 2.0, which provides soft, evenly distributed lighting for enhanced low-light portrait photography. Unlike traditional smartphone flashes that can create harsh lighting and unflattering shadows, this Aura Light mimics the natural glow of professional studio lighting, ensuring that your subject is well-lit from every angle.

The improved Aura Light ring is 100% larger than its predecessor, offering better coverage and a more natural illumination. Whether you’re taking selfies in a dimly lit restaurant or capturing nighttime portraits outdoors, the AI Aura Light Portrait 2.0 enhances your photos without the need for external lighting equipment.

Film Camera Mode: Bringing Vintage Aesthetics to Mobile Photography

For those who love nostalgic, film-style photography, the vivo V50 introduces Film Camera Mode, which offers a range of classic film tones, grainy textures, and dynamic frames. This mode emulates the look and feel of vintage film cameras, providing an artistic touch to your images.

What makes this feature special is the inclusion of ZEISS Border Watermark, which adds an authentic touch to your photos, making them look like they were shot on a high-end film camera. The Live Colour-Adaptive Border further enhances this experience by extracting colours from the photo and dynamically adjusting the frame for a more immersive visual effect.

4K Video Recording: Capture Every Detail in High Definition

The vivo V50 doesn’t just excel in photography—it’s also a powerhouse for videography. With 4K video recording available on all cameras, you can shoot high-resolution videos with stunning detail, rich colours, and smooth stabilization.

The OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) on the main 50MP ZEISS camera ensures that your videos remain shake-free, even if you’re filming while moving. Whether you’re capturing cinematic slow-motion clips, travel vlogs, or dynamic action shots, the vivo V50 is equipped to deliver professional-grade video quality.

AI-Powered Group Portraits and Wide-Angle Photography

If you enjoy taking group photos, the vivo V50 introduces the AI Group Portrait Algorithm, which enables the camera to capture ultra-clear group shots of up to 30 people. This means that no one gets left out, and each face is clearly defined, making it perfect for large gatherings and events.

For landscape and architectural photography enthusiasts, the 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 119° field of view ensures that you can fit more into every frame. Unlike many wide-angle lenses that distort edges, the AI-powered corrections maintain a natural look, ensuring that your shots remain sharp and well-balanced.

Bokeh Perfection with ZEISS-Style Effects

A major highlight of the vivo V50 is its ZEISS-style bokeh effects, allowing you to experiment with different portrait backgrounds for a more artistic touch. Available bokeh styles include:

• Biotar Style: A swirling, dreamlike bokeh effect.
• B-Speed Style: A soft, motion-enhanced background blur.
• Distagon Style: A cinematic, wide-aperture effect for subject isolation.

These effects help add depth and character to your photos, making them look like professional studio shots taken with high-end camera lenses.

Final Thoughts on the Camera System

With advanced AI enhancements, professional-grade ZEISS optics, and a suite of innovative photography tools, the vivo V50 lives up to its reputation as the Portrait King. Whether you’re a casual smartphone photographer, a content creator, or a professional looking for a versatile camera phone, the V50 provides exceptional image quality in every scenario.

With its intelligent lighting, DSLR-quality stabilization, and vintage film aesthetics, the vivo V50 transforms smartphone photography into a truly artistic experience. If mobile photography is a priority for you, this phone is an absolute must-have.

Have a look at some of the photos taken with the vivo V50 below:

Conclusion: Should You Buy the vivo V50?

The vivo V50 is more than just a smartphone—it’s a powerful photography tool that redefines what a portrait-centric device can achieve. With its ZEISS Portrait So Pro system, this phone brings DSLR-level photography to your fingertips, making it an ideal companion for anyone who loves capturing life’s moments with professional quality. Whether you’re shooting in daylight, low light, or even experimenting with cinematic filters, the vivo V50 ensures that every shot is crisp, well-lit, and beautifully composed.

But the vivo V50 isn’t just about its camera capabilities. It’s a well-rounded device that excels in performance, design, and endurance. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM (expandable up to 24GB), ensures smooth multitasking, high-speed performance, and an excellent gaming experience. The 6,000mAh battery keeps you powered throughout the day, while the 90W FlashCharge technology ensures you never have to worry about long charging times. Add in the IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance, scratch-resistant build, and a stunning, premium design, and you get a phone that is both durable and elegant.

At its RM1,999.00 starting price point, the vivo V50 delivers flagship-level features without the flagship price tag. You get an ultra-premium feel, a cutting-edge camera system, and robust performance, making it an excellent investment for photographers, content creators, gamers, and everyday users alike. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current device or seeking a phone that balances style, power, and photography excellence, the vivo V50 is a top-tier choice that won’t disappoint.

Final Verdict

If portrait photography is your passion, the vivo V50 is the best smartphone you can get without breaking the bank. It’s a game-changer for mobile photography, offering a blend of AI-powered enhancements, ZEISS optics, and pro-level tools that let you create stunning images effortlessly. But even if you’re not a photography enthusiast, the V50’s premium design, long battery life, and powerful performance make it a standout option for anyone who wants a high-quality smartphone experience.

Simply put, the vivo V50 is an all-in-one powerhouse that delivers in every aspect—from photography and gaming to productivity and endurance. If you want a device that looks great, performs flawlessly, and captures stunning portraits every time, then the vivo V50 is the perfect choice for you.