The vivo V23 5G isn’t a freshly-baked smartphone. In fact, it’s a re-branded vivo S12 from China announced in December 2021. Moreover, it was launched globally last January 2022.

But just right after the Chinese New Year, the vivo V23 5G has reached the shores of the Philippines — and it’s a phone you wouldn’t want to miss.

Diving into unboxing

Unlike the “V” boxes that come with the vivo V20 and V21, the box of the V23 5G comes in this sparkly, dark blue box with a subtle “23” number behind the V23 branding.

That new holographic chiseled text styling is a nice touch, too.

The phone already greets you upon lifting the box.

Lifting the whole tab reveals this soft silicone case that serves as your phone’s early protection.

Beneath the case shows all the paperwork.

And surprisingly, it still has these goodies that most new smartphones don’t get nowadays…

…including a charger like this 44W vivo FlashCharge adapter.

Another two rare items in the box are the bundled 3.5mm wired earphones with a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter.

Finally, there’s a SIM tray ejector tool and a USB-C to USB-A cable for that proprietary vivo FlashCharger.

Just in case you wanna see it in one frame, here are all the box contents of the new vivo V23 5G.

Photochromic? What’s that even?

One of the highlights of the vivo V23 5G is its “color-changing” Fluorite AG glass back (yes, not plastic or a mixture of some sort). Thanks to their innovative photochromic technology, the phone’s color can change when hit by the light.

Actually, this is far different from the gradient smartphones you’ve seen in the past that just shows different shades depending on the light source.

Just like the sparkly box, the phone sparkles too under bright light

When held in a shady or a less-lit environment, the phone is in its normal “Sunshine Gold” colorway.

Once you leave the phone under direct light (either natural or artificial) for around three to five seconds, the magic begins.

And for a better representation, here’s how the color of the back changes when the exposed stencil is hit by direct sunlight (or maybe just a bright flashlight).

I didn’t take a photo but when I used the phone bare-case, my fingers actually left their marks on the phone’s back. So you either need to deal with that or cover it with the included case.

The design similarity is uncanny

Deny it or not, the phone resembles the iPhone 12 or 13 Pro series especially with that stainless steel frame — and I’m not complaining.

In all honesty, I’m more of a fan because vivo was able to bring such flagship finesse in their latest midrange line. This also means modern midrangers don’t have to look and feel cheap.

You’d mistakenly think it is an iPhone with that shiny frame…

…but not when you see the USB-C port and SIM card tray at the bottom (or maybe not if Apple decides to comply with EU’s ruling to ship future iPhones with USB-C 🤩).

And yes, the volume and power buttons are only on the right side. ICYMI, volume buttons on iPhones are placed at the left side.

Looking more familiar? Well it also has that infamous shrunken notch (yes, not a punch-hole cutout) to complete that iPhone-esque look.

Instead of an Apple-like “TrueDepth” system that makes Face ID possible, this phone has two selfie cameras instead — which made its debut in the vivo V20 Pro I’ve reviewed last 2020.

And if you’re that curious, face unlocking is still possible. Just remember, it just uses a less-secure 2D image just like most Android smartphones.

And yes, Touch ID, I mean optical fingerprint scanner saves the day whenever you wear face masks outside.

Visual goodness

Once setup and unlocked, you’ll be greeted by vivo’s new version of FunTouch OS 12 based on Android 12. Admittedly, it’s not as cluttered unlike other Android skins today. And if you’ve used an iPhone before, navigating through the phone is quite similar thanks to Android bringing that gesture navigation as well with that single bar at the bottom of the UI.

You can also choose between having an app drawer or just display apps directly on the home screen like iOS.

It’d truly be nice if Android smartphones can eliminate those “screen chins” though.

VIVIZ’s BOP BOP! is a true BOP

With its glorious 6.44-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display, visuals pop and look stunning even under bright sunlight. Even scrolling through menus and apps is a breeze with its 90Hz panel.

How can there be such a human being as perfect-looking as Wonpil?

And even if it only has a mono speaker found at the bottom, it’s loud enough with the right amount of bass and treble. It made my concert sessions in the shower livelier (and well-tuned lol).

Blazing with power

On paper, it runs a MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G chipset based on a 6nm process. While it’s not the best in class, I can assure you it can run most apps and games just fine. I barely noticed any  unnecessary lags and hiccups when scrolling through its UI or running apps side-by-side.

This isn’t totally a review article but I’m gonna supply you my early battery and charging tests anyway.

Its 4200mAh battery might not sound a lot for most but it was able to last me for at least a day with light to moderate use.

With 38% left on my phone, I was able to squeeze in an hour of music playback while the on-screen lyrics were displayed. After decreased battery percentage to 11%, I even played a video for around 25 minutes before it died.

And if that doesn’t sound enough to you, its 44W FlashCharge charging brick saves the day.

Test 1 (from 0%)

• 2 minutes = 1%
• 5 minutes = 6%
• 10 minutes = 24%
• 15 minutes = 33%
• 30 minutes = 69%
• 45 minutes = 91%
• 52 minutes = 98%
• 54 minutes = 99%
• 60 minutes = 100%

Test 2 (from 0%)

• 2 minutes = 6%
• 5 minutes = 14%
• 10 minutes = 25%
• 15 minutes = 35%
• 30 minutes = 64%
• 45 minutes = 90%
• 52 minutes = 97%
• 54 minutes = 98%
• 60 minutes = 100%

Safe to say that with an hour to spare, you can fully charge the vivo V23 5G up to its maximum battery capacity.

#PhotoDump

There are a total of five cameras with three in the back:

• 64MP f/1.9 wide (main) sensor
• 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens
• 2MP f/2.4 macro lens

Up front, there are two selfie cameras both housed on that tiny notch: a 50MP f/2.0 wide and an even wider 8MP f/2.3 ultra-wide lens.

I’ll get more detailed about the vivo V23 5G’s camera capabilities in a separate article. For now, here are some early sample photos using the vivo V23 5G.

Here are some daylight and food shots…

…as well as some night mode shots.

Here’s me and my cat for that quick yet unwanted groufie…

…and finally trying that dual flash spotlight by taking cringe-worthy selfies at 3AM.

Pricing and Availability

The vivo V23 5G is already being sold in the Philippines for PhP 27,999 in either this Sunshine Gold colorway or a less-striking Stardust Black option. It only comes in a single 12GB + 256GB configuration.

When you buy the phone from February 5 to 19, 2022 in their official Shopee account, there’s a limited PhP 500 off voucher and free 2-in-1 clock speaker until supplies last.

SEE ALSO: Taking photos to the next level with the vivo V23 5G