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Vivo's V21 5G boasts a selfie camera with OIS (Updated: Indian launch)
- vivo has launched the V21 and V21 5G worldwide.
- The phone centers around a 44MP optically stabilized selfie camera.
- You’ll otherwise find modest specs that include a 90Hz screen and a MediaTek chip.
Update: April 29, 2021 (3:38AM ET): vivo has now launched the V21 5G in India. We’ve updated the article with pricing and availability details for the market.
Original article: April 27, 2021 at 5:00 a.m. ET: Vivo has made a point of including stand-out camera technology in its phones, and that includes its latest budget phones. The Chinese mobile giant has introduced the vivo V21 and V21 5G, both of which revolve around an unusually powerful selfie camera that might just beat the one in your current phone.
The two V21 variants include a 44MP optically stabilized front cam that, according to vivo, provides high-quality selfies with the help of a “groundbreaking light sensor.” You might snap a nighttime self-portrait or TikTok video that isn’t a blurry mess, to put it another way. An AI Night Portrait mode can help when the hardware isn’t enough.
You can also expect competent rear camera photos on the vivo V21 through the combination of a 64MP optically stabilized main sensor as well as an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP macro cams.
See also: The best MediaTek phones
vivo otherwise equipped the V21 phones with decidedly budget-oriented specs. The MediaTek Dimensity 800U chip won’t make you rethink plans to buy a flagship phone, but the 90Hz AMOLED screen and 33W fast wired charging for the 4,000mAh battery could make these devices more compelling. Full details of both models weren’t immediately available, but it seems like literally the only difference between the two devices is that one has 5G and the other offers 4G. It’s an interesting omission given the fact that they share the same 5G-enabled processor.
vivo told Android Authority that the V21 and V21 5G “start from $390.” We can assume the non-5G V21 will cost $390, while the 5G variant will likely cost more. How much more, we do not know. We’re also still waiting to hear about exact availability details.
The company has however launched the V21 5G in India a few days after this article was originally published. The 8GB/128GB variant retails for Rs 29,990 (~$405), while the 8GB/256GB model can be yours for Rs 32,990 (~$446). Pre-orders start from today (April 29), and the phone will be available in Arctic White, Dusk Blue, and Sunset Dazzle colorways.