Vivo V50 Challengers: The V series from Vivo has its priorities sorted. In a segment where the brands are scared of deviating from the traditional path of ‘competitive specs with competitive prices,’ Vivo’s V series has always prioritised two things above all else: premium design and great cameras. The newest offering in the list, the Vivo V50 follows this basic blueprint as well. The highlight of the phone’s spec sheet is its cameras.
The Vivo V50 brings three cameras to the table, all of which are 50 megapixels – two on the back, and one on the front. The main sensor on the back comes with OIS while the secondary sensor is an ultrawide one with autofocus, and the two are paired with a ring LED flash. The 50-megapixel camera in the front for selfies also comes with autofocus (a rarity in terms of both megapixel count and autofocus presence).
All three cameras come with support for 4K video and are made in collaboration with the legendary Zeiss. Other than star cameras, the Vivo V50 has a 6.78 inch AMOLED full HD+ display with 120 Hz refresh rate with 4500 nits peak brightness. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, a very competent chip, although not the most powerful in this price bracket.
This is paired with 8 GB/ 128 GB, 8 GB/ 256 GB and 12 GB/ 512 GB RAM and storage options, although the RAM used is LPDDR4X and the storage UFS 2.2, which is not as fast as many of its competitors in its price segment.
You get stereo speakers, Android 15 with Vivo’s FunTouchOS on top, and several AI tools. The phone is very slim and premium looking and yet packs in a huge 6,000 mAh battery with support for fast 90W charging, with a charger in the box.
All of which is quite a good deal for its starting price of Rs 34,999. But while its specs and looks are quite impressive, the Vivo V50 still faces tough competition in the market.
Here is a list of five devices that could prove to be a headache for it:
OnePlus Nord 4: Never Letting Competitors Settle
Price: Rs 29,999 onwards
The OnePlus Nord 4 brings a very standout, impressive design that gives it an edge over all other devices in this segment, with a metal body which is now a rarity. In terms of specs, the phone comes with a tall 6.74-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2772 x 1240 with a fast refresh rate of 120 Hz. it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip which is a very capable processor that can even let you dip your toes in high-end gaming waters.
This is backed by up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, with the base 8 GB/ 128 GB packing in LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, while the others come with UFS 4.0 storage. The phone has a dual camera set up on the back featuring a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia main sensor with OIS coupled with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor.
There is a 16-megapixel sensor on the front for selfies and video calls. The phone is backed by a 5,500 mAh battery which in the best OnePlus tradition comes with very fast 100W charging support. You get Android 14 out of the box which is topped with OxygenOS 14 and has since been updated to Android 15, with four years of Android updates and six years of security updates. Quite unsettling for others in the segment.
Poco F6: Processor Powerhouse
Price: Rs 25,999 onwards
Another major headache for the Vivo V50 is the Poco F6 which comes with a flagship level processor – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. Aiding this powerful processor is LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, which put the Poco F6 on a different level altogether from the Vivo V50 when it comes to high-end gaming.
The phone also brings a 6.67 inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate which is paired with stereo speakers, making the phone a multimedia beast and a gamer’s dream device in this price range. The Poco F6 has a dual camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS and an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, with a 20-megapixel sensor on the front of the phone. Its battery is a smaller one at 5,000 mAh but comes with 90W fast charging support, and has a charger in the box too.
The phone runs on Android 14 and Xiaomi’s HyperOS on top. Even though its build and design are not as premium as the Vivo V50, its processor muscle makes it a contender.
Samsung Galaxy A55: Samsung Solider
Price: Rs 33,999
Samsung is a brand that is pretty much omnipresent in all price segments. So it is hardly surprising that one of the phones standing in the path of the Vivo V50 is a Samsung one - the Galaxy A55 to be more exact. The phone comes with a very well-balanced spec sheet. It has a 6.6-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and is powered by Samsung’s very competent in-house Exynos 1480 processor.
The phone also brings a triple camera set up on the back consisting of a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS, a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 5-megapixel macro one. It also boasts an impressive 32-megapixel sensor on the front for selfies and video calls.
The Galaxy A55 has a 5,000 mAh battery and also comes with a comparatively very slow charging pace at 25W with no charger in the box either. But it is a sturdy customer with glass on the front and back with Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, and an IP67 rating.
The device comes with stereo speakers and runs on Android 14 topped with Samsung’s OneUI with an assurance of four years of major software updates.
Google Pixel 8a: Another Camera Pro That Just Got More Affordable
Price: Rs 34,999
The Vivo V50 is not the only phone that uses the ‘great cameras’ card to survive the upper mid-segment. The Google Pixel 8a has the same modus operandi. It was launched at a premium price, but a number of cuts have brought it right into the V50's zone.
The Pixel 8a boasts Google's classic camera bar design and also comes with clean, updated Android but the phone’s biggest USP are its cameras - a 64-megapixel main lens with OIS and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens on the back, and another 13-megapixel camera in front. Do not just go by the numbers, as these are topped with Google’s computational photography wizardry and loaded with smart software features like Magic Eraser, Night Sight, Real Tone and Photo Unblur.
It has a 6.1-inch full-HD+ OLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and is powered by Google’s very own Tensor G3 chip, which is one of the smartest around. It is backed by a 4,492 mAh battery with 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging support, but there is no charger in the box.
That camera bar gives it a distinct look and although the phone has a plastic back, it comes with a high IP67 rating, making it dust and water-resistant. This being a Pixel, you also get seven years of assured updates.
Xiaomi 14 Civi: Flagship Killer With Leica Cameras
Price: Rs 36,990
A flagship killer which also boasts cameras from a legendary brand is the Xiaomi 14 Civi. The phone’s biggest USPs are its processor and Leica-flavoured cameras.
The phone has a flagship-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, which is paired with 12 GB of speedy LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage, making the phone an absolute powerhouse.
It has a tall 6.55-inch AMOLED display wita h 120 Hz refresh rate, topped with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection. Much like the Vivo V50, the Xiaomi Civi also features two 50-megapixel sensors on the back – one main sensor and another telephoto one with 2x optical zoom, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, all designed with Leica. Selfies are handled by a 32-megapixel selfie sensor on the front.
It has a smaller battery at 4,700 mAh and comes with comparatively slower charging speed at 67W too but you do get a charger in the box. The phone also has stereo speakers, runs on Android 14 with Xiaomi’s new HyperOS on top, and is perfect for those who want a compact phone with great cameras.