Vivo V21 5G: The Vivo V21 5G stands out in the mid-range market that is changing constantly. For many brands, it is all about raw performance and aggressive specs, but not for Vivo when releasing this model.
It mixes elegance, a light footprint and camera prowess — particularly for the selfie-obsessed — in a package that not only 5G-ready, but fun to use on daily basis.
Launched when 5G networks were still nascent, the V21 5G was engineered to be future-ready. It’s not about jamming in benchmarks, but of serving an experience polished with consideration, particularly in the photography and design departments.
Design and Construction: Slim and Stylish
DESIGN The slim profile is what strikes you first on the Vivo V21 5G. The device is said to be one of the thinnest 5G phones in its price segment and is 7.29mm thick, weighing 176 grams.
It has a glass back with a smooth gradient design that makes it look and feel more premium; especially if you can get it in a color like Sunset Dazzle or Dusk Blue.
The flat edges and the well built in camera module bring minimalism but elegance design. It feels great to hold in the hand and slides easily into pockets — that’s rare for modern 5G phones, which are often pretty beefy.
Display: Vivid and Smooth
At the front, the V21 5G comes with a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Colors are vibrant, blacks are inky, and the refresh rate makes for smoother scrolling and animations.
Thanks to support for tools even such as HDR10+ streaming looks sharp and colourful, via platforms such as Netflix.
The screen brightness is also good enough to be used outdoors, and the overall screen quality does make both media content and daily use experience better. The in-display fingerprint scanner is responsive and reliable.
Performance: Well-Rounded and Competent
The Vivo V21 5G is not a gaming beat, but with the MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor, it takes care of every day tasks smoothly.
With 8GB RAM, and 128GB internal storage, it handles multitasking, app switching, and some level of gaming very well.
Games such as Call of Duty: Mobile and BGMI play well at medium to high settings without significant drops in frame rate. Having the option of extra RAM (3GB in this case) from the expansion storage helps with multitasking and general background behavior (although the fact it’s an extension could put off more demanding gamers).
The phone runs Funtouch OS 11.1 on top of Android 11, and its interface is relatively clean and offers a solid balance between customization and extra features.
There are some pre-installed apps, but the majority can be deleted.
Camera: A Selfie Specialist
Where the Vivo V21 5G excels, however, is its camera set-up, not least its 44MP Eye Autofocus front shooter that comes with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) — something of a rarity at this price. Selfies look sharp, even in low light, and video calls are impressively stable.
At the back, the 64MP primary sensor with OIS, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro are decent enough. Daylight photos are colorful with nice dynamic range, and the software night mode captures reasonable detail without excessive noise.
The ultra-wide lens is useful, but it falls short of the clarity provided by the main sensor.
Battery and Charging
A 4000mAh battery may not sound overly impressive on paper, but it gets you through a full day with typical usage, thanks to software optimization and the power-sipping AMOLED screen.
It gets 33W fast charging that can charge the phone from 0 to 63% in 30 minutes. And this is a very useful feature for people on the move.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Premium built slim and light weight
Beautiful AMOLED screen at 90Hz refresh rate
Very good front OIS camera for selfies and video calls
Smooth day-to-day performance
Decent battery life 5G support
Cons:
Not ideal for heavy gaming
Battery capacity could also be bigger
Frustrating bloatware and oddball Funtouch OS Design and hardware A troubled phone that looks and feels good at the same time
No stereo speakers
Vivo V21 5G Final Verdict
The Vivo V21 5G is a balanced smartphone for someone who cares more about style, camera’s photo processing and daily usability rather than raw numbers.
It’s an excellent pick for anyone who wants a solid 5G phone that’s almost guaranteed to get good support, and for anyone who wants specific features like excellent video quality or selfies.
“If you’re on the lookout for gaming phones which are powered to the gills, there are better alternatives out there.
But if gorgeous design, fiction-smashing photography and futureproofed connectivity are your priorities, the V21 5G is all the right notes.