Vivo V40e Review: Stylish Phone with Uncompromised Battery Life

Vivo has been upping the ante with every V series launch by squeezing in more features than ever before, and the V40 series is a testament to the same. However, this also makes Vivo's most popular series a lot more than before, unless the company introduced the Vivo V40e, the most affordable smartphone in the series that just cuts the right corners to still make it an enticing proposition, especially for its asking price.

Starting at Rs 28,999, it's clearly one of the best-looking phones in this segment with an excellent set of cameras. But what about the other things? Does it have what it takes to be considered the best phone in the segment? Check out my detailed review of the Vivo V40e to find an answer to that question.

PROS

• Slim lightweight design
• 3D Curved display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Long-last battery life with fast-charging
• Natural-looking selfies

CONS

• Performance could be better
• Pre-installed apps
• Photos tend to get a bit smoother in low-light

Display and Design

In our first impressions of the Vivo V40e, we noticed that the handset misses out on some of the standout features like Zeiss optics, available in both the pricier Vivo V40 (Review) and the V40 Pro models. However, the Vivo V40e got a few upgrades over its predecessor V30e, which also includes its more premium design.

The Vivo V40e more or less maintains standards set by its predecessor- Vivo 30e and flaunts a lightweight design, while slimming down to a mere 7.49mm and weighing only 183 grams despite packing a massive 5,500 mAh battery, and it's definitely a welcome move, which ensures the phone can easily last more than a day even for heavy users.

Despite missing out on the Zeiss optics, the Vivo V40e boasts an almost similar camera setup at the rear panel, offering dual cameras placed inside a pill-shaped island. Divided into two oval sections, the upper section includes camera sensors, while the bottom section contains the Aura ring light to enhance image quality in low-light conditions.

The Vivo V40e's glossy back attracts fingerprints and feels slippery, this can be overcome by dressing up the phone with the transparent case that comes in the box. The phone has an IP64 rating, making it resistant to dust and water, though some mid-range competitors like the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion offer a higher IP68 rating. Nonetheless, the ingress protection should be able to protect the phone from light showers and accidental water splashes.

At the front, the Vivo V40e has a 3D curved AMOLED panel, surrounded by really thin bezels on all four sides. The 6.77-inch panel comes with FHD+ resolution, HDR10+ support, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of up to 4,500 nits. Moreover, the power button and volume rockers are placed on the right edge, while the bottom part has a SIM slot, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker grill.

I have not encountered any issues while viewing content even in direct sunlight, and the high refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling. The stereo speaker further enhances the multimedia experience. In fact, I quite enjoyed streaming my favourite Pakistani drama on YouTube, where the display was punchy and made the drama even more dramatic.

Performance and Software

The Vivo V40e is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Although the device lacks storage expansion, it has memory expansion, enabling users to swap the Vivo V40e's internal storage to double the RAM from 8GB to 16GB, enhancing performance for more demanding applications and multitasking scenarios, especially for those, who like to keep more apps in memory.

The Vivo V40e is capable of handling high-performance tasks including gaming. I ran Call of Duty: Mobile at 60 fps for an hour, and throughout the session, the performance was smooth and didn't face any lag or frame drop. However, the phone did warm up slightly after 30 minutes, like most other phones in this class. When comes to handling day-to-day tasks like social media, and binge-watching, it just works.

On the software front, the Vivo V40e runs on Android 14 with Funtouch OS 14 on top and is confirmed to get three years of Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which is very common to offer in the mid-range segment, the latest Galaxy A16 5G even comes with six major Android updates and six years of security updates and feels like a bit of a miss.

The Vivo V40e's software is relatively clean there were some pre-installed apps, and some of which cannot be removed. This time, Vivo has incorporated AI features like Photo Enhancer and Eraser to enhance the camera experience on the Vivo V40e, enabling users to remove unwanted objects and adjust colours in pictures easily, which works as expected but does need an active internet connection.

Camera

The Vivo V40e has a different pill-shaped camera module than the Vivo V30e; however, the new model has the same dual-camera setup on the back as the predecessor. At the rear, the phone offers a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with an f/1.79 aperture and OIS support and an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 116° Field of View. Upfront, the Vivo V40e features a 50MP Samsung JN1 selfie camera with Autofocus and an f/2.0 aperture.

The main camera performs well, offering clear photos in both outdoor and indoor settings. It captures detailed shots even in low light, thanks to the Aura Light, which actually enhances image quality. The wide-angle camera is okay but could be sharper. The selfie camera is my favourite, which provides natural-looking photos.

The portrait mode takes decent portraits, but I'm not happy with the skin tones. If you're a vlogger, the Vivo V40e is a good choice because it can record 4K videos with the front camera too. AI features further enhance the camera experience. In low light, the images also tend to get a bit smooth and lack details.

Battery Life

Despite its 5,500mAh battery, the Vivo V40e remains remarkably lightweight at 183 grams. The 80W fast charging technology is a game-changer, taking it from 5% to 90% in a mere 44 minutes. For moderate users, a single charge can easily last for over 3 days. Even for heavy users who indulge in gaming or streaming videos, the battery can comfortably last for more than a day. For me, on most days, I charged the phone once in two days, and 80W fast charging also comes in handy when the charge percentage reaches a critical point.

Verdict

The Vivo V40e is hands down one of the premium-looking phones in this segment with its slim profile and curved display. However, its performance might be disappointing, mainly for heavy gamers. Sporting the same chipset as more affordable options like the iQOO Z9s and the Realme P1 Speed, the Vivo V40e might come out like an overpriced device, but its design and battery life make up for it.

Although the battery life and display are standout features and the camera is also satisfactory, especially I liked the selfie camera. If you're looking for a good-looking phone, the Vivo V40e could be a suitable choice. However, if you prioritize gaming performance, you should explore other options.

For instance, the Motorola Edge 50, available in a similar price range, offers a similar sleek design, curved display, and competitive camera capabilities, potentially providing better value for your money.