It is a rule of thumb that whenever a brand launches two smartphones at the same event, the headlines are grabbed by the more power-packed one between the two. And this very thing happened when Vivo launched the Vivo V30 5G and the Vivo 30 Pro 5G recently. The better-specced Vivo V30 Pro 5G made the most headlines, completely making some forget the Vivo V30 5G comes with a very impressive spec sheet as well.
Packed in a sleek, stylish body is a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 that powers the phone. The face of the phone is a very beautiful, curved 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, while the back features a dual camera set up with two 50-megapixel sensors, one main with OIS and another ultrawide.
The phone also comes with a 50-megapixel selfie sensor with autofocus on the front, perhaps one of the best selfie cameras in the segment. It is powered by a large 5,000mAh battery, which comes with 80W fast charging support.
The phone runs on Android 14 out of the box, topped with Vivo’s FunTouchOS 14, and with three years of Android and four years of security update assurance. The phone lacks stereo speakers and comes with just IP54 splash resistance but has a solid spec sheet overall.
Its starting price of Rs 33,999, however, places it in the range of some serious competition. Here are five phones that can give the Vivo V30 a run for its money:
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G: First Up, The Note With Many Firsts
Price: Rs 31,999 onwards
It is the first of its kind for many reasons, one of which is its price. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is the first Redmi Note to have crossed the threshold of the big ‘30’ and comes with a starting price of Rs 31,999. But this price tag is paired with some serious spec power.
The phone is also the first Redmi Note to come with a 6.67 inch 1.5K resolution AMOLED curved display with a 120Hz refresh rate, that too protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, something we rarely get to see in this price segment. It is also the first smartphone in the world to come with the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra 5G, a very efficient mid-segment processor.
Couple this with fast LPDDR5 RAM and USF 3.1 storage and you get a phone which bosses multitasking. The Note 13 Pro+ also comes with a massive 200-megapixel main camera with large f/1.65 aperture, up to 4x lossless zoom and OIS. This is backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro sensor, while selfies are handled by a 16-megapixel sensor.
The phone comes with a large 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging and with a 120W charging brick in the box. Some might frown upon the presence of Android 13 out of the box on the phone but it comes with MIUI 14 on top and is being updated to Xiaomi’s new HyperOS on Android 14 even as this is being written.
The phone also comes with dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support and an IP68 rating, all of which together can prove to be a little worrisome for the Vivo V30.
iQoo Neo 9 Pro 5G: The Flagship In Mid-Segment Mix
Price: Rs 34,999 onwards
Vivo’s sub-brand iQoo has been making waves by launching several smartphones that deliver good value for money with distinct designs over the last few years. One of the very best of those devices is the recently launched iQoo Neo 9 Pro.
The phone not only comes with a seriously good-looking design, especially its Fiery Red variant which is a blend of red and white on a vegan leather finish back with stitched seams, but also brings specs that have flagship killing on their mind. It comes with a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a high refresh rate of 144 Hz and peak brightness of 3,000 nits, specs which we usually get to see in very premium phones.
The phone is powered by a slightly old but still very powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, paired with ample RAM and storage, enabling it to easily handle almost anything and everything that you may throw its way. It boasts a 50-megapixel Sony IMX920 main sensor with OIS which is backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, while a 16-megapixel sensor takes care of selfies and video calls.
Rounding off the spec goodness is a large 5,160mAh battery with support for 120 W fast charging, and Android 14 out of the box and is topped with Vivo’s FunTouchOS 14. This is the phone that will give every phone priced between Rs 30,000 – Rs 40,000 nightmares, and the Vivo V30’s sleep is not spared.
Nothing Phone 2: LEDs That Can Put Vivo V30 In The Dark
Price: Rs 36,999 onwards
If it is a truly standout smartphone that you are looking for under Rs 40,000 then perhaps nothing comes close to the Nothing Phone 2.
It’s the phone that comes with LEDs loaded on its back, making it as distinct as it gets. If these different looks weren’t enough, the phone also brings some really powerful specs to the table. It boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a dual camera setup comprising two 50-megapixel sensors, one main with OIS, another ultrawide, and a good 32-megapixel sensor on the front for selfies.
The Nothing Phone 2’s show runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor which may be a little old but remains quite powerful. The phone also features a 4,700mAh battery with 45W fast charging support, both of which may seem a little underwhelming but the phone does offer 15W wireless charging support, a rare feature in this price band.
The Phone 2 comes with a clean, clutter-free Nothing OS, which is very stock Android-ish in both looks and operation.
The phone ships with Android 13 out of the box, but can be updated to Android 14. We can see people saying Viva to this Vivo V30 rival.
Realme 12 Pro+: Camera, Design That Can Rock The Vivo Boat
Price: Rs 31,999 onwards
Another massive hurdle in the way of the Vivo V30 is the recently released Realme 12 Pro+. Apart from the very luxurious vegan leather back design with a big circular camera unit with what Realme calls a sunburst design, crafted in partnership with international luxury watch designer, Ollivier Savéo, the phone’s major highlight is its camera setup.
The Realme 12 Pro+ brings a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 main sensor with OIS, backed by a 64-megapixel periscope portrait sensor (a rarity at this price) with 3x optical zoom and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor.
A 32-megapixel Sony sensor on the front handles selfies. All of this design and camera flair is paired with a 6.7-inch AMOLED curved display with 120 Hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging, and Android 14 out of the box, making the Realme 12 Pro+ a very swanky, camera forward phone.
A slight letdown is the fact that the phone runs on the capable yet strictly mid-segment Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, which seems a step back in this zone, which has some flagship chips, even if they are on the older side.
Realme’s slightly overwhelming RealmeUI might also annoy those who like their Android to be super clean, but the phone still packs in enough to be a Vivo V30 problem.
Oppo Reno 11 5G: Another Camera And Design-Forward Contender
Price: Rs 29,999 onwards
Another great camera, and premium design combo phone in this price band is the Oppo Reno 11. Reno’s series go-to strategy has been to make phones with stand-out design and great cameras and the Oppo Reno 11 is no different.
The phone comes with a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS, a 32-megapixel telephoto lens, an 8-megapixel wide camera, and also a very good 32-megapixel front-facing camera that handles selfies and video calls.
The phone also boasts a beautiful 6.7-inch curved FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7050, which can handle your everyday chores with ease.
The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. It runs on Android 14 out of the box, topped with Oppo’s ColorOS. This comes with an elegantly crafted design with a very distinct back and a camera unit that stands out from the regular circle and square crowd.
