vivo V29 5G is your next best nightlife friend

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Taking a flattering photo of you and your friends on a night out can be challenging. There are blurry ones, ones where you can see nothing at all, and several photos where that one friend is half-blinking because of the flash. And if there was one rule in documenting nights out, it should be “No unflattering Instagram Story posts allowed.” You could bring a ring light, but… let’s get real.

The real solution? Get a phone that does have a ring light. A mini one, that is. The vivo V29 5G has just that, making it the perfect companion for when you just look too damn good not to post.

The back of the V29 features what they call the Aura Light 2.0, a small circular light on the phone’s camera module. The beauty of the Aura Light 2.0 is that it’s not a burst flash — it’s a nice, even fill light that stays on while you compose the shot and click on the shutter, eliminating those dreaded half-blinked eyes. The Aura Light 2.0 has Smart Color Temperature Adjustment, automatically adjusting the warmth of the light depending on the ambient light to make sure you don’t look too flushed in the cheeks or look like you’ve just seen a ghost. You can also adjust the Aura Light 2.0’s warmth manually, but the automatic setting does the job pretty well on most occasions.

There is a normal LED flash, which provides a stronger strobe than the Aura Light 2.0, but you’ll find that the latter works better for portraits. Think of it as more of a back-up (and a flashlight, of course — those are still essential for nights out). When in video mode, the only flash available is the Aura Light 2.0, but it’s more than enough for most situations. Plus, it provides the same soft fill and automatic temperature adjustment, giving you the same flattering light even in motion.

But let’s say you want to capture the ambiance of the bar or club you’re in. If you don’t want any sort of flash in your photos, the V29’s camera also has a night mode. You just have to make sure to hold the phone still for a second or two while it snaps the picture, but it’s a good enough trade-off for making sure you don’t get a photo that’s blurry or straight up just pitch black.

Another great thing about the camera is that it has 50 megapixels, which means that even night shots without the flash or the Aura Light 2.0 will still come out sharp and detailed. The main back camera also has optical image stabilization (OIS) built in, allowing it to compensate for any small hand movements while taking the photo. When taking videos, the camera’s OIS is also combined with electronic image stabilization, allowing for steadier and clearer shots whatever the situation.

The V29’s selfie camera also has 50 megapixels, so you won’t have to turn your phone around and blindly frame your shot just for a better quality selfie. Plus, the front camera also has two lens angles to choose from, allowing you to fit more people in the frame when taking a barkada selfie. The front camera’s field of view is a moderate 92 degrees, which according to vivo, strikes the perfect balance for single-person selfies — avoiding distortion from an angle that’s too wide while also preventing the “big face” effect caused by overly narrow angles. Again: no unflattering Instagram Stories allowed!

The other big talking point about the phone, apart from its camera, is its design. Most smartphones these days are nothing but a black slab of glass on the front and a solid color on the back, and that’s where the V29 stands out.

The phone comes in two colors: the first is Magic Maroon, which features a soft touch finish and Fluorite AG Glass, which is an organic material that changes the phone’s color to an elegant burgundy when exposed to sunlight or UV light.

The second color option is Starry Purple, which our review unit came in with. vivo says this colorway was inspired by the Milky Way, and it’s easy to see why: it features a soft gradient of white to purple from top to bottom, and underneath the glass is 9 million micron-sized magnetic particles that glisten when hit by light. What’s more is that when you rock the phone back and forth, it creates a kind of wave effect as different particles are lit. It’s definitely a conversation piece, and extremely stylish. vivo created this through an innovative process that uses invisible magnetic forces to control the particles inside the glass, forming specific patterns. The varying size and orientation of these particles result in distinct refraction paths, creating various light and shadow effects.

As you move to the front of the phone, you’ll notice that it’s not like most smartphones with a flat screen. The V29 features a 3D curved screen, which makes the phone feel slimmer than it actually is. Not that the phone is thick by any means — the V29’s waistline measures an impressive 7.46mm. The curved screen also makes the phone easier to handle: it almost doesn’t feel like you’re holding a phone with a gigantic 6.78 inch screen.

The screen itself is impressive: it features a 120 Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth graphics, a resolution of 2800x1260 pixels, and AMOLED technology. The AMOLED screen allows for richer contrast and deeper blacks, and since this technology only lights up the pixels that are not displaying black, it helps save battery life especially when consuming content. According to vivo, the V29 has the clearest display in the history of their V series, and I truly am inclined to believe them.

The screen also offers eye protection, with its hardware specs reducing harmful blue light and screen flickering. When you have the eye protection mode turned on, the V29 adjusts the screen’s color temperature to make viewing more comfortable for your eyes. This is especially useful when you’re out and about at night — nobody wants their eyes to be assaulted by a bright screaming screen in the middle of the dance floor.

Because the V29 has a big screen, it also means that it has a big battery. The phone boasts of a 4,600 mAh battery that lasts all day, and if you’re not a heavy user, it’s sure to last you until the morning after. But if you are a heavy user and constantly get battery anxiety before going on a night out, don’t worry: the phone is capable of fast charging and comes with a fast charger in the box. The V29 can charge up to a peak of 80 watts using its FlashCharge technology, allowing it to charge up to 50% in just 18 minutes. And if you’re worried that fast charging will lead to quicker battery deterioration, don't fret: the V29’s design reduces heat generation and has a smart charging algorithm, allowing the battery to maintain a health level of at least 80% after 1,600 charge-discharge cycles. That means that even if you charge and discharge the phone everyday, the battery will be in tip-top shape for at least four years.

The longevity of a phone is something that’s become a serious consideration for many, especially since smartphones these days now sometimes cost more than a computer. The V29, however, charges only half — or maybe even a third — of how much most companies price their smartphones. The vivo V29 5G starts at just ₱24,999 for 256GB of storage, and ₱26,999 for 512GB. For all the features that it brings — an eye-catching design, a sharp screen, and flattering photos — there’s not much more to ask for. All that's left to do is to bring it to your next night out.

The vivo V29 5G is available in all vivo Concept Stores, dealers, and kiosks nationwide, and online at Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, and the vivo website.