Meet the dual-selfie Vivo V23 series

Vivo’s selfie-focused mid-range V-series is back with the Vivo V23 and V23 Pro, and we have all the details on both.

For reasons best known to Vivo, the V23 series follows on from last year’s V21 – with no V22 in the middle. Otherwise this is a natural continuation though, with a strong front-facing camera and slim designs on both phones – though eagle-eyed fans may spot that these are really re-brands of the Vivo S12 and S12 Pro recently released in China.

Here’s what you need to know.

When is the Vivo V23 release date?

Vivo announced the V23 series with a launch in India on 5 January, but we don’t know if or when the phones will go on sale in other markets.

We’re particularly uncertain about Europe. Vivo does sell phones in Europe, and offers the V21 in the UK and other European markets, but not every new Vivo phone reaches Europe and it’s hard to say if the V23 will make the cut or not.

What’s the Vivo V23 price?

With the V23 series only launched in India so far, we’re still waiting to find out how much the phones will cost if they launch elsewhere.

Here are the Indian prices, with rough conversions:

Vivo V23:

8GB+128GB – ₹31,990 (around £320/€380)
12GB+256GB – ₹35,990 (around £360/€430)

Vivo V23 Pro:

8GB+128GB – ₹41,990 (around £420/€500)
12GB+256GB – ₹45,990 (around £460/€550)

What’s new in the V23 design and specs?

There are two phones in the V23 series, so let’s break them down one by one.

Vivo V23 Pro specs

The V23 Pro is a step up for the V-series, getting closer to true flagship specs without compromising on the selfie camera.

The first thing to note is that the phone is still as compact and lightweight as ever – just 7.36mm thick and weighing only 171g.

Thanks to curves on both the display and the body itself, the phone actually feels even thinner than that. It comes coated in the same Fluorite AG Glass that Vivo has used on previous handsets, with colours that seem to shift depending on the light: Sunshine Gold and Stardust Black.

What’s impressive is that the V23 Pro is so compact despite a sizeable 6.56in display. This is an AMOLED screen with a Full HD+ resolution, but note that it is limited to 90Hz, which feels a little behind the times with 120Hz now so commonplace.

Inside the phone you’ll find the MediaTek Dimensity 1200. That’s MediaTek’s previous-gen flagship, since replaced by the Dimensity 9000, but it’s still a solid chipset that sits at the upper mid-range of the market.

Let’s get to cameras. On the front, you’ll find a dual selfie camera: a 50Mp main camera with autofocus, paired with an 8Mp ultra-wide.

Surprisingly, the optical image stabilisation (OIS) that was the big selling point of the selfie shooter of the V21 isn’t found here, so there is a worry that lowlight performance will be worse than the previous-gen, though perhaps the option of an ultra-wide is more appealing than OIS for Vivo’s target market.

On the rear, a 108Mp main camera is powered by the Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor, joined by an 8Mp ultra-wide and a less exciting 2Mp macro shooter.

As for battery, there’s a 4300mAh cell – pretty typical for a phone of this size and spec – with 44W wired charging, though there’s no support for Qi wireless.

Finally, the phone ships with Android 12, running Vivo’s own Funtouch OS 12 skin on top.

Here are the V23 Pro specs in full:

56in Full HD+ 90Hz AMOLED display
MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset
8/12GB RAM
128/256GB storage
Triple rear camera:
- 108Mp main camera
- 8Mp ultra-wide
- 2Mp macro
Dual front camera:
- 50Mp main selfie camera
- 8Mp ultra-wide selfie camera
4300mAh battery
44W wired charging
5×73.3×7.4mm
171g
Sunshine Gold and Stardust Black
Android 12 + Funtouch OS 12

Vivo V23 specs

The base Vivo V23 is pretty similarly specced, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at it.

The phone has a completely different chassis to the V23 Pro, with squared off sides that are immediately reminiscent of the design of the latest iPhones – though the similar camera module and matching Sunshine Gold and Stardust Black colour options give away that this is from the same series.

It’s ever so slightly thicker and heavier than the Pro model, though not by much – but the straight sides do make it feel a bit heftier than the rounded and curved Pro body. It has a slightly smaller screen, at 6.44in, but it’s still a Full HD+ 90Hz AMOLED.

Specs are similar, but vary in a few key areas. The processor is a little slower, with the cheaper MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset used here, and it’s paired with a fractionally smaller 4200mAh battery. Charging is the same though.

While the front-facing camera pair is identical, you’ll find a lower resolution and smaller sensor for the main rear camera, limited to 64Mp.

Here are the full V23 specs: