As a millennial who hustles five (or more) days a week and commutes around the Metro regularly from Makati to Quezon City and beyond, it’s a must for me to own a smartphone that can keep up with my fast-paced life. Long battery life, decent performance, clear cameras, and affordability are usually on top of my list and I’m glad that the vivo v23e checks all those boxes. While we’ve already covered majority of its features in our recent review blog, we’re putting this mid-ranger on a day-to-night camera test to see how well it can perform under different lighting conditions and environments.

The vivo v23e is backed by AI Triple-Rear Cameras – a 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro cameras – and a selfie-worthy 44MP front camera that have built-in themes and effects that a user can choose from.

Note: All photos below have not been altered in any way.

MOVING SUBJECTS: IN TRANSIT

I take different modes of transportation around the Metro but trains will always be my favorite camera test subject since train stations always have a good mix of moving and still elements. For a smartphone with triple cameras, the vivo v23e can go well up against those with quad cams in the market. It’s proof that quality will always be better than quantity. This smartphone can intelligently detect moving subjects and blur them in an artistic way that is still worthy of being shared on social media.

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Taking photos while walking and while in transit were also a breeze as the rear cameras are capable of automatically reducing blurs, sharpening images, and enhancing colors. This photo taken at Guadalupe area while riding the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at an average speed easily became one of my favorites as it was taken before sunset:

Car shots while traversing a bumpy road at night also works just as fine:

You will also see suggested enhancements like enabling Night Mode or Ultra-Wide View at the bottom part of the screen while using the Camera from time to time. AI at work!

INDOORS: BRIGHT

Given that this smartphone can adapt well even in environments with moving subjects, it’s no surprise that it can capture the smallest details when under bright lights. You can even take photos clearly while walking!

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For plantitos and plantitas, documenting the growth of your indoor plants will also be easier with the 2MP macro camera. Just look at how it was able to capture these small buds!

INDOORS: DIM LIGHTS

Poorly-lit hallways, elevators and rooms are no match for the vivo v23e based on my experience. While it performs better under bright lights, it enhances photos to make colors pop even under dim lighting.

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When using Night Mode, it will even look better and to some extent, cleaner:

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People who have taken the underpass from Glorietta 4 or the Glorietta parking area to Glorietta 5 in Makati City would know how dim it is in this area, but the vivo v23e’s Night Mode, and even the normal shots, have enhanced the output:

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NEON LIGHTS

Of course, weekend night-out with friends will almost always include neon lights! Although the default view includes a bright glow around lights, this can easily be improved by bringing the brightness down a bit. Either way, it looks great. I don’t use Night Mode anymore for such photos since they’re already amazing as is.

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OUTDOORS: DAY

On weekends, I start my day by walking the cats and taking a stroll outside. Still or moving, the vivo v23e was able to capture the subjects’ every movement, adding to my album of adorable fur baby moments and random things I see (spot the red bugs I found outside). For such situations, the smartphone’s ability to blur out elements that are far from the subject comes really handy, too.

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Dual-view in video mode is also really good if you need a vlog update:

In the afternoon, whether it’s sunny or cloudy, the vivo v23e still delivers the same clear and vibrant output. Although the colors are not 100% the same in real-life, I personally like the extra “drama” and saturation that the camera adds. No need to add filters anymore:

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When taking photos in ultra-wide mode, expect a 120-degree field-of-view and some distortion at the edges. The lower your camera angle is, the more it would look distorted if you’re surrounded by buildings. This shouldn’t be a problem if you’re taking photos in a field or when taking photos of the sky.

I wanted to focus on the photos but just to give you a peek at how well the stabilization works from photos to videos, here’s a quick look at a clip of me and my friends walking. No stabilizers, no tripods, no external microphones, no anything:

OUTDOORS: NIGHT

Nightscape quality is okay, but expect a brighter output on both Normal and Ultra-Wide view. Photos also look more saturated in photos vs real-life but I like it as it gives more life to each shot.

Using the Zoom feature for subjects with very distant lighting, however, is probably the only department that needs a bit of improvement when it comes to this mid-ranger’s shooters, as well as moving subjects at night. Here are samples for better appreciation:

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FOOD

For foodies, taking food photos under dim and yellowish lights usually become a problem as most smartphones have a tendency to make everything look either too blue when balancing out cool and warm tones or too saturated. I recently visited Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits in Quezon City with friends for dinner and took snapshots using the vivo v23e. I would say it takes good-enough photos at par with its specs and price range. If there’s a way to balance out the tones quickly without going on Pro Mode, that would make the smartphone photography experience way better (and faster).

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“Cheers!” shot for your Friday night Instagram update? No problem:

FROM SELFIES TO WE-FIES

And because we’re in the Selfie Capital of the World, clear selfies and wefies with friends are a must-have! The vivo v23e front camera can be used in Photo, Night, and Portrait modes, but I would highly recommend the last as it has 10 different styles/filters to choose from, Beauty enhancements (including makeup and posture correction), Bokeh effects, and an automatic Selfie Fill Light when you’re in the dark. Just don’t overdo the effects as it’s really noticeable — just take the Beauty Mode image below as an example. Finding the right lighting is also key as the colors may come out looking a bit saturated when you’re under extremely bright lights.

Check out these samples taken under different lighting conditions:

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I’m honestly pleased with majority of the photos as I didn’t really expect much when I first tried the device. It seems that vivo is really leveling up the cameras in their smartphones this time. The photos above can speak for themselves!

The vivo v23E 5G (8GB+128GB) in Sunshine Coast, like the one I have, is still available in vivo Stores and their partner e-commerce stores nationwide for only Php 17,999. Moonlight Shadow variant is also up for grabs for those who want a less eye-catching color. For store links, you may click any of the ones below:

• Shopee
• Lazada

Is it a good buy or a goodbye? I say good buy! Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

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VIVO V23E SPECS AND FEATURES:

vivo v23e 5G: A picture-perfect vlogging smartphone for Php 17,999