Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: What’s changed?

Vivo has just pulled the wraps off its latest addition to the V series – the Vivo V50e. This new entrant brings some notable upgrades over its predecessor, the Vivo V40e. Now, both phones look very similar, so, at first glance, it may not feel like a substantial upgrade. So, if you are wondering what has changed and if the Vivo V50e is worth upgrading to, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down the differences.

Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: Build, design, and display

Both the Vivo V50e and V40e look pretty similar barring some changes to the camera module design. They’ve both got a sleek body with a curved design and a pill-shaped camera module with slightly different design flourishes. The Vivo V50e, however, houses a larger Aura Ring flash light, which could improve its low light capabilities, more so than the already-capable Vivo V40e.

Both phones have a plastic body, however, with the V50e, Vivo has boosted the durability with the phone being rated IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistant. In contrast, the Vivo V40e only had an IP64 rating, which means it would not survive submersion in water while the V50e can.

As for the display, both models come with a 6.77-inch AMOLED FHD+ 10-bit colour display with HDR10+ support and 120Hz refresh rate. Where the differences lie is the curve of each phone’s front panels.

The Vivo V40e only curves on the right and left side, but the V50e has a quad-curved display which hits the sweet spot between a flat and curved panel. The brightness levels also see a big boost on the V50e at 1,800 nits compared to the V40e’s 1,200 nits. So, the Vivo V50e will offer improved visibility under direct sunlight.

Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: Performance

The processors that power both phones are exactly the same. No change there. Under the hood, both phones feature the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC, so expect the same kind of performance and gaming capabilities as on the Vivo V40e. Both phones also have the same RAM and internal storage – 8GB + 256GB.

ALSO READ: Vivo V50e vs Nothing Phone (3a) Pro: Which mid-ranger is for you?

On the software front, the Vivo V50e ships with the latest Funtouch OS 15 out of the box. The V40e has the older Funtouch OS 14, with Android 14, but it should get the Funtouch OS 15 upgrade. The V50e also has an array of AI features such as AI Image Expander, AI Note Assist, AI Transcript Assist, Live Call Translation, Circle to Search, and AI Screen Translation. Gemini AI is also preloaded on the Vivo V50e.

Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: Camera

Both phones house a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and an 8MP ultrawide shooter. So, the difference here isn’t vast too. However, you get support for several portrait focal lengths on the V50e including 26mm, 39mm, and 52mm, which allows for more creative portrait shots. Up front, both phones house a 50MP selfie shooter. The Vivo V50e has 4K recording on the front camera too, while the V40e is limited to 1080p, which is a pretty decent upgrade.

Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: Battery life

As for battery life, the Vivo V50e gets a larger 5,600mAh cell, however, the upgrade is not too significant since the V40e already had a massive 5,500mAh battery. The charging speeds also see a slight improvement – 90W on the Vivo V50e versus the 80W on the V40e. However, at 90W, the Vivo V50e is one of the fastest charging phones in the mid-range segment.

Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: Price

The Vivo V50e is priced at Rs 28,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and Rs 30,999 for the beefier 8GB + 256GB model. The Vivo V40e, on the other hand, starts at Rs 25,999, which is a Rs 3,000 difference. For the price, you are getting very similar specifications and features on both models.

Vivo V50e vs Vivo V40e: Which one should you pick?

If the little things that make up a premium experience matter to you, the Vivo V50e is a solid upgrade, worthy of being considered. It has a better IP rating, a brighter display, and faster charging speeds. The phone also has a bunch of AI features including genuinely useful ones like AI Writing Assist and Circle to Search. However, the key features – which includes the processor, RAM and internal storage, display resolution, battery capacity, and more stay largely the same, or see a very slight spec bump.

ALSO READ: Vivo X200 camera review

So, if the little things don’t concern you, it would be prudent to choose the Vivo V40e and save some of your hard-earned cash. In fact, the Vivo V40e even goes down as low as Rs 23,000 during sales, so the price difference is pretty significant. However, if you want a more premium experience with the latest AI smarts, the V50e may be the one for you. For more such comparisons, stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma.