Vivo V20 SE Review: A Good Design Marred by Performance Lags

Vivo’s V20 SE attempts to carry forward the design strengths of its V20 series but falls short in crucial areas, particularly performance and battery capacity, making it a difficult recommendation at its current price.

Design and Build The V20 SE sports a sleek, modern design with a glass front and plastic back that feels premium in hand. Its matte finish resists smudges well, and the phone’s slim, lightweight build makes it comfortable for long-term use. However, the design does not match the visual impact of the standard V20, and the relatively small 4100mAh battery is a consequence of the ergonomic shaping.

Display The 6.44-inch AMOLED panel is a highlight, featuring a smooth 60Hz refresh rate, vivid colors, and deep blacks. An in-display fingerprint sensor adds convenience, though it can struggle with wet or greasy fingers. The U-shaped notch at the top houses the 32MP selfie camera, but the phone does have slightly pronounced bezels, especially at the bottom.

Performance Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, the V20 SE feels sluggish in everyday use. App launches can take up to three seconds, and multitasking leads to noticeable lag. Gaming performance is equally disappointing, with titles like PUBG Mobile stuttering at medium settings, requiring graphics to be lowered for smoother gameplay. Vivo’s game boost feature provides only minimal improvement.

Software The phone runs Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 10, which is a refined upgrade over previous Vivo skins. Google’s default system apps are used, and the interface is largely free of bloatware and ads—a departure from some competing brands. However, the camera app UI remains overly complex, with unnecessary steps to access features like portrait mode.

Cameras The V20 SE’s triple rear camera setup includes a 48MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. While the selfies from the 32MP front camera are decent, the main camera noticeably lags behind the standard V20 in image quality, producing softer colors, reduced detail, and a slight pink tint. Wide-angle shots also fall short in dynamic range and color accuracy. Video recording tops out at 30fps in both 4K and 1080p, with 4K clips suffering from shakiness due to the lack of stabilization. The 1080p videos are more stable but lack strong color and detail.

Battery and Charging The 4100mAh battery manages a full day of moderate use, thanks to Vivo’s aggressive optimization. However, heavy use can drain the battery by evening. On the bright side, the 33W fast charger can fully recharge the device in just 57 minutes.

Audio The single bottom-firing speaker delivers adequate loudness without distortion at high volumes, though the overall quality is unremarkable. Call quality remains solid throughout testing.

Verdict While the V20 SE’s design and AMOLED display are undeniable strengths, its underpowered Snapdragon 665 processor, mediocre cameras, and modest battery make it hard to recommend at Rs. 39,999. Buyers would be better served either upgrading to the standard V20 or considering alternatives such as the Realme 7 Pro or Samsung Galaxy M51, which offer better overall value.