Let’s talk about phones with the “SE” tag. According to most analysts, SE stands for “special edition”. Earlier in the year, we saw Apple launch the new iPhone SE edition, which has been a big success because of the manufacturer’s strategy of retaining the same nimble processor that powers the iPhone 11, even though the size was smaller. The important point to remember is that the processor remained the best in the market while the “special” tag is because of the size, which is unlike anything available.
Last month, we saw Samsung delivering the Galaxy S20 FE, which is essentially a “fan edition” but frankly, it is meant for everyone and fans. Samsung has taken a practical approach when it comes to new phones — offer a device at almost every price point… and we mean every price point.

Now here’s Vivo V20 SE, which arrives close on the heels of Vivo V20. Is it worth your consideration?

Keeping it light

The design of Vivo V20 and Vivo V20 SE appear to be poles apart until you actually handle both the devices. The lightness of V20 can also be felt on the new phone. There is the same kind of sleekness and though the rear camera module protrudes slightly, it doesn’t translate into a big wobble when you set it down on the table. To keep pricing in check, there is a polymer finish on the back, which doesn’t appear cheap. The problem with the rear panel is that a) it’s a little too reflective for my taste and b) it turned out to be a collector of fingerprints as soon as I took it out of the box. Personally, I side with the finish of the V20 but there is nothing embarrassing about the SE version.

Turning the attention to the screen, there is a 6.44-inch 1080p AMOLED display, which offers enough brightness and good degree of contrast. If you ask do the colours pop as much as it does on the V20, no... not as much but obviously no person is going to buy both the devices because of the varied pricing. Also, don’t let the fact that the phone doesn’t come with a 90Hz or 120Hz display bother you. It will make little difference if streaming means going on YouTube or watching Netflix. Where it may make a slight difference is in the gaming department because there is also the issue of the processor.

Peaks and valleys

Beyond looks, there is a well-rounded camera set up of 48MP main sensor, 8MP super wide-angle and 2MP portrait. Instead of trying to aim for 64MP and 108MP, Vivo has played it sensibly. Overall, daylight photography doesn’t pose a problem and though a few bloggers have complained about the performance when it comes to shadows, frankly, that’s negligible and it doesn’t matter because most photographs taken using any phone would ultimately make it to social media and not a photo competition. On super wide-angle shots there could be some distortion around the edges but there is a correction option available in the settings menu.

The more impressive features in the camera department are the night mode, which is available on both the front and rear cameras, and portrait shots. The night mode works well in most circumstances, though, at times, pictures come out a little too bright to be called a night shot. The main rear camera features a large f/1.8 aperture, which is assisted by HDR+ Morpho algorithm. Making the portrait mode interesting is the range of “styles” available that may make a difference to the social media game. Will I use it? No, simply because I shoot things that most would consider boring — vinyl, books, typewriters… you get the picture!
The 32MP selfie camera is ever so slightly less powerful than that on the V20 but most would like it. Personally, the shots are a little too bright but that’s the case on seven out of 10 phones.

Since we are in the mood for nitpicking, we might as well talk about the processor — Snapdragon 665. It doesn’t do justice to the phone’s pricing. I don’t like playing games on the phone, which to me is just a device for videoconferencing, streaming, casual photography, messaging and, of course, for making calls. But there are zillions of casual gamers out there. Not that the phone can’t handle games but the parameters need to be toned down. Otherwise, for everyday use, Vivo has packed in 8GB RAM, which is fair enough. It’s better to remember that the nimbleness of the processor is best appreciated at the end of a phone’s lifecycle rather than at its beginning.

Having a Snapdragon 665 processor also means it consumes less power, which makes the 4,100mAh battery enough to last more than a day. Also, the phone supports 33W flash-charging, which juices up the battery very quickly, like zero to 60 per cent in around 30 minutes.

Is it for you?

There are quite a few options from Samsung, Xiaomi and Realme in this phone’s price bracket. But first ask yourself what you are going to use the phone for. Don’t go by tweets. If it’s a light device that ranks high on the priority list, the V20 SE fits the bill. Same goes for the charging department. And the camera and display are also sufficient. In case gaming is a priority then look beyond. I know people who are using Vivo devices from 2018 without any issues but then these are people who are not interested in gaming. And these are the same people this phone is targeting because the Vivo V20 SE is robust and fast enough for everyday purpose.

At a glance

Device: Vivo V20 SE
Display: 6.44-inch, 2400×1080 (FHD+), AMOLED
Weight: 171g
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
Camera: Front — 32MP; rear — 48MP, 8MP super-wide angle, 2MP FF (bokeh)
Storage: 8GB+128GB
Battery: 4,100mAh, 33W fast-charging
OS: Funtouch OS 11 (based on Android 10)
Price: Rs 20,990