• The Vivo V25 5G and 25e feature a “colour changing” glass cover that reacts to light.
• Both the V25 5G and V25e are designed as devices for the local mid-range Android market.
• The V25 5G and V25e will retail for R14 999 and R10 999 respectively.

Late last week Vivo held a local event to mark the launch of its new V series of smartphones on South African shores. Both new devices, the V25 5G and V25e, are designed as options for the mid-range Android space, which has grown increasingly competitive in recent years.

To distinguish its offerings from the other manufacturers vying for attention at the moment, Vivo has added a few flourishes.

One of these is a colour changing back cover, which reacts to light to create a “chameleon-like” design according to Vivo. This as both devices feature, “Color Changing Fluorite AG Glass, which enables the rear panel of the devices to display different colours at different angles when exposed to UV light,” notes Vivo in a press release sent to Hypertext.

“The Aquamarine Blue edition of V25 5G switches from ocean blue to bluish green,” it adds.

Vivo is also billing these devices as being well suited to vlogging. Each features a trio of lenses on the rear and high megapixel selfie option, with the same 64MP main camera present on each, but different calibres of supporting and front-facing lenses.

To that end, the V25 5G is supported by an 8MP ultra wide-angle lens and 2MP macro lens, while the V25e is paired with a 2MP bokeh and 2MP macro options. Up front the V25 5G is equipped with a 50MP eye selfie les and the V25e has a 32MP flavour.

Looking at other key elements, both models have a 6.44″ AMOLED (2404×1080) display that supports 90Hz refresh rates and HDR10+ content. Other similarities include 8GB RAM and a 4 500mAh battery with 44W fast charging.

A difference, however, is in the chipset, with a Mediatek Dimensity 900 processor found on the V25 5G. This also offers the 5G support, as the name suggests. On the V25e a MediaTek Helio G99 processor in present, and support for up to 4G in terms of connectivity.

Both devices are now available in South Africa, but as mentioned, face some tough competition locally in terms of the breadth of affordable and well-specced mid-range phones.