Vivo V3Max features impressive camera, quirky functions

Have you ever had problems teaching an elderly relative how to turn on a function or setting on their phone? Maybe you need screen shots of that chat conversation with your crush, for sending to your best friend. These are just some of the entertaining features you’ll find on the Vivo V3Max.

The V3Max and the V3 were launched on April 5 in Mumbai, India, and will be coming soon to Philippine stores.

First impressions

As with most companies manufacturing Android phones, Vivo developed their own OS, the FunTouch OS. The V3Max ships with Funtouch OS 2.5, 4GB RAM and 32GB memory, using a Snapdragon 652 Octa-Core processor.

True to their “Faster than Faster” tagline, you experience barely any lag on the V3Max—something you might notice if you frequently switch between the camera and other apps. The full HD display makes everything sharp and clear, a fact greatly helped by the Corning Gorilla glass which seems to be standard on most phones.

One noticeable difference is that the notifications drawer pulls up from the bottom of the home screen, which can be confusing if you’re a first-time Vivo user.

One very useful feature is the fingerprint sensor, which allows you to unlock the phone in less than a second. If you’re the type to forget PIN codes or unlock patterns, the fingerprint sensor is perfect since it’s hard to mess up.

Screen recording

Touted as a security feature, the V3Max allows you to record whatever is happening on your screen, whatever app is opened, any numbers dialled, whatever screens are viewed. While you are recording, a blinking red icon is visible on the screen. As a security feature, this is not very subtle, especially if your aim is to find out what number your friend dialled or what score your mom got on that game you have on your phone.

It’s useful for other purposes, though. Gamers can use this to record gameplay videos. Those who perform customer service or tech support roles, professionally or among family and friends, can easily record how-to videos. (“Mom, this is how you open Facebook.” “Dad, for the nth time, this is how you post on Instagram.”) If you’re testing a new app, screen recording is useful for documenting bugs or sequences of actions that lead to errors.

Long screenshot

Many people post screenshots of conversations, especially if they want to use it as evidence of some sort of wrongdoing. They usually take one screenshot, scroll down a little, trying to make sure the next screenshot starts at the exact spot where the previous one ended. The long screenshot takes care of that problem.

Open your chat, your email, even your social media newsfeed. When you turn on the long screenshot function, a down arrow will appear, so you can scroll down and capture the screen. Your long screenshot can contain a maximum of 15 pages.

Impressive camera

Many users consider the camera when they’re deciding on their next smartphone. Smartphones tend to be the most reliable tools for documentation, and a good camera is always a good tool.

If it’s picture-taking capability you want, the V3Max does not disappoint. Tested against comparable rival phones, the V3Max camera delivers. Colors are vivid, and images have good depth. Details are sharp and even reflections on glass are clear.

As with most new phones, the camera features different shooting modes. The HDR mode on the V3Max results in very good colors. 

One interesting shooting mode is the PPT mode. Many people take pictures of presentations instead of taking notes. Unfortunately the slide often appears lopsided, the text warped. This feature allows you to take a picture of a slide, a photo or a screen, and processes it immediately so that the borders are even.

The front-facing camera also features different shooting modes. If you’re the selfie-taking type, you may appreciate the make-up mode on the V3Max.

Photo editing, video shooting

There are some users who don’t post photos unless they’ve processed them first. The V3Max comes with a stock photo processing app that lets you apply filters, crop, even straighten a picture that you might have taken at the wrong angle.

The filters are pretty useful, allowing you the option of editing your photo before you upload to Instagram or Snapchat.

Comparison: Cat, unedited on the top, with a filter on the bottom, giving this picture more drama.

Comparison: The Gateway of India. On the top is the unedited photo. The bright sunlight washed out some detail. With a filter (bottom), there’s better contrast and texture.

The V3Max shoots high quality video as well, shooting in full HD.

Indoors:

Outdoors, in a moving car:

Curious? Here’s another reason you might want to give Vivo a try: no less than Tony Stark uses a Vivo mobile device! Watch out for the helicopter scene, when he’s looking at information on their new opponent. Vivo appears all over Captain America: Civil War, so keep your eyes peeled.

Movie tie-ups aside, a smartphone is never just a phone. For more people, it’s a planner, a connection to the world, a multimedia device. If it’s got a good camera, that’s often a good enough incentive for buyers to consider a brand they’ve never tried before. But quirky new features like the screen recording and the long screenshot certainly make the Vivo V3Max worth a try. — TJD, GMA News