Vivo V40 series launches with Zeiss-branded cameras with multiple focal lengths

Vivo has announced its next update to its midrange V-series mobiles through the Vivo V40 and Vivo V40 Pro. New to this lineup is the addition of Zeiss branding on its camera and imaging system.

If you’ve been following, Vivo and Zeiss have been working together since 2020, much in the same style as other major Chinese smartphone brands, which work with companies famous for optics, cameras (Xiaomi and OPPO), and even photography houses (Honor).

Typically, these partnerships appear on flagship-grade products, which is why it was a pleasant surprise when Vivo said that the V40 and V40 come with Zeiss optics and various focal lengths. Even the latter isn’t guaranteed on more expensive handsets.

Zeiss-powered portrait photography and the return of the “ring light”

Both phones from the V40 series use a 50MP Zeiss OIS main camera with a 1/1.156-inch sensor (V40 Pro uses Sony IMX921 while V40 uses Samsung ISOCELL GNJ). By default, they have an f/1.88 aperture and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), granting 2.8x more light intake when compared to cameras without OIS (per Vivo’s data).

V40 Pro has a 50MP Zeiss telephoto camera (Sony IMX816) with 2x optical zoom and support for 50x Zeiss-branded digital zoom. It also has a 50MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.0 aperture, autofocus tracking, and 119° FOV.

As a result, V40 Pro offers 35mm-equivalent focal lengths of 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm through a combination of optical focus and Zeiss enhancements.

Since the V40 lacks the telephoto camera, the focal lengths offered are 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm. It otherwise shares the same ultrawide camera found on its Pro counterpart.

These focal lengths are paired with a corresponding Zeiss Style Bokeh effect, the main draw of portraiture photography.

Like its predecessor, the V40 series also retains the massive LED fill light, now called AI Aura Light Portrait. It’s now smaller but better focused: at 2x zoom, the light is three times brighter than before, and 50 times softer than a regular flash. Vivo also upgraded the dimming technology, allowing AI Aura Light Portrait to offer well-lit faces even at 4x zoom.

Adding to that is the software-powered AI 3D Studio Lighting on both phones, which adds natural fill light in the event of adverse lighting conditions through algorithms and recognition analysis technology. As a result, AI Aura Light Portrait also supports Festival Portrait Style, using two distinct Look-Up Tables (LUTs, the mapping of an image lighting values) to recreate a festival feel in photos.

Other hardware perks

Both V40 series phones have a 5,500mAh battery with 80W wired fast charging. The V40 Pro variant uses MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ for its processor, while the regular V40 relies on Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. Despite the chipset differences, both still support 12GB of hardware RAM and an additional 12GB of virtualised RAM (optional). 

Both offer a 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution AMOLED 3D curved panel with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. They are also equipped with dual stereo speakers.

Vivo’s ingenuity in making them lightweight and aesthetically pleasing is part of the V-series appeal. The V40 and V40 Pro repeat that success with a Flourite AG shimmer rear, 7.58mm thickness, and a Gemini Ring Design for its camera island and housing.

Pricing and availability

Vivo V40 and Vivo V40 Pro are officially available in India as one of its first non-China launch markets.

We’ll update the article when the phones are officially available in Singapore.

Update: The Vivo V40 (12GB RAM, 256GB storage) retails at S$649 on Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, and Vivo's authorised retailers. Two colours are available: Stellar Silver and Sunglow Peach.

Vivo V40 Pro is not officially sold in Singapore.

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Vivo V40 Pro is not officially sold in Singapore.

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