Vivo makes the Vivo V40 and V40 Pro official

Just when you thought it was safe to breathe after the Vivo V30 hit our shores in April 2024, the tech giant has dropped its next big thing — the Vivo V40. But hold your horses; before you get too excited, let’s clear up one thing: the Vivo V40 isn’t available in Kenya yet. It’s fresh out of the oven in India having arrived in Europe earlier, and while we don’t have an official word on when it might land here, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

A familiar face with some fresh tricks

Let’s talk about the big news first — the Vivo V40. If you love the Vivo V30, the V40 might give you a sense of déjà vu. That’s because Vivo decided to stick with the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset that powered the V30. Yep, the same engine under the hood, just a few months apart. It’s a solid performer that earned the phone a spot in recent top 10 midrange smartphone rankings by AnTuTu, but it does make me wonder why Vivo didn’t opt for something new to really shake things up.

The V40 Pro, on the other hand, gets a significant upgrade with the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chip. But since the Pro model never made it to Kenya in the V30 series, we’re not holding our breath for it this time either.

Bigger, brighter, and battery-strong

One area where the Vivo V40 really shines — literally — is its display. Yes, we’re still talking about the same 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate seen on the Vivo V30, but a dazzling 4,500 nits of peak brightness takes it miles ahead of the 2800 nits for its predecessor. Whether you’re scrolling through your social media feed or binge-watching your favorite series, this display is designed to impress, even in the brightest Kenyan sunshine.

And if you’re into selfies, the 50MP front camera will have you snapping away with, again, the same Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor in the V30. On the back, you’ll find a dual-camera setup with a 50MP main and 50MP ultra-wide camera, both sporting Zeiss optics for that extra crispness. However, the main sensor is now 24mm wide, up from 23mm on the V30’s main 50MP sensor.

But let’s talk about one of the biggest upgrades — battery life. The Vivo V40 comes with a 5,500mAh battery (up from 5,000mAh), the largest ever in the V series, along with the same 80W FlashCharge to keep you powered up in no time. Vivo also claims that the battery can go through 1,600 full charge cycles and still retain 80% of its capacity, so this phone should be a long-term companion. However, at this rate, we may not have long enough to enjoy it before the Vivo V50 comes around, something Oppo Reno series fans are pretty much familiar with.

Vivo V40 release date in Kenya

Now, as much as we’d love to say the Vivo V40 is just around the corner, the truth is, we’re still waiting for official word on when (or if) it will make its Kenyan debut. But given that the Vivo V30 found its way here, there’s a good chance the V40 will follow suit. It could take some wait, though, since the V30 is only a couple of months into the market.

In the meantime, if you’re already a Vivo V30 owner, there’s no need to feel left out. The V40 offers some cool new features, but with the same chipset and similar design, you’re not missing out on a world of difference — unless that bigger battery and brighter screen are a must-have for you.

Below is a summary of the main specs.

Common specs:

• 6.78-inch (2800×1260 pixels) 1.5K resolution
• Curved AMOLED display
• 120Hz refresh rate; HDR10+
• 4500nits peak brightness
• Ultra-large VC smart cooling system
• 3 Android OS + 4 years of security updates
• 50MP autofocus front camera (Samsung JN1)
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• IP68 dust & water resistant
• Plastic Frame; USB 2.0; NO NFC
• 5500mAh battery; 80W Fast charging
• ZEISS OPTICS

Vivo V40:

• Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset
• UFS 2.2 storage
• 50MP main (OV50E, OIS) + 50MP Ultrawide (JN1)