Vivo V70 Review: OriginOS Goes Global and the Camera Still Beats Flagship Phones
Vivo has been one of the most quietly impressive smartphone brands of the past few years, building one of the best mid-range camera systems on the market. The Vivo V70 is their latest, and it comes with two headline announcements: OriginOS goes global for the first time, and the camera remains exceptional.
New Design: Flat, Grippy, and Clean
After four generations of quad-curved screens, the V70 switches to a completely flat panel. The OLED display drops slightly to 6.6 inches (from 6.77-inch on the V60), making it easier to use one-handed. The phone is built with an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy frame, giving it a more premium, secure feel in the hand.
The camera module gets a bold metallic platform that turns it into a full camera island — a popular design trend among Chinese Android phones right now.
Camera: 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto + AI Stage Mode
The camera is where the V70 really stands out. It features a 50MP Sony LYT main sensor and a 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto camera with a new AI Stage Mode designed to isolate subjects beautifully for portrait and street photography.
According to Forbes reviewer Ben Sin, the results are stunning — shots have the "tones, contrast and colors" of vintage camera photography, producing images that look better than much pricier Samsung or Apple flagship phones, which he says still produce "digital and flat" images by comparison.
OriginOS: Finally Going Global After 5 Years
This is the V70's biggest news. OriginOS — Vivo's premium Android skin — has been exclusive to China since its launch in 2021. International buyers got the comparatively bland FunTouchOS instead. That changes with the V70.
OriginOS brings:
- Interactive widgets and deep home screen customization with a flat design aesthetic
- Origin Tool Kit — connects the V70 seamlessly to a Mac for file transfers and screen mirroring
- AI features: Audio Eraser (removes background noise / isolates tracks), plus AI tools familiar from Google and Samsung phones
Specs at a Glance
- Display: 6.6-inch flat OLED
- Main Camera: 50MP Sony LYT sensor
- Telephoto Camera: 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto with AI Stage Mode
- Chip: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
- Battery: 6500mAh with fast charging
- OS: OriginOS (global debut on V series)
- Frame: Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy
- Colors: Multiple color options
The Bottom Line
The Vivo V70 is an easy recommendation for anyone who cares about photography and doesn't want to spend $1,200+ on a flagship. The ZEISS-powered camera system continues to punch above its price, OriginOS makes the software experience genuinely exciting for the first time outside China, and the 6500mAh battery ensures you're not hunting for a charger by evening. Vivo doesn't get the hype it deserves in Western markets — the V70 is a good reminder of why that's worth changing.