vivo V60 Lite 5G Review: Does What It Should, But Leaves Some Questions
It’s only been six months since the V50 Lite was introduced, and here we are already with its successor in hand — the vivo V60 Lite 5G. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if vivo already has the V70 Series in storage and is just waiting for six months to elapse before launching it.
In any case, despite being the watered-down variant of the more luxurious V60, the V60 Lite aims to hold its own in a package that’s less burdensome on the wallet. To start, it retails in Malaysia at RM1,399 for the 8GB/256GB variant and RM1,799 for the 12GB/512GB variant.
Pros
Flat, Bright, and Smooth in Everyday Use
Unlike the standard model, the V60 Lite receives the flat-display treatment, which I welcome with open arms. This isn’t to say that the curved panels on the V60 were a problem — it’s just a matter of preference, and I personally prefer the clean look and feel of a flat panel.
That being said, the V60 Lite pretty much retains its predecessor’s display. You’ll get the same FHD+ (2392×1080) resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, all packaged in an AMOLED panel that’s vibrant and crisp. The only upgrade you can expect from the V60 Lite is its 3,000-nit peak brightness, bumped up from 1,800 nits on the V50 Lite. Thanks to that improvement, the V60 Lite is now far more usable outdoors, even under the hot afternoon sun.
Performance-wise, I’d class the V60 Lite as a solid day-to-day performer. Its Dimensity 7360-Turbo benchmark scores are balanced at best, with a 916 single-core and 2,528 multi-core score, but casual use for social media scrolling, binge streaming, and web browsing won’t feel drastically different from what you’d get on a flagship.
You can expect MOBA games — namely Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) — to run effortlessly without needing to tone down graphics and gameplay settings to their absolute lowest. In fact, you can get away with high frame rates, medium effects quality, and standard resolution enabled, and enjoy at least a good hour of solid gaming before noticing even a hint of performance dip.
Battery Life That Goes the Distance
In short, the V60 Lite excels in battery endurance — by far the best feature of the phone. The 6,500mAh battery isn’t just a number for show; this is a powerhouse through and through, and it’ll easily last two, possibly even three days before you need to reach for the charger.
Based on my experience, 10 hours of screen time on a single charge is more than achievable. That includes five hours of continuous YouTube streaming and three hours of MLBB — both with brightness maxed out. Even then, there was still 28% of battery left, which leads me to believe you could squeeze out another two or three hours before hitting red alert.
Moreover, the V60 Lite supports 90W wired charging, which will juice up the phone fully within the hour. And yes, the charging brick and USB-C cable come included in the box.
Cons
Capable Cameras, but Far from Competitive
While it’s normal for any “Lite” model across brands to have a less-than-impressive camera array, I personally feel that the setup on the V60 Lite is a little too underwhelming for a variety of reasons.
It’s not just that the V60 Lite again misses out on the ZEISS treatment (which the standard models benefit from) — it’s that the cameras are the exact same as the V50 Lite’s: a 50MP (f/1.79) Sony IMX882 main camera and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide. There’s absolutely no improvement in this department.
Neglecting any upgrades to the camera system could hurt vivo in the long run, given how many phones in this price range sport more attractive arrays. To name a few:
- CMF Phone 2 Pro (50MP main, 50MP telephoto, 8MP ultra-wide) – RM1,199
- HONOR 400 Lite (108MP main, 5MP ultra-wide) – RM1,299
- Infinix GT 30 Pro (108MP main, 8MP ultra-wide) – RM1,299
Still, I wouldn’t completely write off the cameras on the V60 Lite. The 50MP main camera is adequate for casual shooters who want nothing more than to capture a moment. The 8MP ultra-wide photos look fine as is, though a little pixel peeping does reveal smudging and pixelation rather easily.
Again, the cameras aren’t horrendous, but the lack of any upgrade — and the reuse of its predecessor’s system — does raise some questions.
A Safe Design That Lacks Personality
I get that taste is subjective and design appeals differently to everyone, so do make your own assessment here. However, in my unsolicited opinion, vivo has missed the mark with the colour schemes this time.
The standard V60 stood out with its Berry Purple colourway — eye-catching and luxurious in every sense of the word — and even the V50 Lite looked gorgeous with its wispy purple brush-like strokes.
The vivo V60 Lite 5G, however, comes in very light shades of pink and blue choices that give off toilet-tile vibes. The only saving grace is the black option, which is boring — but given the other choices, it’s the best of the lot. As for our pink unit, personally, it just doesn’t catch my fancy.
The rear panel layout does take after the V60 Lite and even the X200 FE, with its short, oblong-shaped camera housing. Yet again, the lack of any coloured accents renders the phone a tad too boring, in my opinion.
vivo V60 Lite: Should you buy?
Despite its criticisms, the vivo V60 Lite 5G is far from being on the blacklist of phones you shouldn’t purchase. In fact, you could even argue that the cons mentioned in this review aren’t really cons per se.
The cameras themselves are adequate and not too shabby — it’s just that the lack of innovation is jarring, and vivo has somehow starved users of even a minor bump in megapixels. As for design, it remains subjective, and those who appreciate light, pastel hues have every right to disagree.
Ultimately, there are more pros than cons with this phone — its powerhouse battery endurance, fast charging, and bright display stand out the most. It’s not perfect, but it’s safe to say that the V60 Lite covers all the fundamentals you’d expect from a smartphone in this price range. I wouldn’t hold it against anyone who decides to buy it, especially if battery life is a top priority.
PriceShop Rating
Not Bad Leh!
✅ Good performance and brighter displays
✅ Long-lasting battery
❌ Recycled camera system from predecessor
❌ Stale design and colour choices
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