Vivo's V60 is a terrific mid-range phone, but one thing bothers me: Why doesn't my X300 Pro look as good?

I've said it several times this year, but I'm thoroughly impressed by what Vivo is doing in 2025. The X200 Pro, X200 Ultra, X Fold 5, and X300 Pro have all been fantastic, and Vivo's camera tuning is the best on Android right now — I prefer it to the Find X9 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and it is on another league altogether when seen against the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Then there's the mid-range phones. The V50 showcased a great design and fabulous cameras, and the V60 debuted in August an even bigger battery and 50MP tele lens with 3x zoom. The phone is available in India for ₹36,999 ($410) and other Southeast Asian countries, and it thankfully isn't any costlier than its predecessor.

I'm not going to do a full-fledged review of the phone as it's broadly similar to the V50, instead focusing on two areas where it stands out: design and cameras. Vivo's V series devices have always been stylish as these phones are catered to a younger audience, but the V60 takes this to a whole new level.

I'm using the Moonlit Blue color variant, and it is gorgeous — it's safe to say that this is one of the best-looking phones I used in 2025. Photos don't really do this thing justice; the pattern underneath the glass evokes memories of waves cresting a beach, and Vivo did an excellent job with the design.

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If anything, I didn't notice that the V60 has a 6,500mAh battery; this is one of the thinnest phones I used with such a big battery, and it isn't uncomfortable in the least. I still don't get why mid-range phones get the best designs; I would have loved to see something like this on my X300 Pro or the standard X300. Instead, those phones have a much more muted design, and this isn't anything new — flagships in general don't have bold styling any longer.

If I had to guess, it's because brands are wary of introducing outlandish designs on their costliest phones. Considering they don't sell in anywhere as much volumes as the mid-rangers, it's devices like the V60 that get all the design attention. Don't get me wrong; it isn't like there's anything wrong with the X300 or X300 Pro; in fact, they're better at usability thanks to the matte texture and metal mid-frames, with the V60 touting a glossy finish and polycarbonate sides.

Other than the design, the phone gets IP68 and IP69 ingress protection, and it handles weather conditions just as well as the X300. Vivo retained the same 6.77-inch panel, and it gets just as bright, with similar color vibrancy as its predecessor. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 ensures it is a little faster at gaming, but it isn't that noticeable unless you have the V50 next to it.

What's annoying in this regard is that Vivo continues to use UFS 2.2 storage modules; I don't see why the brand doesn't move to UFS 3.0 or UFS 4.0 in this category, but it likely has something to do with bringing down the cost to under $450. On that note, the optical fingerprint module is good enough, but it isn't as fast or good to use as the ultrasonic sensors on Vivo's latest phones.

There isn't much to talk about on the connectivity side of things, with the V60 unchanged from its predecessor. The bigger battery means I was able to get a day and a half before needing to charge the device, and even with heavy use, there are no issues getting it to last a day.

Charging tech is identical to last year, with Vivo's 90W standard now a known quantity. It takes just over 45 minutes to charge the battery, and Vivo thankfully bundles a charger with the device; then again, the phone is limited to Asian markets.

Cameras are even better this time around, with the V60 featuring a 50MP main camera with 50MP tele lens that does 3x optical zoom, with both lenses coming with OIS. There's an 8MP wide-angle lens, but that's average. The V60 has Vivo's standard Zeiss modes, and camera tuning is fantastic — it is definitely better than most other mid-range phones.

The main camera takes standout photos in just about any scenario, and the versatility of the 3x lens is great to see on a mid-range phone. It does just as well when shooting portraits, and if anything, this is what I like the most about the module. Other than the wide-angle lens not quite holding its own, I have no problems with the cameras on the V60. If you intend to take a lot of photos, this is the phone to get.

I'm still not quite sure that Vivo needs to launch two V series phones a year, but at least we're just getting one variant — there's no mention of the V60 Pro, and that's a good thing. On the whole, Vivo is doing a remarkable job bringing its latest camera innovations to the mid-range with the V60, and this is what Samsung planned to do initially with Galaxy A models.

Thankfully, Vivo is continuing to deliver with the cameras, and the V60 has proven itself as one of the best mid-range phones around.