I like a well-designed phone - the ergonomics of it, the materials that go into making it, and how it looks - but I'm usually happy with a utilitarian design.

Outlandish colorways, pretentious chassis, and forced design innovations don't really impress me. Pretty much why I've been a Pixel guy for a while now. However, when I recently used the vivo V20, and now the vivo V20 Pro, I was immediately impressed with the design and hence decided to write almost an ode to vivo’s stellar design efforts in recent times.

The vivo V20 Pro looks stunning and is a breath of fresh air in a sea of similar-looking Android smartphones. It also doesn’t suffer from any design excesses. It looks the part, but the aesthetics also aid the smartphone experience. At about 170 grams, it weighs just right and is just 7.4mm thin with rounded corners – this makes it fit perfectly in the hand and even allows for occasional one-handed usage. In fact, vivo claims that the V20 Pro is the slimmest 5G smartphone in the segment.

Built with AG Matte Glass with a soft, matte finish, it’s got a premium feel to it and feels pleasing to touch. There’s also an anti-smearing coating on the back and it does the job, but only to some degree.

Even the camera module is very nicely done. The phone does wobble when you place it on the flat surface due to the protruding module but the subtle steps from the rear panel to the decorative ring to the camera lenses are lovely.

The vivo V20 Pro comes in two color variants – a Sunset Melody edition that is inspired by a sunset beach and a Midnight Jazz that offers a subtle transition to grey. I’ve not used the former, but from what I’ve seen online, it really looks stunning with its colorful gradient finish. Even the Midnight Jazz one I have is beautiful and quite classy. It’s rare for me to really drool over the ‘black’ variant of a smartphone.

The V20, in fact, also had a Moonlight Sonata edition – an elegant white variant which exuded class, like one was in a high-fashion lounge.

The vivo V20 Pro boasts of an impressive design – it’s sleek and sports a distinctive look that stands out. While it’s a visual delight, the thin and light, well-built chassis ups the overall experience.

If you value design or like to flaunt an eye-catching accessory, the vivo V20 Pro is for you. Not that it’s a laggard in other departments. vivo has upped the camera game on its smartphones in recent times and now puts out well-rounded smartphones with thoughtful pricing. That’s also why it has grown to be the third-largest smartphone brand in the country.

The company’s focus on design and the execution of it needs to be appreciated. It’s also not a recent phenomenon. Last year, I wrote in Android Authority about how the pop-put camera that debuted with vivo NEX and later trickled to vivo V15 Pro, was the best solution for the bezel-less display conundrum we seemed to be in at the time.

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