Vivo V70 5G vs Vivo V60 in Kenya: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Vivo has officially brought its latest V series phone to the Kenyan market, the Vivo V70 5G, which launched on April 7th.

But here’s where things get interesting. On paper, the new V70 5G looks almost identical to last year’s Vivo V60 5G in most key areas. That raises a very real question: are you better off saving some cash and going for the V60, or is the V70 actually worth the upgrade? And if you’re already using the V60, is there any real reason to switch?

Honestly, it comes down to what you value most. If you prefer a more compact feel in the hand and slightly faster storage, the V70 edges ahead. But if you enjoy a bigger display for watching content, you’re not missing out on much by sticking with the V60.

Spec-by-Spec Breakdown: The "At a Glance" Table

Specification	Vivo V70 5G	Vivo V60
Display	6.59" AMOLED, 1260 x 2750 (1.5K)	6.77" AMOLED, 1080 x 2392 (FHD+)
Refresh Rate & Brightness	120Hz, 5000 nits peak	120Hz, 5000 nits peak
Processor	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)
RAM	8GB / 12GB	8GB / 12GB
Storage	256GB / 512GB (UFS 4.1)	256GB / 512GB (UFS 2.2)
Rear Camera Setup	50MP Main (OIS) 50MP Telephoto 8MP Ultrawide	50MP Main (OIS) 50MP Telephoto 8MP Ultrawide
Front Camera	50MP Autofocus	50MP Autofocus
Battery & Charging	6500mAh, 90W FlashCharge	6500mAh, 90W FlashCharge
Operating System	Android 16	Android 15
Durability	IP68 & IP69	IP68 & IP69
Estimated Local Price	KES 77,000 - KES 84,999	KES 56,999 - KES 63,000

Design and Display: Compact Precision vs. Expansive Viewing

The design of these two phones differs slightly, and that is the only major difference between them.

First of all, the display of the Vivo V60 is a slightly bigger 6.77-inch compared to the 6.59-inch on the V70.

The visuals of these two phones are almost the same; both have an AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, which translates to UI fluidity on the new OriginOS, and up to a crazy 5000 nits of brightness, which is the highest I have seen on an upper midrange phone.

On the protection, they have an impressive IP 68/69 protection against dust and water, which means they can be submerged in water up to 1.5metres for 30 mins, and honestly, I don’t think anyone will be immersing this phone in water without a good reason for doing so.

Anyway, the resolution of the Vivo V70 is slightly at 1.5k resolution compared to 1080p on the V60. This means the V70 gets enhanced clarity, improved productivity to reduce eye strain, and sharper screens also help in entertainment and usability.

At the back, the V70 camera array resembles the iPhone 17 Pro and Promax, while that on the V60 is vertically arranged. Both have a back glass and aluminium frames, so they should feel very premium in the hand.

Performance: An Even Playing Field

Under the hood, both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4; basically, their performance is the same. One interesting thing I noted with V60 is that it has a bigger cooling system coming at 16,470mm² compared to 4200mm² on the V70, so this means the V60 might not get hot under heavy sustained workloads, such as playing games for long periods of time or when recording continuous 4k footage for a long time.

In day-to-day usage, you won’t notice any difference between these two phones.

On the software front, the V60 launched with Android 15 on top of Funtouch, and it was set to receive up to four years of major Android updates, including the new OriginOS. It already has Android 16 and OriginOS skinned on top.

On the V70, this has been improved as the V70 launched with Android 16 and OriginOS skinned on top, and it is set to get up to 6 years of Android updates, so up to Android 22, which is sweet!

On the battery department, they are both 6500mAh, and they support up to 90W fast charging, and they support both reverse wired charging and bypass charging for the gamers out there.

Camera Capabilities: Hardware vs. AI

The cameras on both phones are again the same; it’s like Vivo had excess stock of hardware components from the V60 and decided to reuse them.

Anyway, they both feature a 50MP main camera, 50MP periscope telephoto, and an 8MP ultrawide lens, and both have a 50MP selfie snapper.

Both phones feature camera systems tuned in partnership with Zeiss, which really shows in portrait shots and the available Zeiss-style filters. You’re also getting 4K video recording on both the rear and front cameras, a nice bonus if you care about high-quality video. On the selfie side, the camera benefits from Zeiss optics and HDR support, helping deliver sharper shots with better dynamic range.

The improvements on both will be technically the same since they will rely heavily on Android 16 software processing, potential Image Signal Processing (ISP) optimisations, rather than raw lens and AI tweaks.

Speaking of AI, both phones come loaded with a suite of smart camera tools.

Starting with the V60, you get features like AI Image Studio, AI Aura Light Portrait for more natural-looking skin tones in different lighting conditions, and AI Four Season Portrait, which can creatively transform your shots with spring, summer, or autumn-style effects. There’s also AI Erase 3.0 for removing glare and unwanted photobombers, AI Image Expander to widen your frame, and AI Photo Enhance to clean up and sharpen your shots.

The V70, on the other hand, builds on that foundation with a few extra AI tricks of its own.

You’re getting features like AI Stage Mode, which helps capture sharper close-up shots even at up to 10x zoom, and AI Audio Noise Eraser that cuts out background noise while keeping voices clear. There’s also AI Magic Landscape for turning ordinary shots into more dramatic landscape-style images, and AI Magic Weather, which can swap dull, cloudy skies for brighter, sunnier ones.

To top it off, AI Retouch steps things up by refining your photos, removing distractions, improving composition, repositioning subjects, and even upscaling images from 50MP to a much higher-resolution output.

Local Pricing and Availability

The vivo V60 5G starts at KES 57,000-63,500 for the 12GB, 256GB, or 512GB models.

The V70, on the other hand, launched at an official retail price of KES 84,999 for the 12GB + 512GB variant. That said, early deals are already showing up on some third-party retailers, like Phone Place Kenya, have it going for around KES 78,500, which is a pretty solid discount right out of the gate.

You can find both phones on official Vivo retail stores in Sarit Centre, third-party retailers like Phone Place kenya, and online malls such as Jumia and Kilimall.

Final Verdict: Who Should Actually Buy It? 

If you already own the V60, I don't see any point in upgrading to the V70 since the upgrades are very, very minimal. If you are coming from a budget phone or something like the V40 or the V50 and looking for a premium upper midrange device, then get the V70 5G