The Vivo V19 is the latest mid-range smartphone vying to tear consumers' gaze away from pricier flagship models.

The V19 does this by blending flagship-tier features, such as an in-display fingerprint sensor and quad rear cameras, with more modest and less expensive hardware, like its mid-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor.

Its design seems inspired by Huawei's premium P40 series smartphones, including having a similar rectangular rear camera module.

While the V19 may not score any points for originality, it offers a flagship-looking device at a mid-range price.

Its 6.44-inch Super Amoled screen is one of the better displays for a mid-range phone. In terms of sharpness, it is practically indistinguishable from the display of the flagship Huawei P40 Pro+.

The V19 runs Vivo's Funtouch OS 10, which is based on the Android 10 mobile operating system. This interface is similar to Huawei's EMUI OS, with its neutral colour palette and youthful appearance.

The user experience is good, without any issues while gaming, watching videos or browsing the Internet. The V19 also has the option of requiring both fingerprint and face unlock to access the phone, for extra security.

Like most mid-range models, the V19 retains the 3.5mm headphone jack and has a microSD card slot. But a major omission is near-field communication (NFC), which is increasingly essential for mobile contactless payments. The V19 is also not water resistant.

Its quad rear camera unit comprises a 48-megapixel (MP) main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera and two 2MP cameras - one for macro shots and the other for the bokeh (background blur) effect in portrait shots.

For selfie lovers, the V19 has a secondary ultra-wide front-facing camera that should be handy for taking photos of larger groups.

The main camera offers acceptable noise, but compromises on details and colour accuracy. Overall, it is average and unlikely to challenge the cameras of high-end phones.

Thanks to its large 4,500mAh battery, the V19 lasted an impressive 16.5 hours in a video-loop test at maximum screen brightness and volume.

And while it lacks wireless charging, the V19 has a 33W wired fast-charging feature that took just 30 minutes to replenish the battery from zero to 50 per cent in my test.

With its respectable performance, above-average display and excellent battery stamina, the V19 checks the boxes for a good mid-range smartphone - despite dropping the ball with the lack of NFC.

• This content first appeared on hardwarezone.com.sg