You might have seen a certain name - Vivo - appearing on your TV screens more of late. That's because it is one of the Euro 2020 major sponsors. It's also a major smartphone company that has recently pushed into wider international markets, including Europe and the UK.

The Vivo V21 marks the company's mid-range entry, a kind of alt-flagship if you will, that arrives at a time when many others are fighting in this space. Think OnePlus Nord CE, Realme GT, or Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G, for example.

However, the Vivo V21 has a different take. It's one of the few handsets we've seen appear with MediaTek's Dimensity 800 processor - a 5G enabled platform that's in and around the equivalent level of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G processor.

But it's really the front-facing camera that stands out compared to the competition. Why? Because not only is it 44-megapixels, so high resolution, but also features optical image stabilisation. You don't see that on front cameras often. Ideal for sharper, more detailed selfies.

The V21 - which we think looks very fetching in either Dusk Blue or Sunset Dazzle finishes - houses a 6.44-inch AMOLED panel that's capable of a 90Hz refresh rate. That's held in a slender 7.3mm frame, bucking the trend for chunky devices - as we're seeing more of lately.

Its 64-megapixel main rear camera - part of a trio, as comprised of an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP macro - uses six-in-one processing for optimum results (at 12MP output). But it's really that front-facing camera that takes the biscuit.

The Vivo V21 is available now from £399 in the UK. That's a competitive price from this new-to-market brand. Or if you're looking for its top-end product, then take a look at our X60 Pro Plus review - that device has a really impressive gimbal camera on board, showing the company's ongoing prowess in the smartphone photography space.