Vivo Buyer’s Guide 2018

Vivo has released a lot of smartphones this year, which is fine because customers will have plenty to choose from depending on their budgets. If you’re one of those contemplating on getting a new Vivo smartphone but don’t know which one to choose, we hope that this buyer’s guide can help.

Note: The smartphones listed below are those that were announced or released in the Philippines in 2018.

X series

It’s easy to choose from Vivo’s X series as they only have the X21 UD in the Philippines. It has a large screen with respectable resolution, great performing chipset, large RAM and storage, and good-performing dual-rear cameras. The cherry on top is the Under-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology which is currently a rare feature for smartphones. It’s currently priced at PHP 29,999USD 511INR 43,337EUR 487CNY 3,723.

Vivo X21 UD specs:
6.28-inch AMOLED display @ 2280 x 1080px, 402ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 2.2GHz octa-core
Adreno 512
6GB RAM
128GB storage
MicroSD up to 256GB (uses SIM2 slot)
Dual 12 MP (f/1.8, 1/2.5″?, 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF) + 5 MP (f/2.4) rear cameras, LED Flash
12MP f/2.0 front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
microUSB
Fingerprint scanner (Under display)
Face Unlock
FM Radio
Vivo FunTouch OS 4.0 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3200 mAh Li-Ion battery (non-removable) w/ fast charging
154.5 x 74.8 x 7.4 mm
156.2g

V series

If the X21 UD is not within the budget, Vivo has the V series and leading the pack is the V11. I think the V11 will provide you more value as it is better than the X21 UD but at a lower price of PHP 19,999USD 341INR 28,891EUR 325CNY 2,482, so get this one instead.

Vivo V11 specs:
6.41-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) Halo FullView Super AMOLED display
2.5D Glass
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE octa-core CPU
Adreno 512 GPU
6GB RAM
64GB storage
MicroSD up to 256GB
12MP (f/1.8) + 5MP (f/2.4) dual rear cameras, LED flash
25MP (f/2.0) front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 2.5GHz / 5GHz
Bluetooth 5.0
MicroUSB 2.0
USB OTG
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
In-Display Fingerprint scanner
Face Unlock
3.5mm audio port
Funtouch OS 4.5 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,400mAh battery w/ Dual-Engine Fast Charge (9V/2A)
157.91 x 78.08 x 7.9 mm
156 g

If the V11 is still above the budget, don’t worry as Vivo has the V11i. It has the same looks as the V11 but has toned down specs, like the Helio P60 chipset and slightly lower 3,315mAh battery. Still, it’s a commendable phone for PHP 15,999USD 273INR 23,112EUR 260CNY 1,985.

Vivo V11i specifications:
6.3? FHD+ LTPS Halo FullView display @2280x1080px
2.5D glass
MediaTek Helio P60 2.0GHz octa-core processor
Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
4GB RAM
128GB internal storage
expandable up to 256GB via microSD card slot
16MP + 5MP dual rear cameras
25MP front camera
Dual-SIM card (nano, hybrid)
4G LTE
WiFi
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS
USB OTG
micro USB
Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
Funtouch OS 4.5 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,315mAh battery w/ fast charging (9V 2A)
155.97 x 75.63 x 8.1mm
163.7 grams

Lower the budget further and you’ll get the V9 at PHP 14,999USD 256INR 21,668EUR 243CNY 1,861. It has a Snapdragon 626 chip, a notch display, same rear camera configuration as the V11i, 24MP selfie camera, and a 3,260mAh battery. The price gap between it and the V11i is not that huge though so we suggest stretching your budget and just get the newer V11i if you can.

Vivo V9 specs:
6.3-inch FHD+ (2280 x 1080) FullView IPS display, 400ppi
2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 octa-core CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
4GB RAM
64GB internal storage
microSD up to 256GB (dedicated slot)
16MP + 5MP (f/2.0) dual rear cameras with LED Flash
24MP (f/2.0) front camera
Dual-SIM (nano)
4G LTE
WiFi
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
micro USB 2.0
Gyroscope
FM Radio
FunTouch OS 4.0 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,260mAh battery
154.81 x 75.03 x 7.89 mm (dimensions)
150g (weight)

Y series

It’s time to look at Vivo’s budget segment with their Y series. Vivo has more offerings in this segment which is good for budget-conscious buyers. The Y95, Y91, and Y91i are easy to figure out as they’re basically the same devices with Snapdragon 439 chipset and large 4,030mAh battery. The only difference is in the RAM and storage. If you want a 4GB + 64GB model, get the Y95 for PHP 13,999USD 239INR 20,223EUR 227CNY 1,737. For 3GB + 32GB, get the Y91 for PHP 9,999USD 170INR 14,445EUR 162CNY 1,241. For 2GB + 16GB, settle with the Y91i for PHP 8,499USD 145INR 12,278EUR 138CNY 1,055.

In the case of the Y85, Y81, and the Y81i, they all look the same with plenty of similarities in internal specs but with some differences as well. The Y85 is the most packed among the bunch, sporting a Helio P22 chip, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, dual-rear cameras, and fingerprint scanner. It is priced at PHP 10,999USD 187INR 15,889EUR 179CNY 1,365.

Vivo Y85 specs:
6.22-inch HD+ (1520 x 720) IPS 19:9, 270ppi
MediaTek Helio P22 2.0GHz octa-core processor
PowerVR GE8320 GPU
4GB RAM
32GB storage
Expandable up to 256GB (dedicated)
13MP + 2MP rear cameras, LED flash
8MP front camera w/ AI Beauty
Dual SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS
micro USB
USB OTG
3.5mm audio port
Fingerprint Scanner
Face Unlock
FunTouch OS 4.0 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,260mAh battery

Next is the Y81 which sports the same specs as the Y85 has a 3GB RAM, single rear camera, and lacks a fingerprint scanner. It is priced at PHP 8,999USD 153INR 13,000EUR 146CNY 1,117.

Vivo Y81 specs:
6.22-inch FullView 19:9 aspect ratio HD+ display @ 1520 x 720 resolution
MediaTek Helio P22 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor
PowerVR GE8320 GPU
3GB of RAM
32GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via microSD
13MP f/2.2 aperture rear camera with PDAF and LED flash
5MP f/2.2 aperture front camera with Face access and AI Beauty
Dual-SIM (nano)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
microUSB
Face access
USB OTG
FunTouch OS (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,260mAh battery
155.06 x 75.0 x 7.77 mm
147g

The Y81i, on the other hand, is a bit odd as it looks like the Y85i but sports a different MT6761 chip, 2GB RAM, and16GB storage. It’s the most affordable though at PHP 6,999USD 119INR 10,111EUR 114CNY 869 so if you’re in a tight budget, this phone is a good starting point.

Vivo Y81i specs:
6.22-inch FullView HD+ display @ 1520 x 720px
MediaTek MT6761 processor
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
13MP f/2.2 rear camera
5MP f/2.2 front camera
4G LTE
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.0
OTG
GPS
FM Radio
Face Unlock
Funtouch OS 4.0 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,260mAh battery
155.06 x 75 x 7.77mm
143g

And that sums up Vivo’s lineup for 2018, and we hope this guide has helped you choose the right phone that fits your needs and budget.