vivo Y21T review
The Vivo Y21T is the latest addition to the Y series lineup, boasting a 6.51-inch LCD screen, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset, and a massive 5,000mAh battery. As a budget gaming phone, it's designed for casual gaming enthusiasts. Design-wise, the Y21T has a slim body made of glossy polycarbonate material that changes colors when moved towards different angles. The device features a triple-camera setup at the top left corner, a slightly broad chin on the front, and a notch at the top with a call speaker. The phone's design looks premium but is prone to fingerprint smudges. The display is good for casual use, with vivid and accurate color reproduction. However, audio quality is compromised due to single downward-firing speakers that distort at maximum volume. Under the hood, the Y21T runs on Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 11, offering a customizable interface with some bloatware. The phone has a Jovi Home Ultra Game Mode and an eSport mode for enhanced gaming experience. Performance-wise, the device handles basic tasks well but stutters when switching apps. Gaming performance is decent, with minimal stutters in lighter games like Asphalt 9, but some details in graphics are grainy. Battery life is impressive, lasting a day or two on moderate usage, and charging takes about an hour and 30 minutes. The cameras are a triple setup of 50MP main, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensors, producing decent images with good lighting, but subpar low-light shots. Overall, the Vivo Y21T offers good battery life, trendy design, and average performance for an entry-level phone. While it's challenging to recommend at its price point of PHP 10,199, it's a solid daily driver if budget isn't an issue.
Build Quality and Design
The Vivo Y21T boasts a sleek design that is sure to turn heads. The device's body is made from glossy polycarbonate, giving it a premium feel in the hand. Available in two color options - Pearl White and Midnight Blue - our unit arrived in the former, which looked stunning under different lighting conditions. One of the standout features of the Y21T is its slim profile, making it easy to hold and comfortable to carry around. The protruding triple camera setup at the top left corner adds a touch of elegance to the design, while the Vivo branding below gives it a distinct look. However, the slightly broad chin on the front does take away from the overall aesthetic. The build quality is also commendable, with a sturdy feel that suggests it can withstand minor drops and bumps. The device's flat edges make it easy to hold, and the well-positioned volume rockers and power/lock button (which doubles as a fingerprint scanner) are a breeze to reach. One downside to the design is its propensity for fingerprint smudges, which may require frequent cleaning with a microfiber cloth. Fortunately, Vivo includes a free jelly case in the box that helps mitigate this issue. Overall, the Vivo Y21T's design and build quality make it a solid daily driver. While not perfect, its premium feel and attractive color options make it a great choice for those looking for an affordable smartphone with a high-end aesthetic.
Battery Life
One of the standout features of the Vivo Y21T is its massive 5,000mAh battery. According to the manufacturer, this device is designed to be a budget gaming phone, and its power-packed battery is certainly up to that task. In our testing, we found that the Y21T's battery life is indeed impressive. With moderate usage, the device easily lasts for a day or two, with some juice left over for the next morning. In the PCMark battery test, the Y21T yielded a score of 12 hours in one minute, which is a respectable result. When subjected to our standard video loop test, which involves playing 1080p video on loop with 50 brightness and volume settings, the device managed an impressive 20 hours and 10 minutes worth of playback. This is certainly sufficient for all-day use, even for heavy users. One notable aspect of the Y21T's battery life is its fast charging capabilities. With an 18W charger, the device can be fully charged in under an hour and a half, which is quick enough to get you back up and running in no time. Overall, we are impressed with the Vivo Y21T's battery life, and it's certainly a highlight of this budget gaming phone. Whether you're a gamer or just a casual user, the device should be able to keep pace with your needs without needing too many top-ups throughout the day.
Display
The Vivo Y21T boasts a sleek design with an attractive trendy back cover that's sure to turn heads. However, the display is where things get a bit underwhelming. The device features a 6.51-inch IPS LCD screen with a maximum resolution of 720p. While it's great for casual use, such as watching videos or browsing social media, it falls short in terms of overall quality. Color reproduction is decent, but not particularly vivid or accurate. The display itself is good enough to get the job done, but don't expect anything too impressive. One of the notable aspects of the Y21T's display is its sizeable screen real estate. At 6.51 inches, it's perfect for video watching and makes navigating through menus a breeze. However, the lack of high-definition (HD) resolution means that you won't get to enjoy the same level of visual fidelity as other devices in this price range. In terms of brightness, the display is adequate, but not particularly impressive. You'll still be able to see what's on screen even in well-lit environments, but it might struggle a bit in extremely bright conditions. Overall, the Vivo Y21T's display is serviceable, but not exactly what you'd call stunning. If you're looking for a device that prioritizes visual quality, this might not be the best choice. However, if you're on a tight budget and just need a phone to get by, the Y21T's display won't hold you back. While the Vivo Y21T's display is nothing special, it gets the job done for casual users. If you're willing to overlook its limitations, this might still be worth considering. However, if you want a device with a more impressive screen experience, you might want to look elsewhere.
Camera
The camera system on the Vivo Y21T is a triple-camera setup consisting of a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and another 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, there's an 8-megapixel front shooter. Images produced by the Vivo Y21T during the day are quite good, with vibrant colors and decent details. The camera captures a wide dynamic range, making it suitable for casual photography. However, the image processing can be a bit aggressive at times, resulting in over-sharpening and loss of texture. The portrait mode on the Vivo Y21T is a mixed bag. It can separate the subject from the background effectively, but sometimes struggles to maintain a consistent depth effect. The edges of the subject can become slightly blurry or distorted, which may not be ideal for professional photography. In low-light conditions, the images produced by the Vivo Y21T suffer from noise and lack of details. The camera tries to compensate with increased sensitivity, but this often results in muddy textures and a general lack of clarity. While still usable for social media posts, these shots are not ideal. The 8-megapixel front camera produces decent selfies, especially when using the AI Beauty mode. However, switching to the maximum beauty setting can make the skin look overly processed. A standard AI setting is recommended for a more natural look. The Vivo Y21T can record up to 1080p at 30 frames per second, which is sufficient for casual use. Stabilization needs improvement, as footage can appear shaky and lacking in smoothness. Overall, the camera system on the Vivo Y21T is decent but not exceptional. While it may not be the best in its class, it still offers a reliable and easy-to-use experience for everyday photography and videography.
Price and Value
The Vivo Y21T is the latest addition to the company's Y series lineup, promising a budget-friendly gaming experience with impressive specs. However, at a price point of PHP 10,199, it's hard to justify whether this phone offers enough value for its asking price. Firstly, let's talk about the design. The Vivo Y21T has a slim and attractive back cover that changes colors when viewed from different angles. Its glossy polycarbonate material may catch some attention, but it's also prone to fingerprint smudges, which is a minor drawback. However, the phone's build quality feels premium and comfortable to hold. When it comes to performance, the Vivo Y21T delivers decent results for basic tasks such as browsing, social media use, and video watching. However, gaming experiences may be hampered by some lags when switching apps. While playing lighter games like Ludo is smooth, heavier titles like Asphalt 9 can stutter at times. The phone's camera setup is a triple-camera configuration with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, but its performance is inconsistent. Daytime shots are decent, but low-light shots can be muddy. Selfie quality is also average, and portrait mode can be hit-or-miss. Battery life is one of the Y21T's strongest points, with a massive 5,000mAh battery that easily lasts two days on moderate use. Charging time is also reasonable at around an hour and 30 minutes for a full charge. Given its price point, it's challenging to say whether the Vivo Y21T offers enough value for its asking price. While it has some impressive specs, other phones in the same segment may offer more features and performance at a lower cost. Ultimately, if budget is not an issue and you're looking for a solid daily driver with good battery life, the Y21T is worth considering.
Performance
The Vivo Y21T is touted as a budget gaming phone, but can it deliver on its promises? We put the device to the test and here's our take on its performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset powers this device, which contains an octa-core CPU, Adreno 610 GPU, four gigs of RAM with two gigs of memory extension, and 128 gigs of internal storage. While it excels in basic tasks such as browsing, heavy social media use, and video watching, there are some lags when switching apps. When it comes to gaming, playing lighter games like PUBG Mobile is all good, but heavier games like Asphalt 9 can perform relatively smoothly with minimal stutters. However, the frame rate seems to be on the low side, and some details in the graphics are a bit more grainy than usual. In our benchmark tests, the Y21T yielded respectable scores, but not impressive enough to blow us away. In PCMark's battery test, it scored 12 hours in one minute, while in our standard video loop test, it managed 20 hours and 10 minutes of playback. Overall, the Vivo Y21T's performance is what you'd expect from an entry-level phone. It gets the job done, but doesn't exactly wow us with its processing power or gaming capabilities. For a price of PHP 10,199, there are other devices that offer more for less, making it a challenging pick. If budget isn't an issue and you're looking for a solid daily driver, the Y21T might be worth considering. However, if gaming is your priority, you might want to look elsewhere.
Pros
1. A slim device with an attractive trendy back cover that captures attention
2. Excellent battery life, lasting a day or two on moderate usage
3. 6.51 inch IPS LCD display is good and vivid, suitable for casual use
4. Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset powers the device for smooth performance
5. Fingerprint scanner and facial recognition are fast and accurate
6. 18 watt fast charging support quickly charges the massive 5000mah battery
7. A good set of cameras with AI beauty mode for natural-looking selfies
Cons
1. Budget audio quality, single downward firing speaker can distort at high volume
2. Low screen resolution, frame rate seems to be on the low side, and graphics may appear grainy
3. Bloatware pre-installed apps take up storage space
4. Portrait mode can be a hit or miss in separating subject from background
5. Low light shot quality is not ideal, details come out muddy