Vivo T1 5G review: Sharply focused on gaming

Vivo T1 5G can be a good choice for people who love gaming and are looking for an affordable phone. But is it worth buying in this price range?

By: HIMANI JHA
| Updated on: Feb 21 2022, 09:46 IST
Himani Jha
Vivo T1 5G price is Rs. 15,990. (HT Tech)

Since online gaming has become one of the biggest pastimes for most people during the pandemic, smartphone companies are launching phones that seek to offer better performance. We already have powerful 5G phones that also game well for a while, but how about something that is more powerful as well as cheap that somehow also manages to support 5G? Vivo with its latest launch T1 5G, has managed to do just that. The handset is available at a starting price of Rs. 15,990 and right now, it is one of the hottest phones in this price segment and on paper at least, it surely looks like an good deal. However, on paper specs tell only one side of the story. Is this new phone from Vivo any good for gamers, especially when you spend all day on BGMI or other such games? To find out, I have spent over 10 days with Vivo T1 and here's what I think about this handset. 

Vivo T1 5G Design 

If we see the design, Vivo has maintained its attractive looks with a gradient back in its Rainbow Fantasy colour variant. The back of the handset exhibits different shades of blue and orange depending on how light falls on it. Though the phone has a plastic build, it doesn't look boring or cheap. It offers a smooth, velvety finish with a flat edge. It's quite handy and light weight.

You may be interested in

21% OFF
Vivo Y200 5G
  • Desert Gold
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
20% OFF
Vivo Y72 5G
  • Prism Magic
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
91% OFF
Vivo T1 44W 6GB RAM
  • Ice Dawn
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
24% OFF
Vivo T1
  • Starlight Black
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
Also read
Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.
Himani Jha
Vivo T1 5G offers a smooth, velvety finish with a flat edge. (HT Tech)
image caption
Vivo T1 5G offers a smooth, velvety finish with a flat edge. (HT Tech)

The front, however, gives a dated feel with LCD display, large-ish chin beneath the bezels and drop notch design. It comes with a tall 6.58-inch display. Moving to the functionalities on the smartphone's sides, we can see a fingerprint scanner and volume rocker on the right, while the left has nothing. The sensor is quite responsive and you can also opt in to unlock the phone via facial recognition, which worked very well for me. The SIM tray is on top of the phone, and the base features a speaker grille, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The phone is impressively slim despite its 5000 mAh battery. Besides, it also has a triple camera system with an LED flash placed at the top-left corner of the rear panel. 

Vivo T1 5G Display 

Moving to the display part, it's a little disappointing to see an LCD display, as its competitors like Redmi Note 11S are giving away an AMOLED display in this price segment. However, the company has tried to compensate on this front by providing a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz. The high refresh rate makes it plenty fluid and responsive to play high-octane games.

Himani Jha
The handset comes with an LCD display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz.  (HT Tech )
image caption
The handset comes with an LCD display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz.  (HT Tech )

The display has a nice 20:9 aspect ratio and a 96 percent NTSC colour gamut. While it is great for gaming, it isn't the best for consuming entertainment or binge watching. The company could've offered a higher brightness preset with the phone. 

Vivo T1 5G Performance 

The company has been claiming it as the fastest smartphone in this price segment, but is it true? Well! Performance is one of the biggest highlights of the handset. With Octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC chipset from Qualcomm, the phone runs quite smoothly without heating up or soaking up the battery. I tried a few titles on the Vivo T1, including Raid: Shadow Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, and BGMI, and all worked well on high to medium settings. The storage stands at 128 GB for all variants while RAM comes in 4 GB, 6 GB and 8 GB options.

Himani Jha
It supports Octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC chipset from Qualcomm.  (HT Tech)
image caption
It supports Octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC chipset from Qualcomm.  (HT Tech)

The phone works nicely with Android 12 out of the box along with the FunTouch OS. The handsets come with a bunch of pre-installed apps like the usual Moj, Takatak, and others but you can uninstall them if not required.

Coming to the audio quality, the Vivo T1 5G has a single speaker and the audio quality is decent. But at maximum volume, the sound does get distorted. The call performance has also been just about satisfactory. The device supports only two 5G bands which is much lower than what other companies are offering in this price range. 

Vivo T1 5G Camera 

The Vivo T1 5G comes with a triple camera setup at the back, comprising a 50MP main camera sensor along with a 2MP macro shooter and a 2MP wide angle lens which again might be disappointing. For selfies, the device gets a 16MP selfie camera on the front. The 50 MP primary camera clicks quality photos during the day with great details in the frame. However, with punchy, vibrant tones, the shots look a bit inaccurate representation of the scene. Moreover, the indoor shots also need the lights to be turned up despite a night mode that fills the image with a bit of light and puts in sharpness with software.

Himani Jha
Vivo T1 5G features a triple camera setup with 50 MP main camera.  (HT Tech)
image caption
Vivo T1 5G features a triple camera setup with 50 MP main camera.  (HT Tech)

The 2 MP ultrawide camera is of no use. Apart from these, you'll get plenty of editing options like Portrait mode and Bokeh effect for those who want to tweak images. 

Check the camera samples here 

As for videos, you can record clips in up to 1080p resolution at 30 or 60fps which aren't the best capabilities in this segment. 

Vivo T1 5G Battery 

The phone relies on a powerful 5000mAh battery. Based on my regular usage that includes playing games, surfing the internet, watching videos or films, attending calls or video calls, browsing social networking apps, it gives an impressive battery backup of up to a day and half on a single charge.

Himani Jha
Vivo T1 5G is powered by 5000 mAh battery backup.  (HT Tech)
image caption
Vivo T1 5G is powered by 5000 mAh battery backup.  (HT Tech)

However, what disappointed me is its 18W charging support. It takes more than 1.5 hours to get 0 to 100%. The company could have given better charging support like its competitors. 

Verdict 

The Vivo T1 5G gets a few things right, however, it has a lot of scope for improvement in display, camera and a few other segments. The company has clearly cut down several features just to accommodate the Snapdragon 695 chipset. Though, it is not a bad option, but the competition does seem to have an edge over it. It faces stiff rivalry from Redmi Note 11S and Realme 8, all of which boast of superior display, cameras and charging speeds.

 

Rating
3.5 out of 5
Price
INR 15,990/-
Product Name
Vivo T1 5G
Brand Name
Vivo
Pros
  • 120 Hz refresh rate display
  • Battery life
  • Design
  • Camera specification
Cons
  • Lack of Amoled display
  • Slow charging
  • Lack of ultra-wide camera
Specifications
  • 6.58-inch LCD display with 120 HZ refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz
  • 50 MP +2 MP +2 MP
  • 16 MP
  • 5000 mAh
  • Snapdragon 695 SoC chipset
  • 4GB/6GB/8GB

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 16 Feb, 11:05 IST
Tags:
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS