vivo has been relentless in its smartphone releases covering almost every price point in the entry-level and mid-range segment. Today, we look at the vivo Y21T, its turbocharged gaming phone.
The Y21T is designed to give users an exceptional gaming experience with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 octa-core processor, Adreno 610 GPU, 4GB RAM +128 GB Storage; 6.51-inch HD+ display, and 5,000mAh battery. It also has a 50MP triple camera and 8MP selfie cam to always keep you ready for those social media postings.
Is the vivo Y21T, your next gaming companion?
The new Y21T comes in a white box with the vivo branding, features highlights, and other important information. But unlike its predecessors, there is no image of the phone on the front.
Unboxing the phone you get the vivo Y21T unit, a plastic case, 18W wall charger, SIM ejector tool, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, and some paper documentation. It would have been nice if vivo included a pair of earphones as this is a gaming phone.
Vivo has done a good job making its phones look way more premium than its price and at first glance, the vivo Y21T would pass for a smartphone that’s double its price. It has a glass front panel, polycarbonate frame, and glasstic back panel that gives it a shiny glass look.
The phone is eye-catching but like other phones of similar build and finish it can easily slip out of your hands or slide from the table. It is also a fingerprint smudge magnet so you might want to slap on that plastic case. Looking around the phone you will find the SIM tray slot on top, while on the right side is the volume rocker and power button. The power button does double duty and also functions as a fingerprint sensor. Checking the bottom is the 3.5mm audio jack, microphone, USB-C port, and loudspeaker grill. For those of you who want to have an idea of its size, the phone measures 164.26 x 76.08 x 8.0 mm and weighs 182 grams. It is surprisingly lightweight so holding it during those long gaming sessions won’t be a problem.
On top of the display is a notch, instead of a punch hole, that houses the selfie camera and the earpiece.
At the back is a square camera module housing the triple camera array composed of a 50MP main camera + 2MP macro +2MP depth sensor and an LED flash.
For the display, it has a 6.51-inch curved LCD with a resolution of 1600 x 720 and 270 PPI. While the display is HD+ only it is still quite vibrant with passable viewing angles and good contrast. So watching videos or playing games on this phone will still be a pleasant experience. Unless you are coming from a phone that has a better full HD display, the difference wouldn’t be a total deal-breaker.
The speaker also has decent quality and is usable enough if you don’t have a pair of earphones with you.
Having a Snapdragon processor is still one of the most important specs for a lot of users making the vivo Y21T even more attractive. It is the only smartphone in the Philippine market at its price point that is installed with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 with 4+1GB Extended RAM and 128GB ROM.
The processor is capable enough to provide a snappy overall performance and that smooth and lag-free gameplay. Aside from gaming, users can smoothly run applications and switch between them quickly thanks to the Snapdragon QSD 680 processor with Extended RAM. This is perfect for people who use their phones for both personal and business tasks, as well as other entertainment purposes.
It’s supported by Multi-Turbo 5.0, a feature that enhances the system processor speed, network connection, and performance while on power-saving mode.
Gamers can play for hours with the Y21T’s 5000mAh battery, which has enough power to last for about 8 hours. The phone also consumes less power to ensure efficient energy distribution. And when it comes time to recharge, the 18W Flash Charge can top up the phone quicker than ordinary standard chargers.
Those of you who love taking photos will also appreciate the various modes of the vivo Y21T. The 50 MP Rear Camera comes with Super Night Mode and Bokeh Flare Portrait so users can shoot photos and videos in great detail in any type of lighting. While the 8 MP Front Camera with Selfie Night Mode can capture the most natural-looking selfies. Image quality is good enough but for best results, I suggest you make sure you have enough lighting.
Verdict: For casual users who are into mobile gaming and watching movies on their phones, the vivo Y21T is something you should check out. For only P10,999 you get a premium-looking device that has a nice display, capable enough cameras, and turbocharged performance to help you elevate your game.