Right out of the box, one thing will hit you when you see one of vivo’s latest – and quite affordable – smartphones, the Y02s. That is, this slim unit – measuring 163.95 x 75.55 x 8.19mm (height x width x thickness), and weighing only 182 grams – is actually, in one word, “classy looking”. This is worth stressing because this unit sells for only PhP 6,499, a price point that should warn you you’re entering “cheap goods” territory when buying smartphones. With this, therefore, vivo quite easily makes “classy looking” affordable to everyone; and that’s saying a lot considering this industry’s fast, and seemingly never-ending, turnover of goods…
That this is the first impression one is bound to get when handling Y02s is worth stressing; though of course helped by other factors.
Parts-wise, this upgrade from vivo Y01 has the SIM/card slot on top; on-off button and volume up and down buttons at the right side; and speaker, 3.5mm jack, and USB-C slot at the bottom. In front, you get the teardrop 5 MP, f/2.2 selfie cam; and at the back, the 8 MP, f/2.0, AF main camera.
But it’s the design that sorta stays with you…
To start, the unit has a glass front, and yet a plastic back and plastic frame. This one, though, uses “good” plastic (if it can be called as such); though here, it’s to mean that, compared to the “cheap looking/feeling” plastic used by, say, Samsung for its M and even A series, Y02s actually looks and feels premium.
And then there’s the unit’s shape – i.e. holding Y02s, you’d also notice the 2.5D curvature and right-angled frame that definitely adds to that “classy” aesthetic, aside from aiding in making this device more comfortable when held.
Turn on the phone and the 6.51-inch Halo FullView Display with HD+ (1600×720) resolution comes to life, providing both a wide and an immersive view (I’d say this is good for watching videos and for playing games) sans pixelation (I’m paranoid with cheaper phones because they tend to sacrifice the resolution just to give buyers cheaper units). Now this is worth mentioning: Y02s’s display actually automatically adjusts the level of brightness based on ambient light conditions while also filtering out harmful blue light to prevent eye strain; meaning, it won’t be too bright (to blind you) when you turn it on in the dark, though nor will it be “swallowed” by available bright (natural) light when you’re outdoors, so you actually still see what’s onscreen even when there’s competing light sources.
But obviously, looks, as people say, can be deceiving. Because more importantly, how does this one perform?
vivo Y02s is powered by a Mediatek Helio P35 chipset, and has 3GB of RAM and 32GB memory. Yeah, yeah, yeah… this doesn’t seem much. This will be emphasized to you when you turn on the phone, with the setting up seemingly taking longer than it should. But then again, you remember that this one sells for only over PhP6,000… and knowing this should temper your expectations.
Now if you just use your phone for, say, texting, calling, surfing the internet and… all the basic stuff, this one more than suffices. My concern here was always “the memory, the memory” since Y02s only has 32GB memory. Fortunately, this is expandable up to 1TB (though microSDXC ought to eventually become a thing of the past).
If you want to do more strenuous activities – e.g. video streaming – you’re still okay. The aforementioned 6.51-inch HD+ Halo FullView Display with 1600×720 (HD+) resolution makes watching flicks… better-than-okay by providing “crisp” viewing. Watched LOTR – Fellowship of the Ring, and – while it didn’t make me feel like I was part of what was happening onscreen (hey, it’s a small screen!) – at least the movie didn’t sputter as it provided me not-that-bad viewing…
For gamers, the screen + resolution also helped; though to top these, the device’s Multi-Turbo 5.5 and Ultra Game Modes similarly helped deliver a smooth/lag-free performance. I tried Shadow Fight – Arena, and I wasn’t disappointed. And that’s saying a lot for a unit with just 3GB of RAM. Am sure other games could pose a bigger challenge for this unit, but… at least we know it can suffice.
Now, for the cameras, Y02s “only” has a 5MP front camera. Skype-ing or Zoom-ing or Messenger-ing in a location with bright light, you’re in safe(r) hands. But in low light conditions, you’d have to look for alternative source/s of lighting if you want a clearer image video and/or pics). The 8MP main camera at the back is complemented by vivo’s AI editing software, so you’re okay to go in bright light, too. Other factors will affect the quality of your pics – e.g. lighting, distance from subject, etc. We found the pics didn’t consistently color-truthfully capture what’s being shot; and pixelations were noticeable for long shots and those done in the dark.
And then there’s vivo Y02s’s 5,000 mAh battery that is at par with “respectable” phones now offered in the market. Per the company’s PR mat, a single full charge allows users to stream YouTube in HD for up to 18 hours, 20 hours of music playback on Spotify, and seven hours of gaming like PUBG, or Mobile Legends. The numbers actually fluctuate; but one thing’s certain – i.e. this will have enough juice to support you for an entire day.
In the end, Y02s’s price will always be brought up on why this unit’s worth considering. It is CHEAP without appearing as one, and without performing as one. As such, this one’s truly “slim but powerful”… particularly (and yet again) considering the asking price.
Available in vivo Fluorite Black and Vibrant Blue, the vivo Y02s sells for only PhP 6,499. Available now.
VIVO Y02S SPECS
- 6.51-inch LCD display, HD+ resolution, 60Hz refresh rate
- MediaTek Helio P35 processor
- PowerVR GE8320 GPU
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB storage
- 8-megapixel rear camera
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 5,000mAh battery with 10W USB-C charging
- Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 12
- Color option: Flourite Black, Vibrant Blue
