The Vivo T5 5G hit the market earlier this month, almost two weeks after the launch of its iQOO counterpart, the Z11 5G. The two smartphones share the same design, specs, features, and price tag. The only distinguishing element is the branding. If you’ve read our review of the iQOO Z11, you know what’s in store here. However, those who just became aware of Vivo’s midrange offering and are thinking about making it their next daily driver may want to read our analysis. So, without further ado, let’s dive into our review of the Vivo T5 5G.
In This Article
Vivo T5 5G Review: Design and Display
Box Contents
- Smartphone
- 44W power adapter
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Clear plastic case
- SIM ejector
- Quick start guide
- Warranty card
The T5 has a Google Pixel-inspired camera bar on its back panel. It houses the 2 camera lenses, an IR blaster, and an LED flash in the shape of a mini ring light. The wide stance of this bar keeps the phone from wobbling on flat surfaces. The plastic back panel curves gently into the frame. The smooth texture of the panel isn’t too glossy, which keeps it from registering smudges and fingerprints easily. Overall, the in-hand feel of the phone is quite nice.
The plastic frame houses the volume rocker and the side button on its right edge. The bottom edge gets the SIM tray, primary microphone, USB-C port, and primary speaker. The secondary speaker and noise-cancelling microphone are positioned up top. The smartphone is rated IP68/IP69 for dust and water resistance. It is also compliant with MIL-STD-810H durability standards. Vivo says that it can survive falls from up to 1.2 metres.
The 6.83-inch curved AMOLED display is quite impressive. It has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. In High Brightness Mode, it hits 2,000 nits, which is more than enough to maintain legibility under harsh sunlight. The touch response of the display leaves no room for complaints either. The curved areas do not register accidental touches easily. The bezels around the screen are slim and uniform. The under-display optical fingerprint scanner is accurate, but not as fast as the optical sensors in premium smartphones.
During the review period, we used the Vivo T5 to stream content across major platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar. The 1.5K display produced vibrant visuals packed with good detail. If you’re upgrading from a phone with an LCD panel, you will notice a clear difference in contrast and clarity. You also get well-rounded audio output from the dual-speaker setup.
Vivo T5 5G Review: Performance and Cameras
At the heart of the Vivo T5 lies the MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo chipset. There are four RAM (LPDDR4X) and storage (UFS 3.1) options on offer.
- 6GB + 128GB: Rs 34,999
- 8GB + 128GB: Rs 39,999
- 8GB + 256GB: Rs 44,999
- 12GB + 256GB: Rs 49,999
We ran a couple of benchmark tests on the device. Here’s how it performed.
- AnTuTu 3D: 1,178,447
- Geekbench 7: 1,060 (single-core) | 3,321 (multi-core)
The Dimensity 7500 Turbo crushes routine tasks like calling, instant messaging, emailing, web browsing, navigation, and media streaming. We used the top-spec 12GB RAM variant for this review, and it did not break a sweat while juggling half a dozen apps. However, if you’re getting the 6GB RAM model, you may come across a few stutters while multitasking. Having said that, the Vivo T5 is a solid daily driver that you can depend on for daily use.
Even though the Vivo T5 has a 144Hz display, most FPS titles like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile are limited to a 60fps frame rate. This isn’t a big issue if you’re a casual gamer, but bigger enthusiasts will be left wanting more. We can hope that 120fps support is added for these titles later down the line. The good news is that at 60fps, the gameplay is smooth and consistent, with little to not stutters. The 3800mm² vapour cooling chamber keeps the internal temperature of the device in check. We noticed some warmth around the back panel after crossing the 20-minute mark, but it did not cause any throttling.
Software duties on this device are handled by the Android 16-based OriginOS 6. There are a handful of bloatware apps on the device, but they can be completely removed. Vivo has promised 3 major OS updates and 5 years of security patches for this phone.
OriginOS 6 is a light and vibrant skin. It is super accessible to the average user and doesn’t have a sharp learning curve. You get a lot of fun customisation options for the lock screen, AOD, home page, and app drawer. We like that smaller elements like the charging animation, fingerprint icon, USB insertion animation, and more are completely customisable. The Dynamic Light on the camera blinks when you get a call or a notification. You get a bunch of AI tools to edit your pictures, create text drafts, and summarise documents. Additionally, Google’s Circle to Search and Gemini Assistant are present to help you out whenever necessary.
Looking at the slim profile of the phone, you wouldn’t think that it packs a massive 7,050mAh battery. This battery pack can hold enough juice to last you an entire day of heavy use. If you’re a doomscroller with an embarrassingly high screen time, you will appreciate the battery life of this device. We were able to push its battery life up to 1.5-2 days with conservative usage. The 44W power adapter provided in the box took over an hour to fully charge the phone.
The rear camera array of this phone comprises a 50MP Sony IMX882 main camera and an 8MP ultrawide lens. A 32MP front-facing camera is nestled inside the punch-hole cutout on the display.
The 50MP primary shooter captures vibrant and detailed images in outdoor daylight conditions. The pictures have warmer tones and tasteful colour balance. We like that the phone doesn’t overprocess the images or boost its colours to a degree that they look artificial. In limited lighting conditions, Night Mode takes over to brighten up the scene and get rid of the noise.
The pictures taken from the 8MP ultrawide lens are softer, but they do not sacrifice their vibrancy. We had no problem switching to this camera to capture landscape shots in outdoor daylight conditions. However, in limited lighting conditions, the results were noticeably grainy.
The Portrait Mode in the native Camera app offers 3 zoom levels – 1, 1.5x, and 2x. The portraits are clear and well-focused. Some blurred edges do creep into the shots, especially in the latter two zoom levels, but the overall results are good. The front-facing 32MP camera captures clear and detailed selfies without messing with the subject’s skin tone and texture too much. This camera, along with the primary shooter, can record 4K videos at 30fps. Meanwhile, the ultrawide lens can shoot 1,080p footage at 30fps.
Read Also: Lava Bold N4 Pro 5G with 6,000mAh battery announced in India
Verdict
The Vivo T5 5G has a lot of good things going for it. For starters, its design is unique without being gaudy. It is bound to attract attention. We also like that Vivo has brought back the curved display on this device, because it fits perfectly into the larger design language. It also works wonders for the in-hand feel of the device. The MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo chugging at the core of the phone summons enough power to handle daily tasks without breaking a sweat. You can even dabble in light gaming without worrying about pesky frame drops. The 7,050mAh battery pack has your back throughout the day, even when you’re glued to your phone. The rear camera array is missing a telephoto lens, but the primary shooter and ultrawide camera put up a good display in outdoor daylight conditions.
Pros
- Nice design
- Bright display
- Good chipset
- Long battery life
Cons
- No telephoto lens
- Contains bloatware
