Vivo T1 5G Review: A Decent Budget Smartphone For Gaming

Vivo has several smartphone series under its belt focused on versatile cameras to a fine flagship experience, but now it brings a new series dedicated to gaming.

The Vivo ‘T’ series is geared towards those stepping into the world of mobile gaming or looking for a budget gaming smartphone that doesn't make a hole in their pocket.

Besides the price, there are a few noteworthy things, including
the 120 Hz refresh rate, a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, and more.

But is there more to it? Let's find out in this review:


Vivo T1 5G Design and Display

The Vivo T1 5G has taken a cue from Vivo's Z1x which was launched around 3 years ago. The smartphone has a shiny plastic back making it look attractive with flat edges making the phone easy to carry.

Despite the plastic build, the phone looks solid and due to its lightweight, it's easy to carry it.

The Vivo T1 is available in Black and Aurora colour options, ours came in the latter.

The camera module houses a triple-camera setup on the back, and it looks clean and shiny, giving this phone a rich look.

There aren't many buttons, just two on the right edge that includes a volume rocker and a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader.

The USB-C port, speaker, and headphone jack sit at the bottom while the SIM tray is at the top. The addition of a headphone jack is a welcome move considering those without a Bluetooth hearable can still enjoy content or gaming using wired earphones.

When it comes to the display, Vivo Vivo T1 5G offers a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel so it's clear that you would miss the AMOLED screen while gaming or streaming content.

But the 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate offers some relief while gaming.

Moreover, it has noticeable bezels, an old-style waterdrop notch, and a thick chin. That said, the display isn't the best under direct sunlight as you hardly get to see much on the screen.


Vivo T1 5G Battery:

The Vivo T1 has a big 5,000 mAh battery that can easily last for a day on a full charge under moderate usage.

With gaming, the on-battery time may come down but it's still a good output.

The phone takes around an hour to charge fully.


Vivo T1 5G Performance:

Performance is one area where the Vivo T1 5G is highly impressive, thanks to the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset that is paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Besides, you also get up to 4GB of virtual ram support that comes in handy if you have heavy usage.

My go-to game is Call of Duty and if a phone can handle this heavy game, it can handle most of the games.

I played Call of Duty on and off, and even at times for hours if I'm not busy exploring the camera of the device, and I must say, gaming is a delight on this phone, although a better display would have elevated the experience.

That said you can stream content from any OTT platform, juggle between apps and use social media for hours, this phone can take all these tasks easily.

The Android 12-based Funtouch OS 12 looks cleaner, more so because I've used several Vivo devices before this but people may take time to get used to it if switching from some other UI.

Vivo T1 5G Camera:

The Vivo T1’s triple-camera setup includes a 50MP main shooter, a 2MP bokeh sensor, and a 2MP macro camera. On the front, it has a  16 MP selfie camera.

It's important to note that there is no ultra-wide-angle camera which I think is a big downside.

The camera fares well under favourable lighting conditions with near punchy colours and fine details but it struggles under challenging conditions.

At times, there is oversaturation and at times, the colours look dim.

However, the camera can produce good pictures in night mode as it retains details well and the colour separation is noticeable.

The selfies camera is different, though; you can capture good selfies during the day or even in low light.

The phone can record 1080p video up to 60fps, so yes, the videos do come out well and asking for 4K videos at this price may be too demanding.


Vivo T1 5G Verdict:

The Vivo T1 5G is priced at Rs 15,990 (4 GB + 128 GB), Rs 16,990 (6GB + 128 GB), and Rs 19,990 (8 GB + 128 GB).

That said, it makes sense to go for the 6GB variant or the top variant as they offer better features.

The phone lacks a versatile camera but does the job in favourable light conditions, on top of that, the performance is great and you get long battery life.

Vivo has cut corners here and there but there is little to complain about considering the price.

That said, you can also consider Realme 9 Pro that's another decent option in below-Rs 20,000 category.

Vivo T1 5G, however, would appeal to those looking for a gaming phone but are strict on budget.