The launches are mainly focused on the demands of an average customer, such as a big display, bigger battery, and capable camera setup. Joining this bandwagon is the Vivo U10, which claims to be just the right choice for this dilemma. So, does it have what it takes, let’s find out!
Design and Display
The design of the U10 feels at home, with its gradient back body and quirky plastic feel. However, the colossal Electric blue and Thunder black color does add a bit of zing to the overall bland design of the rear mounter fingerprint sensor and the camera setup on the back. There is a hybrid sim card tray on the left and a usual volume rocker and power button on the right, while a 3.5mm audio jack and micro-USB socket are placed on the bottom. Vivo could have made the design a bit slimmer and pocketable, but since it houses the massive battery, we don’t mind the size.
The waterdrop 6.35-inch Halo FullView HD+ Display on the front uses the 2.5D curved glass and comes with an 89% screen-to-body ratio. The screen quality was surprising given the price point, as it was a wholesome experience to churn over some YouTube and a bit of binge-watching on Netflix.
Camera
The U10 packs an AI-powered triple camera setup on back comprising of 13MP primary sensor, 8MP 120-degree Ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. Vivo has bundled the camera app with several cooperative modes such as AI beauty, HDR, Portrait Bokeh, and wide-angle mode.
Given its low price tag, we didn’t expect much out of the device in terms of camera performance. However, we were left astonished as the camera turned out to be snappy and enjoyable.
The device captured some high images in daylight without the need for us to switch to HDR mode. It leverages AI to gain a better knowledge of the setting required to pull off some great looking shots. As the daylight fell, the camera suffered to see anything as the images turned out to be grainy and noisy. Full angle mode comes especially helpful when taking group shots or landscape shots, but its when you try to zoom in the images, where it starts getting annoying through the depleted pixel density.
The selfie camera is not up to par with Vivo’s line-up of smartphones but still gets the job done. We managed to click and post some decent looking shots in and around the office space.
Hardware and Software
The Vivo U10 is powered by the Snapdragon 665 chipset that’s seen on the Xiaomi Mi A3 and Realme 5 smartphone. This chipset has consistently stood the test of the time and is worthy of its heritage. This octa-core chipset clocked at 2.0GHz is based on the 11nm architecture, which makes for a perfect setting. I had no problems running multiple apps and getting through my daily schedule at the office.
The only downside to this experience comes in the shape of the operating system. The FunTouch OS is not the worst, seems simple with a few overdone UI elements such as icons and the weirdly clunky looking animations. Despite this shortcoming, there are few upsides to using this OS, such as a dedicated dark mode and Ultra gaming mode, which works well.
The gaming experience was snappy as gaming titles such as Real Racing 3, PUBG, too, worked at good fps under the medium settings. The only thing we might suggest is to go for a 4GB variant as it packs a stronger punch when it comes to handling power.
Security features such as fingerprint sensor and the face unlock were snappy in unlocking the device and didn’t seem to fail for a single time.
Battery
The most crucial aspect of any smartphone is the battery, and Vivo has taken care of it. Vivo has packed this smartphone with a 5000mAh battery, which, despite its significant form factor, makes for extended usage time of over two days. The confidence derived from the 18W fast charger, too, was delivered adequately as it managed to top up the battery within an hour and a half.
Gizmo Verdict
The Vivo U10 is one fabulous smartphone as it fares well through its big display, bigger battery, and excellent camera quality. The Snapdragon 665 manages to hold upright, despite everything you throw at it. Vivo has managed to nail the critical essentials of an excellent entry-level smartphone and packaged it in a neat design that doesn’t seem to go overboard. So if you happen to be one of the price-sensitive geeks looking for the best smartphone your money could buy, go with the Vivo U10.
