- Vivo Y20 is a mid-range device but comes with some modest specs
- Don’t expect much when it comes to the cameras and if you prefer big batteries over all the other features the vivo Y20 is not a bad choice.
- Vivo is selling this phone for Ksh 13,999
Vivo Y20 Review: Mid-range phones are becoming very popular in Kenya. Most smartphone manufacturers have been releasing a number of smartphones in this segment because that’s where the market is.
Not everyone can splash 100k for an iPhone or the next big device from Samsung, and this is where mid-range phones come in. One of these devices is the vivo Y20 that was launched in Kenya in November last year, we however only got a chance to interact with the device a couple of weeks ago.
For Ksh 13,999, the vivo V20 is a pretty good device. It comes with a number of interesting specs including a 6.51-inch Halo FullView Display with a tall 20:9 aspect ratio and HD+ (1600 x 720) resolution.
Vivo Y20 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor 460 with 4GB RAM and 64 GB ROM with support for memory expansion via a dedicated microSD card up to 256GB. On the back of the phone is a rectangular camera bump which houses a 13-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro and a 2-megapixel bokeh lens and an LED flash.
The #vivoY20.
Price: 13,999
vivo Y20 Goes on Sale in Kenya, https://t.co/acwoQt2Bat@Vivo_Kenya pic.twitter.com/M7N0Zb95qn
— TechTrends Media© (@TechTrendsKE) April 2, 2021
For the battery, vivo Y20 is equipped with a 5000mAh brick which shouldn’t take that long to juice up due to 18W fast charging support. vivo Y20 is available in two colours; Obsidian Black and Nebula Blue.
Of course with those specs, the phone competes with a number of other mid-range devices in the market. The competition is stiff. When I was picking this device from vivo’s local office, they told me it’s one of their best selling devices in Kenya.
Well, I understand this because as much as I feel the specs should have been better, vivo tried getting it right with the pricing. Again, for a Ksh.14k device you shouldn’t really expect much.
Design and Display
As mentioned earlier, the vivo Y20 sports a 6.51-inch Halo FullView Display with a tall 20:9 aspect ratio and HD+ (1600 x 720) resolution. Like most phones, the display has a notch interruption which in this case is a centrally placed water drop at the top.
The device features a glass-front, I pretty much liked this. The back is all plastic and also features a plastic frame. Our vivo Y20 review unit was Obsidian Black but we also have a Nebula blue colour option.
The back is prone to scratching, occasional smudge-lines so you have to be careful when handling it. The overall design looks good, the phone is slim and very light.
Performance, Hardware and battery
The Vivo Y20 is powered by a Snapdragon 460 and packs 4GB RAM+64GB of inbuilt storage. The UI is simple, just like we have seen with all the Vivo devices we have interacted with here at TechTrendsKE. Gaming and multitasking is a no – you will struggle here. This device is not meant for heavy usage.
The phone runs Funtouch OS 10.5 based on Android 10. Hopefully the phone gets an Android 11 update soon now that version 12 is almost here. The first time we interacted with Funtouch OS was with the vivo V17 Pro, and it really took us some time before we got used to it. Navigating through Vivo’s menus was still confusing, of course, this is something we will get used to as we keep interacting with Vivo devices. Having used a number of vivo phones now, it was easy, we didn’t struggle much.
The fingerprint, located on the right side just below the volume buttons is also very quick. This fingerprint also serves as the power button. I also need to mention that there’s a face unlock for those who prefer that over fidgeting around with fingerprint sensors.
For the battery, the vivo Y20’s 5000mAh battery comes in handy when performing typical day-to-day tasks. There’s also vivo’s proprietary fast charging that fills up the battery from 0-100% in just 80 minutes.
Camera
At the back of the vivo Y20 is a rectangular camera bump that houses a 13-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro and a 2-megapixel bokeh lens and an LED flash. The cameras work just fine. See sample shots below.
The dew-drop selfie camera on the other hand is an 8MP sensor. See samples below. The picture quality is fair especially with good lighting although they appear overexposed.
You can check more photos taken by the vivo Y20 on our official TechTrendsKE instagram page.
Should you buy the vivo Y20?
For Ksh.14,000 I would definitely get my hands on Vivo Y20. This is a mid-range device but comes with some modest specs and manages to handle everything well when running small tasks like social media use, making calls etc. Don’t expect much when it comes to the cameras and if you prefer big batteries over all the other features we have mentioned then the vivo Y20 is not a bad choice.
Vivo Y20 is available starting today for purchase from vivo branded stores across the country. You can also buy one from online retailer Jambo Shoppe. Remember, vivo recently partnered with them to help increase the smartphone makers’ local footprint.
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