vivo Y22s 4G Review: Will it survive competition?

November 08, 2022, 08:50 AM
by Shahriar Rabab

UNB News
Publish- November 08, 2022, 08:50 AM
Shahriar Rabab
Update- November 08, 2022, 09:09 AM

vivo Y22s 4G Review: Will it survive competition?

vivo's latest mid-range device Y22s 4G (Photo: vivo.com)

The smartphone market for entry-level to lower mid-range has always been filled with competition. vivo has been a key player in this market with its range of devices, especially the Y series. The series first debuted in 2019 with the vivo Y3. Over the years there have been several additions to cater to the dynamic needs. vivo’s latest Y series phone Y22s was launched on 23rd August 2022 globally. Now, it is available in Bangladesh. Here’s our detailed take on the key features of the vivo Y22s so that you can decide whether to go for it or not.

Key Specifications of vivo Y22s

Design and Build Quality

The design elements of the vivo Y22s are reminiscent of its previous generation, the Y21s. There is a similar brushed-back design with diffused reflection making it look much more premium than its price class. It also does an excellent job of repelling fingerprint smudges and overall wear and tear.

However, the build is still plastic. The phone features plastic all around with an unrated glass front. At this price point, the choice of a premium design with a plastic build is not surprising. And it shouldn’t bother you much if you put in a case on the device.

The dimensions of vivo Y22s are 164.3 by 76.1 by 8.4 mm. The device weighs about 192g.

Moving on to ports and buttons, the Y22s features all the essentials. The 3.5 mm headphone jack still stays right beside the secondary mic and the bottom-firing speaker. The left of the device features the sim slot along with the dedicated micro SDXC slot. The right side features the volume rocker and the power button which also doubles as the biometric sensor.

The overall design and the build quality of the Y22s are satisfactory. However, the only drawback might be its front design which has rather thick bezels and chins compared to the 2022 standards.

Display

Perhaps the most visible letdown of the Y22s is its display. While it might seem like a stretch, for its price vivo should’ve included better hardware in the display department. Considering this is the primary contact point between the user and the device.

The Y22s features a 6.55-inch 720P IPS LCD panel with 270 PPI density. It has a resolution of 720 by 1612 pixels. The choice of IPS LCD is still understandable, but considering that vivo has priced the device in the mid-range segment, it definitely should’ve included FHD+ resolution or a faster refresh rate.

Many of vivo’s competitors offer the same along with AMOLED at this price point. Speaking of the display itself, it doesn’t have the weird color shift or blue tint like that of other HD+ LCDs. However, that’s the only good thing.

The colors on the device look a bit washed out and the lack of vibrancy is even more noticeable because of the lower resolution. The display does get relatively bright in both indoor and outdoor use but it’s no match for direct sunlight as you will notice glares even with max brightness.

Overall, the display could’ve definitely been better on the Y22s. What it brings to the table is passable but it definitely won’t be the key selling point of the device.

Camera

The vivo Y22s features a dual camera system. This might seem like a downgrade from the previous generation which had a triple-camera setup. But there’s more than meets the eyes.

The main sensor of the vivo Y22s is a 50 MP ( f/1.8) wide-angle shooter. This is the same main sensor found on the Y21s. the Y21s had an additional 2 MP depth and macro sensors. This Year vivo dropped the depth sensor and kept the 2 MP (f/2.4) macro shooter for a dual camera setup.

Moving on to the performance of the cameras, the main sensor steals the show here. The pictures look great in outdoor condition with decent lighting. For a mid-range smartphone, the camera was surprisingly good at capturing the dynamic range and details.

The portraits however were a hit or a miss. Sometimes it captured great details along with proper edge detection. But other times the subject wasn’t properly exposed.

The exposure issues become even more apparent indoors or in dimly lit environments. The Y22s also suffer from grains and noises in any form of artificial light.

The videography of the phone is limited to 1080P at 30 fps.

The front side offers a generic 8 MP (f/2.0) shooter which gets the job done. It can capture 1080p footage at 30fps.

Processor and Performance

Moving on to the processor, the vivo Y22s features a Snapdragon 680 4G chipset based on the 6nm architecture. The 680 chip from snapdragon is the perfect mid-range chipset which has been a reliable choice for a few years now. The processor’s graphic unit is equipped with an Adreno 610 GPU.

Similar reliability is reflected in the performance as well. Although not touted to be a gaming phone, the Y22s can handle gaming pretty well. Especially titles like COD, PUBG, and Asphalt 9 play at the highest settings without any hiccups. The only problem here is that the device does get heated up after quite some time of continued gaming.

For day-to-day task, the Y22s performs like a breeze. The Funtouch OS also came a long way from its initial days to be more streamlined and responsive. Overall, the performance of the Y22s justifies the price it comes at.

Battery and Charge Time

The vivo Y22s comes equipped with a 5000 mAh battery. Combine this with the moderate display and the device can easily last around 8-10 hours of continued usage. The device also supports 18W wired fast charging which vivo claims can go from 0 to 70% in 70 minutes.

Official Price of vivo Y22s in Bangladesh

The Y22s is available in two variants – the 6/128 GB one and the 8/128 GB configuration. Currently, the 6/128 GB variant is officially available in Bangladesh. The price of the device is 21,999 BDT and can be currently pre-ordered. However, the price is subject to change.

Verdict

The vivo Y22s checks a lot of the boxes when it comes to affordable mid-range devices. It has got a good camera, a decent battery, and a durable build with stylish looks. However, the one aspect that will bother any user is the display. Other than that, the vivo Y22s smartphone seems to be a standard phone for average day-to-day tasks.