We referred to the Vivo T2 5G as a “capable sub-Rs 20,000 contender” in our review from last year. To compete with rivals at the time, the phone had competitive hardware. In April 2024, its heir appears in the shape of the Vivo T3 5G. With a speedier MediaTek Dimensity 7200 CPU, an enhanced 120Hz AMOLED display, and a larger 5,000mAh battery than its predecessor, this phone looks to be a respectable upgrade—all for less than Rs 20,000.
Verdict
A well-rounded smartphone for under Rs 20,000 is the Vivo T3 5G. In addition to having one of the fastest chipsets available in this price range, it also has a brighter display, a more attractive design, and longer battery life than its predecessor. However, the phone may not be as desirable as some of the other options in this market due to the abundance of pre-loaded apps and the guarantee of only two major software updates.
Design and display
Do you recall the color-changing rear panel of the Vivo T2? Vivo, however, has abandoned that and chosen to offer the Vivo T3 in more static colorways. Not that the Vivo T3 has a boring appearance. It is available in Crystal Flake and Cosmic Blue, both of which have distinctive patterns on the back panel. As the name implies, the Crystal Flake has an irregular crystal-shaped pattern, as seen in the pictures.
This year’s popular phone design features a flat frame with chamfered edges. It has a particular heaviness to it when held in the hand and is a sturdy phone overall. When compared to its predecessor, which weighed 172 grams, it is heavier at 188 grams.
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display on the Vivo T3 5G has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. Similar to the iQOO Z9 5G, the phone reaches a peak brightness of 1800 nits, which is especially impressive for this price category. The display offers good viewing angles and is viewable even in direct sunlight. Additionally, content that is streamed on websites like Netflix has good clarity and crispness.
Cameras
The Vivo T3 has a dual camera configuration, despite giving the impression of having three rear cameras. The Vivo T3 has a 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor with OIS capability and a secondary 2MP camera for taking portrait photos, just like the iQOO Z9. A flicker sensor, seen as the third lens, is meant to lessen light flicker when filming videos. The quality of the IMX882 sensor is the same as that of the iQOO Z9. It can take beautiful daylight pictures with striking details and pleasing colors.
When there is adequate lighting nearby, the main performs admirably in dim light. In daylight, the 16MP front-facing camera likewise produces respectable selfies. As seen in the above samples, photos are sharp with good exposure and color reproduction.
This comparison image between the Tecno POVA 6 Pro and the Vivo T3 will help you better understand how well the camera performs on the Vivo T3. Comparing the two images, we discovered that the one taken with the Tecno phone had less natural background blur and less color fidelity than the one obtained with the Vivo T3.
Both software and performance
One of the most potent chipsets available in the sub-Rs 20,000 range is the MediaTek Dimensity 7200, which the Vivo T3 sports. The chipset achieves excellent benchmark performance. We observed that the iQOO Z9 5G, and the Vivo T3 5G confirm it once more. Our AnTuTu score of 7.15 lakh beats the Dimenity 6080-powered Redmi Note 13 (453,839) and the Realme Narzo 70 Pro (611,860) in terms of performance.
The Funtouch OS 14 custom skin comes pre-installed on the Vivo T3 5G, which runs Android 14 out of the box. Pre-installed apps include several third-party ones including Netflix, Snapchat, Candy Crush, Agoda, and Truecaller, in addition to the usual assortment of Google and Vivo programs. This indicates that while there are a fair amount of pre-installed programs when you first set them up, you can quickly remove the majority of them if you decide they are not needed.
The Vivo T3 5G’s manufacturer is only offering three years of security updates and two significant Android upgrades, which is a drawback. In this pricing range, phones such as the Realme Narzo 70 Pro, for instance, provide three years of significant software updates.
Battery life
The 5,000mAh battery powering the Vivo T3 5G is 500mAh larger than the one found in the Vivo T2. This indicates that the newer phone has a little longer battery life than the older model in addition to having a more powerful chipset. The Vivo T3 5G demonstrated a commendable 15 hours and 16 minutes of battery life in our PCMark Battery test. After 30 minutes of YouTube watching, the battery only lost roughly 4% of its capacity. You should be able to use it moderately for part of the day after finishing the full one. You may need to reach for the charger at night on days when you use your device more frequently.
The Vivo T3 5G requires approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to fully charge using 44W charging, which Vivo is staying with.
Final verdict
For less than Rs 20,000, the Vivo T3 5G is a dependable phone to purchase. It excels in many areas, including having a more vivid AMOLED display than its predecessor, a stylish design, and a longer battery life. However, the phone’s 50MP sensor, which produces excellent daytime photographs, and it is among the quickest chipsets available in this price range are the two main reasons you should think about purchasing it.
Vivo, however, lags behind several competitors in this market, such as the Realme Narzo 70 Pro (review), which offers three years of OS updates, as it only promises two significant software updates. Furthermore, Funtouch OS does ship with several pre-installed applications that you could find objectionable. Additionally, the Tecno POVA 6 Pro (review) is objectively superior in both areas, even though the Vivo T3’s battery and charging are passable. However, if you don’t mind these drawbacks, the Vivo T3 5G is now one of the more potent phones around Rs 20,000.
