vivo Y18t: An Affordable Entery-Level Smartphone With A Stylish Build And Practical Features

Design and Build Quality

The vivo Y18t measures 163.6×75.6×8.4 mm, making it fairly compact for a smartphone with a large display. Weighing in at 185 grams, it feels solid yet light in the hand, maintaining a balance between a sturdy build and a comfortable hold. The device features a glass front for added durability, while the plastic back and frame help keep the weight down and the price affordable. The Y18t's color options - Gem Green and Space Black - add a touch of elegance to its aesthetic, making it appealing for users who want style on a budget. Here are the relevant specs:

The vivo Y18t's body is designed with practicality in mind, making it a good fit for comfortable, everyday use. With those dimensions and weight, it strikes a balance between size and manageability. It's large enough to give a satisfying screen experience without veering into unwieldy territory, which makes it comfortable to hold for longer periods, whether you're binge-watching videos or gaming casually.

Its slim 8.4 mm profile helps it slip smoothly into pockets and bags, while the 185 g weight is light enough for prolonged holding, but hefty enough to feel stable and substantial in hand.

The vivo Y18t uses a plastic back and frame, a choice that has both advantages and minor drawbacks. Plastic keeps the phone lighter than glass or metal would, contributing to its manageable weight. It tends to withstand drops better than glass since it's less likely to shatter or crack, making it a good choice for an affordable phone that might need to handle a few bumps. Using plastic also helps vivo maintain a lower price, giving budget-conscious users access to a phone with quality specs without inflating the price.

On the other hand, while the material resists shattering, plastic backs are more susceptible to scratches. Over time, this could dull the look unless you protect it with a case. And compared to metal or glass, plastic can feel a bit less "premium" in the hand. While the finish may still be sleek, the cool feel of glass or solid metal isn't quite matched.

Overall, for an entry-level or budget-friendly phone, plastic is a pragmatic choice that keeps costs down while offering durability and reasonable comfort.

Color options on the vivo Y18t have been thoughtfully selected to appeal to a variety of tastes:

• Gem Green: This shade gives off a fresh, vibrant vibe that might suit users who enjoy bold, expressive colors. The green is lively yet not overly flashy, making it a good choice for those who want a bit of personality without going too bright. This color is likely to appeal to creative types, younger users, or anyone who wants a little extra flair in one's tech.
• Space Black: The classic black option suits users who prefer a minimalist, professional look. It's subtle and versatile, fitting well in both casual and professional settings. This option would likely attract users who value practicality and elegance, perhaps those who want a color that doesn't call attention but still looks sleek.

In sum, the vivo Y18t's size and build provide a comfortable, easy-to-carry experience, with the plastic back and frame offering durability at a budget-friendly price. The colors reflect two distinct styles: Gem Green for the expressive, trend-setting user and Space Black for the refined, understated user.

IP Rating

(Related: IP ratings explained.)

With an IP54 rating, the vivo Y18t is protected against limited dust and water exposure, making it a practical choice for users who may find themselves in dusty or slightly damp environments. This rating is a welcome addition at this price, offering some peace of mind for outdoor usage.

The IP (Ingress Protection) rating of a device provides valuable insights into its resistance against environmental elements. In this case, the rating is IP54, and breaking it down helps us understand its significance.

The first digit (5 here) indicates a moderate level of protection against dust. While not completely dust-tight, the vivo Y18t is designed to resist the entry of dust to an extent that it would not interfere with its normal operation.

The second digit (4 here) signifies protection against water splashes from any direction. It can handle light splashes and rain but is not fully waterproof. Submersion is not recommended.

Here are some practical tips for protecting your Y18t from the elements:

• Avoid Submersion: While the device can handle light splashes, it's crucial to avoid submerging it in water. Keep it away from pools, sinks, and other bodies of water to prevent potential damage.
• Use in Moderate Conditions: Exercise caution when using the phone in extreme environmental conditions. Avoid exposing it to heavy rain or dusty environments for extended periods.
• Cleaning: Gently clean the vivo Y18t with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove any dirt or grime. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that may damage the device's finish.
• Protective Case: Consider investing in a protective case to add an extra layer of defense against accidental drops and impacts. A case designed for the vivo Y18t's form factor ensures a snug fit without hindering access to ports, cameras, and buttons.
• Screen Protector: Applying a tempered glass or plastic screen protector can safeguard the display from scratches and minor impacts. It's a small investment that can go a long way in preserving the integrity of the screen.
• Regular Inspections: Periodically check the condition of your Y18t, especially the ports and seams, to ensure that they are free from dust and debris. Clean as needed to maintain optimal performance.

While the IP54 rating offers a level of protection, it's always wise to take additional precautions to safeguard your investment. A combination of responsible usage, a protective case, and a screen protector can significantly enhance the durability of your device, ensuring a longer lifespan and a smoother user experience. After all, a little care goes a long way in keeping your tech companion in top-notch condition!

Display: Smooth, Bright, and Vibrant

(Related: Know more about the various kinds of displays and screen specs.)

The vivo Y18t sports a 6.56-inch IPS LCD screen, which is well-suited for viewing media and scrolling through social feeds. Its 90 Hz refresh rate sets it apart from many budget smartphones, creating a smoother visual experience that's noticeable during scrolling and light gaming. With a peak brightness of 840 nits in HBM (High Brightness Mode), the display performs decently under sunlight and provides solid viewing clarity in most lighting conditions.

vivo Y18t display. Image credit: vivo

Here are the relevant specs:

The vivo Y18t's display is built around a 6.56-inch IPS LCD screen, offering a well-rounded visual experience for an entry-level to midrange device. The IPS LCD technology in the vivo Y18t delivers consistent color accuracy and wide viewing angles, which means you won't see dramatic shifts in color or brightness when viewing the screen from an angle. This makes it particularly good for group viewing or when you're using the phone at various angles throughout the day.

IPS LCDs tend to be less vibrant than OLED panels, which have deeper blacks and more striking contrasts, but they do bring reliability and good performance under bright light, especially for a device in this price range.

One of the stand-out features of the vivo Y18t's display is its 90 Hz refresh rate. This refresh rate is an upgrade from the standard 60 Hz found on many budget phones, and it noticeably improves the fluidity of on-screen movement. With a 90 Hz display, scrolling through apps, swiping between pages, and interacting with dynamic elements feels smoother and more responsive.

A higher refresh rate is especially appreciated during tasks like web browsing, social media scrolling, and casual gaming, where smoother animations add to the enjoyment. While it's not quite as fluid as the 120 Hz found on more premium devices, 90 Hz is a nice bonus for those who want a more seamless experience.

With a resolution of 720×1612 pixels, the vivo Y18t's screen provides around 269 pixels per inch (PPI), which is adequate for regular viewing of content like text, images, and standard-definition video. This resolution is fine for social media browsing, messaging, and general app usage, where you're not scrutinizing for ultra-fine details.

However, for users who consume a lot of high-definition content, such as HD movies, detailed images, or high-quality gaming, the 720p resolution may feel limiting. Higher resolutions, like 1080p or more, offer sharper detail and crisper visuals, which are ideal for media-heavy usage.

In a pinch, the vivo Y18t's screen will handle YouTube videos, streaming, and casual games without issue, but those who demand a more cinema-like experience may miss the clarity of higher-res displays.

Another highlight of the Y18t's display is the 840 nits High Brightness Mode (HBM), which allows it to reach impressive brightness levels for an LCD. This feature is especially useful outdoors, where screen visibility can be an issue under direct sunlight.

With this level of peak brightness, you can expect the vivo Y18t to perform well in brighter conditions, keeping the screen legible and reducing the need for squinting or shading the screen with your hand.

In conclusion, the vivo Y18t's display brings an enjoyable, responsive experience to daily use, with the 90 Hz refresh rate making it a smooth performer and the high brightness level keeping it usable even in sunlight.

While the 720p resolution covers standard content comfortably, users who frequently watch high-definition video or play detail-rich games may find it lacking compared to full-HD displays. But as an overall package for this segment, the display offers a good mix of reliability, performance, and practicality.

Networks

(Related: Cellular networks explained.)

Navigating through the tech landscape, the vivo Y18t supports the GSM, HSPA, and LTE technologies.

GSM and HSPA are the stalwarts, providing 2G and 3G connectivity, respectively. Then there's LTE, the foundation of modern 4G networks, delivering faster internet speeds and improved call quality.

SIM

The vivo Y18t's dual Nano-SIM (dual stand-by) capability adds flexibility, catering to those who navigate between personal and professional domains.

Chipset - Performance

Under the hood, the vivo Y18t is powered by a Unisoc T612 chipset, a 12-nm octa-core processor featuring two types of cores. This combination provides a balanced performance for typical day-to-day tasks, such as browsing, messaging, and running apps. While it may not excel in resource-heavy applications or demanding games, the Y18t handles casual gaming and multitasking fairly well. Here are the relevant specs:

The Unisoc T612 chipset is built on a 12-nm process. This chipset, along with its octa-core CPU and Mali-G57 MP1 GPU, delivers a balanced performance that suits typical smartphone tasks for users on a budget.

While it's not positioned as a powerhouse, the Unisoc T612 is sufficient for daily productivity and moderate app usage, with some notable limitations when it comes to more demanding applications.

The CPU in the vivo Y18t's Unisoc T612 has an octa-core configuration divided into two distinct types of cores:

• 2 Cortex-A75 Cores (1.8 GHz): These two cores focus on performance. The Cortex-A75 cores are designed to handle more intensive tasks and compute-heavy operations, such as launching applications, processing photo edits, and rendering graphics in games. They can manage short bursts of high performance without significantly draining the battery, which is ideal for keeping the phone's response snappy during demanding tasks.
• 6 Cortex-A55 Cores (1.8 GHz): The remaining six cores are designed for efficiency, tackling lighter tasks that don't require as much processing power. They are optimized to handle background processes, system functions, and daily tasks like checking notifications, browsing social media, and other routine uses, all while consuming minimal battery.

Even though both types of cores have the same clock speed of 1.8 GHz, they are built for different tasks. The difference lies in their architecture. Cortex-A75 cores are more complex and power-hungry, built for performance with more processing capabilities. They execute tasks quickly but at the expense of greater power draw. Cortex-A55 cores are simpler and designed to be efficient, focusing on lower power consumption rather than maximum performance.

Using a mix of both core types allows the phone to balance performance and power efficiency. When demanding tasks arise, the A75 cores kick in, providing the necessary power, while the A55 cores handle regular tasks efficiently. This setup is a hallmark of big.LITTLE architecture, optimizing battery life without compromising user experience.

The Mali-G57 MP1 GPU in the vivo Y18t is a single-core graphics processor, suitable for basic graphic tasks and casual gaming. It handles regular animations, transitions, and basic games smoothly. However, it's not designed for graphically intense gaming or tasks that require high frame rates.

You can expect it to manage light to moderate games like Candy Crush and Subway Surfers well, but games with demanding graphics like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile would need to run at lower settings for a playable experience, and even then, may show occasional frame drops.

With these components working in tandem, the vivo Y18t's processing power is well-suited for daily essentials such as:

• Social media: Browsing apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
• Productivity: Using basic apps like email, messaging, document editing, and calendar functions.
• Media: Streaming music, watching videos at standard resolutions, and using the camera for casual photos and video recording.

However, tasks that demand high processing and graphical power will challenge the limits of the vivo Y18t's configuration. For instance:

• Intensive Gaming: High-end games or those requiring substantial graphics processing won't run optimally on this setup.
• Multitasking of Heavy Apps: Running multiple resource-heavy apps, such as certain editing software or larger games, might slow down performance or cause lags.
• High-Resolution Content Editing: If you intend to edit high-definition images or video, the CPU-GPU combination here will struggle to keep up with the workload.

In summary, the vivo Y18t's Unisoc T612 chipset, with its balanced CPU setup and adequate GPU, provides a solid experience for basic to moderate use, hitting the sweet spot for users focused on affordability without needing premium-level performance.

Those who anticipate heavy multitasking, demanding apps, or intense gaming sessions may find this setup limiting, while users looking for dependable day-to-day functionality will find it more than capable.

Memory and Storage

Here are the relevant specs:

The vivo Y18t comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, which is respectable for this segment. The use of eMMC 5.1 for storage ensures adequate data transfer speeds, although it won't match the responsiveness of UFS-based storage.

For those needing additional storage, the Y18t includes a dedicated microSDXC slot, allowing for expanded storage without sacrificing a SIM slot - a nice touch for users who like to store media files or install numerous apps.

Camera System: Great for Social Media and Casual Photography

The vivo Y18t's dual-camera system on the back includes a 50 MP primary sensor, promising crisp, well-exposed images in daylight conditions. Accompanying it is a 0.08 MP auxiliary lens, though its utility is limited, likely providing basic depth or portrait effects. The camera setup can record 1080p videos at 30 frames per second, offering sufficient quality for casual video capture, though stabilization may be limited.

The front-facing 8 MP camera is straightforward and effective for selfies and video calls, with an f/2.0 aperture that handles lighting reasonably well. Its quality is in line with other devices in this range and should satisfy users who want decent shots for social media.

Rear Camera

Image credit: vivo

The vivo Y18t's main camera setup consists of a dual-lens configuration that brings essential features and flexibility to the entry-level category. Let's have a breakdown of the camera's specs, functions, and features. Here are the relevant specs:

Specification	vivo Y18t
Number of Cameras	2 (Dual)
Resolution (Megapixels)	50 MP (wide), 0.08 MP (auxiliary lens)
Aperture	f/1.8, N/A
Autofocus	PDAF, N/A
Video Recording	1080p at 30 fps
Other Features	LED flash, panorama

The 50 MP primary lens is the star of the show, featuring an f/1.8 aperture. This lens captures high-resolution images, providing substantial detail and decent performance for most lighting conditions. The f/1.8 aperture lets in a good amount of light, making it suitable for low-light photography to an extent.

Photos taken in well-lit environments will come out crisp and detailed, and for close-up shots, the large sensor can produce natural-looking bokeh (background blur) around the subject.

The secondary, 0.08 MP lens is an auxiliary sensor with minimal resolution and serves mainly as a support feature rather than a standalone lens. This type of secondary lens often works to assist in creating depth information for the primary camera, enhancing effects like background blur in portrait mode.

It's not meant to take images by itself but rather supports the primary lens to improve depth perception and image processing.

The vivo Y18t's camera setup includes several useful features that enhance photography. PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) is a technology that allows the camera to focus quickly and accurately on subjects. Using small, dedicated pixels on the camera's sensor, PDAF identifies the subject and focuses on it in a fraction of a second.

This feature is particularly handy when photographing moving subjects, or for point-and-shoot photography, where you want to snap a clear photo quickly without manually adjusting focus.

The LED flash on the vivo Y18t provides additional lighting for low-light scenarios. While it's not as powerful as professional lighting, it can help illuminate nearby subjects and improve photo quality in dark conditions.

It's also helpful for capturing night shots and adding some backlighting in shadowy environments.

Panorama mode is a valuable feature for capturing wide-angle shots. This mode lets you take extended images by moving the phone horizontally (or vertically) across a scene. It's particularly useful for landscapes, cityscapes, and large group photos, as it allows you to cover a wider field of view than what a single shot would capture.

Panorama mode stitches together multiple images into a seamless, high-resolution photo, perfect for creating impressive scenic images or capturing large-scale subjects.

With this hardware and features, the vivo Y18t's main camera setup is well-suited for day-to-day photography, especially in well-lit conditions where the 50 MP sensor can shine, providing ample detail and natural color reproduction. PDAF makes it versatile for quick shots, and the LED flash provides the basics for nighttime or low-light scenes, though it won't replace dedicated night mode performance.

This camera configuration is ideal for users who primarily take photos of everyday scenes - whether it's snapshots of family gatherings, cityscapes, or social media-worthy moments. However, for users focused on serious photography or frequent low-light shooting, this setup may fall short compared to phones with more advanced camera technology.

Overall, the vivo Y18t's camera strikes a balance between simplicity and utility, offering essential features that allow for some creativity, especially at this price point. It covers the basics well, but users looking for high-end photography will find this a modest setup.

Battery Life: All-Day Power

(Related: Battery specs and charging types explained.)

Here are the relevant specs:

Equipped with a 5000 mAh battery, the vivo Y18t promises solid battery life that easily lasts a full day for most users. This is particularly beneficial for on-the-go users who need a reliable phone without the hassle of frequent recharging.

However, with a 15 W charging speed, the Y18t takes about 145 minutes for a full charge - so you may need to plan your charging sessions in advance. While not the fastest charging in this segment, it's sufficient for an affordable phone.

Sound

(Related: Know more about the sound specs and features.)

Here are the relevant specs:

The vivo Y18t includes a loudspeaker and retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack, which will be appreciated by those who prefer wired audio.

Connectivity

The vivo Y18t doesn't skimp on essential connectivity options. With support for dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, it ensures you can connect to common Wi-Fi networks.

The Y18t boasts Bluetooth 5.2, ensuring a seamless connection, whether you're connecting to headphones, speakers, or other devices. With features like A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) for high-quality audio streaming and LE (Low Energy) for power efficiency, your Bluetooth experience reaches new heights.

This phone is a true global traveler, supporting various positioning systems, including GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, and QZSS.

While the Y18t lacks NFC, which might be a downside for those who use mobile payments, it includes FM radio for entertainment on the go.

Last but not least, the trusty USB-C 2.0 - the universal connector. Whether you're charging your device, transferring files, or connecting to external devices, USB Type-C 2.0 ensures a reliable connection. It's the jack-of-all-trades, allowing you to expand your device's capabilities and stay connected to the wider world of technology. And the support for OTG (USB On-The-Go) enables your device to act as host and connect to other USB devices, such as flash drives, keyboards, cameras, and more, without needing a computer as an intermediary.

Sensors

The vivo Y18t comes equipped with the following sensors:

• Proximity Sensor: Detects the presence or movement of an object (say, with infrared, sound, light, or electromagnetic fields) without physically contacting it. It is used, for example, to turn off the screen when you position your device close to your ear while making a call.
• Accelerometer: The accelerometer detects changes in the device's orientation and acceleration. If you tilt, shake, or move your device, the accelerometer knows.
• Compass: The compass determines your device's orientation. It is essential for navigation apps, map orientation, and augmented reality experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is vivo Y18t release date?

  The vivo Y18t has been announced and released on the 12th November, 2024.

• What is vivo Y18t price?

  The vivo Y18t is priced at INR 9499 (about USD 113) for the 4 GB / 128 GB variant.