A simple and affordable offering from Vivo that would appeal to users looking for essentials at a low price, the Y28s aims to stand out in a crowded market of budget-friendly smartphones. And as many consumers have come to expect high-performance devices without the bank-breaker, this device has definitely turned some heads. However, can the Vivo Y28s prove to be a budget contender, or does it fall flat as an average device?
Much like the iMac, The Design and build of the device speaks beauty and simplicity with small elegant touches.
Vivo Y28s comes with a decent and simple design, This is one of the first things that you'd observe about this smartphone. Its plastic frame and rear aren’t exactly the epitome of “premium” but does ensure a clean, modern look. It’s relatively light, so it is pleasant to hold for a bit.
The camera bump on the rear is also minimal, and there's a fingerprint sensor for security, while the front has a notched display. The unadulterated design is a breath of fresh air in a time when such mid-range devices often attempt to mirror the style of premium flagships. Different traditional colourways are introduced to the slipper, allowing consumers a little bit of individuality but gentle.
Still, even if the plastic body makes the plastic build a bit more prone to scratches and fingerprints than glass, it makes the phone walk around not so heavy. But the design of Vivo Y28s does give you a lot of what you’d expect to get in a phone that boasts aesthetic looks and a solid build.
Screener: good for everyday use
Vivo Y28s features a 6.51-inch IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. On to the display, which is typical of the price range. It isn’t quite as sharp as some of the higher-tier models out there, and the lack of Full HD could be a deal-breaker for anyone who streams a lot of videos or regularly plays higher resolution games.
However, it is bright enough for day-to-day use and provides decent colour reproduction as well as wide viewing angles. While it’s not the phone if you want a bright OLED display with popping colors, for occasional social media scrolling, the odd light game here and there, and YouTube videos, it’s suitable enough.
Performance: Good to Great, or Bad to Worse
Vivo Y28s specifications The Vivo Y28s comes with a MediaTek Helio G35 SoC, along with up to 4GB of RAM. Hardware-wise, these specs mean the phone should run light to moderate use for browsing, messaging, and casual gaming.
The Vivo Y28s handles basic applications well enough under real-world workloads, but encounters more resource-intensive workloads and performance dips and stutters can be experienced. Multitasking is acceptable, and we experienced slowdowns when running too many apps in the background. Lightweight titles, such as Candy Crush or Clash of Clans, run brilliantly on this thing, but don’t hold your breath for high frame rates on more demanding games like PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty Mobile.
It is powered by a clean Funtouch OS 12 OS based on Android 12. Out of the box, Vivo's custom skin brings some good features but at times come up feeling a bit bloated with a handful of third-party apps that would unlikely be used.
Battery Life: Rips the Competition Aptly
The battery is one of the outstanding features of Vivo Y28s. Its 5000mAh cell helps it go through over a day of moderate to heavy usage. According to Vivo, the phone can provide up to 17 hours of video playback or 8 hours of gaming on a single charge, and in my real-world testing, it stands up pretty accurately to this.
With screen-on time and running multiple apps, the battery life is definitely a plus for this phone. Charging is relatively slow, with a standard 10W charger with the phone — which isn’t its most blazing point, but you aren’t going to be stuck to the charger the whole time since with this battery size.
Camera: Fine for Social Media, but No Game-Changer
It is a dual-camera phone with a 13MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. It has a 8MP selfie shooter on the front. Camera Performance is nothing new for budget devices – positive in the day but harsh in every other lighting.
For everyday photography, the phone performs well, producing reasonable detail and colour. So outdoor pics you snapped for Instagram or WhatsApp, the Y28s will suffice. But more demanding users, especially those who are into mobile photography, may find the camera’s performance a bit lacking, particularly in terms of dynamic range and detail retention.
Night mode helps illuminate darker scenes, but don’t expect miracles. The 8MP self-snapper is just fine for video calls and casual selfies, but low-light performance just isn’t that great either.
Storage and Connectivity: Basic Essentials
The Vivo Y28s packs 64GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via microSD card (up to 256GB). This is a sensible offer, especially for those who run a ton of media or apps. Dual-SIM support is a useful feature for users who often have to switch networks for different purposes, whether it's their local network or an international one.
In terms of connectivity, the Y28s supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm audio jack. There’s no 5G support, which may turn some people off, especially if you’re hoping to keep the phone for a few years as 5G networks become more common.
Final Verdict – Budget Best or Budget Worst?
So, is the Vivo Y28s a budget king or a disappointment? The answer of course depends on what you value most in a phone.
Strengths
The battery of the phone is on another level, lasting throughout the day like a breeze.
– Simple yet elegant design and a decent enough (not Full HD) display for casual use.
Expandable storage and dual-SIM capabilities are also welcome additions.
Weaknesses
In terms of performance, the MediaTek Helio G35 chipset is a limiting factor in all but most basic apps and gaming.
– It takes trouble-free snaps but won’t turn mobile-cam haters into believers.
No 5G support means no future-proofing in a 5G world.
With its decent battery life, decent performance with everyday apps, and affordable price, the Vivo Y28s might just be a budget champion among casual users. But for users who need a little more from their device especially in terms of display quality, gaming, and camera use, it might fall short as a mediocre performer.
Overall, the Vivo Y28s is decent value for money, but whether or not it’s the right phone is more down to what you expect and require. That makes it a great option for users on a budget, if you just need the basics and don’t expect flagship-like performance from this inexpensive device.
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