6 Pros and Cons of vivo Y03 Smartphone
The vivo Y03 was launched globally in March 2024, offering a range of attractive features within the USD 129 price range. It delivers above-average performance, making it a good choice for smooth gaming.
The smartphone's screen is adequate for daily use, featuring a 90 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, its battery life is reliable, lasting a full day.
Moreover, the back design of the phone looks quite premium, unlike some other phones in the same price range. However, there are some compromises you should be aware of. To keep the price low, vivo Y03 has some feature reductions. Here is an overview of its strengths and weaknesses.
Compared to its predecessor, the vivo Y02, the vivo Y03 offers many significant improvements, such as a clean design without a camera module, better performance, and a 90 Hz display. Curious to learn more? Read on.
Pros of vivo Y03
If you are on a budget, finding a quality phone that meets your needs can be challenging. Here are some advantages of the vivo Y03.
1. Powerful Performance with Helio G85
I was surprised to see the Helio G85 in this vivo Y series phone. Generally, the vivo Y series doesn't focus much on performance, especially at the USD 129 price point. The Helio G85 is among the fastest chipsets in the entry-level category.
When compared to competitors at a similar price, such as the Redmi A3 which comes with the Helio G36, the difference is clear. The Helio G36 lacks performance cores, whereas the Helio G85 offers a significant boost. Xiaomi typically emphasizes the price-to-performance ratio in the entry-level market.
The Helio G85 in the vivo Y03 is a significant upgrade from the Helio P22 in the vivo Y02, which was released in 2022. Like the Helio G36, the Helio P22 only has power-saving cores (Cortex A5x).
Manufactured by TSMC on a 12 nm process, the Helio G85 features an eight-core configuration: two high-performance Cortex A75 cores (2.0 GHz) and six power-saving Cortex A55 cores (1.8 GHz), along with a Mali G52 MC2 GPU.
The vivo Y03 comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, paired with either 64 GB or 128 GB of eMMC 5.1 storage.
According to AnTuTu v10 tests reported by Kimovil, the vivo Y03 scored 222,000 points. The Helio G85 typically scores between 260,000 and 280,000 on AnTuTu v10, as reported by Nano Review.
With this performance, the vivo Y03 can handle games like Mobile Legends, Free Fire, COD Mobile, and PUBG Mobile smoothly. For Genshin Impact, be prepared for some frame drops below 30 FPS in certain scenes, even on the lowest settings.
2. Minimalist and Splashproof Body
The vivo Y03 does not give off a "cheap" impression when you look at its back. The rear body features a Crystalline Matte Finish that sparkles when it catches the sunlight. The First Green color variant is especially eye-catching and is resistant to scratches and fingerprints.
The vivo Y03 also comes in a Space Black variant, created using the dip-eye technique. This color option displays a natural iridescence, reminiscent of stars in the night sky.
The back of the phone has a clean design, with two camera lenses that seamlessly blend into the body, giving it a sleek and minimalist appearance. The 2.5D Flat Frame concept used by vivo enhances comfort, as the slightly curved edges make the phone easy to hold for extended periods.
Besides its attractive visuals, the phone is lightweight at 185 grams. The ring display around each camera lens adds to its elegance, particularly in the Space Black variant, where the gold rings add a touch of luxury.
The side frame and back of the vivo Y03 are made from polycarbonate plastic. This is common, I guess, given its price. Plastic bodies are typically quite durable. With its IP54 certification, users don't have to worry about damage from rain or accidental spills.
Major brands are increasingly focusing on design elements in entry-level phones, and vivo has succeeded in creating a highly appealing design this time.
3. Smooth 90 Hz Screen
The vivo Y03 also brings noticeable improvements to the screen. Compared to its predecessor, the vivo Y02, the new smartphone now offers a 90 Hz refresh rate, making it 50 percent smoother than the conventional 60 Hz.
The screen size has slightly increased to 6.56 inches from 6.51 inches, although the resolution remains at 720p. Despite not being Full HD+, the screen is still clear and easy to view even in bright sunlight.
The smartphone's screen comes with TUV Rheinland certification, which reduces blue light intensity, ensuring eye comfort during prolonged use.
The front camera is still housed in a waterdrop notch, which is quite decent for a phone priced at Rp1 million. Although the bezels around the screen are relatively thick, the overall visual experience is still good.
The 90 Hz refresh rate is a significant improvement, providing a smooth scrolling experience when browsing Instagram feeds or using a web browser.
4. Powerful 5,000mAh Battery
For those who enjoy using their phones all night, the vivo Y03 is a great choice. Its 5,000mAh battery is very durable for both light and heavy use.
The battery lasts a long time because the screen has an HD+ resolution, which uses less power. The phone also has a battery-saving feature to extend usage time.
Users can charge quickly with the 15W FlashCharge feature via the USB-C 2.0 port. According to Vivo, the battery can support gaming for 7 hours, online movie watching for 19 hours, and standby mode for 21 days.
With normal use, the vivo Y03 can easily last a full day from morning to night. If used sparingly, it can even reach the second day after one charge. However, vivo does not include a charger in the sales box, which is understandable given the phone's affordable price.
5. Decent Entry-Level Camera with Many Features
On paper, the vivo Y03 camera specifications seem standard, featuring two cameras on the back. The main camera has a 13 MP f/2.2 resolution with PDAF, while the second camera is a 0.08 MP auxiliary lens.
Vivo chose not to follow the trend of high-resolution cameras for this Y series product. For example, the similarly priced Samsung Galaxy A05 has a 50 MP main camera.
While resolution affects detail and quality, it is not the only factor. Vivo, known for prioritizing photo quality, has found the right mix to produce good photos despite the lower resolution.
The photos are decent, with good detail and a clear dynamic range. Both the rear and front cameras have a night mode feature to improve lighting in low-light conditions, which is rare for entry-level phones.
Although the night mode won't match the quality of mid-range phones, it does enhance light and prevent pitch-black photos, albeit with some noise in dark areas.
Another rare feature at this price is the Pro mode, which allows for manual advanced settings. Users can adjust white balance, focus, ISO (up to 3200), and shutter speed. The vivo Y03 can have a shutter speed of up to 32 seconds, making photos clearer when using a tripod.
The video recording capabilities are basic and lack stabilization, resulting in shaky footage. Consider using a gimbal for content creation. The video resolution is standard for its class, up to 1080p at 30 FPS for both rear and front cameras. The front camera has an 8 MP resolution with an f/2.2 aperture.
Other camera settings include slow motion, time-lapse, panorama, Live Photo, portrait mode, and document scanning.
6. Superior Connectivity with Wi-Fi 5
One concern with affordable phone is reduced connectivity features. It is common for phones in this price range to only support Wi-Fi 4, which connects to 2.4 GHz networks.
However, the vivo Y03 has dual-band Wi-Fi 5, allowing connection to the 5 GHz band. The phone also includes other connectivity options like Bluetooth 5.0, FM Radio, USB-C 2.0, and GPS.
The Wi-Fi speed on the vivo Y03 is faster than devices with Wi-Fi 4. If a café or restaurant uses a 5 GHz router, devices that only support Wi-Fi 4 may not detect the internet in that location.
Cons of the vivo Y03
It's challenging to get everything you want in a budget phone. Some features must be reduced or eliminated to keep the price low. Here are some shortcomings of the vivo Y03.
1. Storage Still eMMC 5.1
As a phone priced at USD 129, the vivo Y03's specifications are not as impressive as higher-end models. Although it uses the Helio G85 processor, the storage is still the eMMC 5.1 type.
To experience smooth system performance and faster game loading times, UFS 2.1 storage is preferred. UFS 2.1 can reach transfer speeds of up to 1,200 MB/s, whereas eMMC 5.1 is limited to 400 MB/s.
2. No Compass
It is understandable that the vivo Y03 does not come with a gyroscope sensor for better game aiming accuracy. However, it also lacks a compass sensor.
Without a compass, users can still open the Maps app to see their location. However, you won't be able to tell which direction you're facing, making navigation more challenging.
3. No Fingerprint Scanner
Besides using a password, pattern, or PIN, you can unlock the screen with face unlock. However, the vivo Y03 does not have a fingerprint scanner, either on the back or the side.
A fingerprint sensor would be helpful if face unlock fails, especially in low light conditions where face detection is less accurate.
The absence of a fingerprint sensor seems to be due to the phone's low price. However, other phones in the same price range, such as the itel P55 5G, Infinix Smart 8, and itel S23, do include fingerprint sensors.
4. No NFC
This phone is classified as "minimal features." It lacks an audio port, compass, gyroscope, and fingerprint sensor. This could have been vivo's opportunity to stand out by including NFC, but unfortunately, it does not.
There are many Rp1 million phones on the market with NFC, such as the itel P55 NFC, POCO M5, realme C51, and Tecno POVA Neo 3. Therefore, the low price is no longer a valid reason for not including NFC.
Conclusion
This phone has advantages in performance, camera, and design. It is a good choice for playing popular games without lag. Its Helio G85 still offers relevant performance in 2024, although it may not provide a smooth experience for games like Genshin Impact.
However, many other features are missing, such as a fingerprint sensor, NFC, and a 3.5 mm audio port, which are quite important. The absence of a charger in the box is also disappointing.
Despite these drawbacks, the vivo Y03 is still a decent Rp1 million phone, especially if you prioritize the best performance in the entry-level class for gaming.