Vivo T2 5G review: An all-rounder under Rs 20,000 that delivers

The phone’s feature list is headlined by its 64MP camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. I put that to the test – plus a lot more – in this review.

Vivo T2 5G design and display

The Vivo T2 5G’s rear exhibits orange hues sometimes. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

The Vivo T2 5G has been billed as being a thin and light phone and you’ll be immediately able to tell that. The phone weighs only 172g and measures 7.8mm in thickness, making it a breeze to handle. The matte back adds to the grip and the visual appeal, as it changes from cyan/teal to orange depending on the angle of light. The phone’s frame is nice and sturdy, even though it is made of plastic. The only drawback is the tacky “high definition photography” label on the camera module, which seems out of place.

A waterdrop notch and the relatively wide bottom bezel can feel dated. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

The 6.38-inch display is very unconventionally sized but is one of the strong points of this phone with excellent colours with just the right amount of saturation. It’s got a slightly warm tone but that can be adjusted to your preference from Settings > Display & brightness > Screen colours. The 90Hz isn’t smooth as 120Hz, but is easy to get used to.

Software and performance

What if you took Android 11, made a few meaningful tweaks to it so that it fits 2023 standards better and gave it a new name? That’s what Funtouch OS 13 is mostly about – but not in a bad way. The notifications panel and the settings app are very reminiscent of that older Android version, but Vivo’s tweaks and the addition of Material You give it a fresh feel. The only thing I missed were the app opening/closing animations, which the SD695 could’ve easily handled.

The phone comes with a mix of Vivo’s and Google’s apps, but you can easily swap them as you like. FuntouchOS 13 is very close to stock, so using Google Photos and Google Clock instead of Vivo’s alternatives felt seamless.

The Vivo T2 5G boots into Android 13-based Funtouch OS 13. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

The Vivo T2 5G runs on the Snapdragon 695 5G, a popular choice for budget to mid-range phones that prioritises efficiency over performance. The chip stays cool and delivers a smooth experience with very occasional minor hiccups.

For gaming, I couldn’t test the newly re-launched BGMI yet, so I played Call of Duty: Mobile instead. The game ran well on medium settings, without any lags or stutters. The best part was how cool the phone stayed, ensuring consistent performance throughout.

Battery

With a 4,500mAh capacity, the battery can power the device for a whole day, giving you about 7 hours of screen time. This could be better but that’d probably need a beefier battery. The 44W charger can fully replenish the battery in an hour.

Cameras

The Vivo T2 5G does not have an ultrawide camera, only a 64MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor. I feel that this trade-off may have allowed Vivo to use a better main sensor. It performs well in daylight, capturing photos with accurate exposure and colours. Vivo’s software processing is superb and preserves the natural look of the scenes. Zooming in does reveal weaker details, but that’s acceptable for the price range.

Details are plentiful in daylight conditions. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)
Colours are very close to what the eye sees. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

Night-time photography also delivers impressive results for the price range. I managed to take some stunning shots of the buildings around my society with good lighting and contrast.

Some details are lost upon zooming in, but otherwise the phone handled this shot like a Pro. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)
Indoor lighting sample. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

Switching to the selfie camera automatically activates portrait mode. Normally, I keep it off since portrait mode is usually a hit or miss. Vivo’s edge detection was so good that I am almost glad that the portrait mode was accessible. I particularly liked how Vivo handled colours, be it any lighting condition, although details could’ve been a tad better.

Portrait mode fetches you selfies that can be uploaded to Instagram with zero edits. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

Overall, I was very impressed by the camera quality. The only letdown was the OIS, which did not seem much better than EIS.

Verdict

Squared-off edges. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/Indian Express)

There’s little to dislike about the Vivo T2 5G. The Rs 18,999 price tag makes it a good competitor in its segment and a fantastic option for those looking for a well-balanced smartphone. The excellent AMOLED display and the fine-tuned cameras that consistently produce decent output in all lighting conditions will be a joy to use. The software, while a little bloated, will lure stock Android enthusiasts. The only bummer is the lack of an ultrawide camera.