vivo’s Y-Series was formerly known mainly as its budget segment. These days, the lineup has its own sort of sub-tiers. For example, the vivo Y16 is an entry-level device, while the vivo Y35, which we’ll dive into on this review, is sort of in the mid-range category. It can be a bit overwhelming to process, but at the end of the day, I guess a more diverse lineup is a plus.
The vivo Y35 seems to be a decent all-rounder, at least on paper. The large Full HD+ display should make it a treat for media consumption, the chip inside and the cameras also seem capable, and the battery is ample for at least a day’s light to moderate use.
Specifications
Design
These days, some brands are shying away from the curvy form and are going for a more squarish look, and vivo is definitely on the train with the Y35 with its flat sides and rounded corners, which I actually like.
All buttons are on the right side, SIM slot with a triple slot tray is up top, and at the bottom, a microphone, a speaker grille, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack.
As for the display, it’s a 6.58-inch LCD, which isn’t exactly the punchiest in the world in terms of colors but is still decent for watching Netflix and YouTube. There’s also an option for 90Hz refresh rate for smoother and more fluid animations.
Performance
The Snapdragon 680 is a staple in mid-range phones these days, and I can sort of see why. It does deliver a good balance of performance and efficiency and handles all my use cases well – media consumption, a dash of photography, social media, email, and a little bit of light gaming.
There is also 8GB of RAM, which is also becoming a standard for a lot of phones in this category, as well as 256GB of storage, which, again, is a lot for me, but may still not be enough for some. vivo has implemented its RAM extension feature here, for up to an additional 8GB of virtual RAM, and you also get the option for using a microSD card for more storage.
Mobile Legends runs great on the vivo Y35 with HD mode, refresh rate on High, and graphics on ultra. Call of Duty Mobile lets you set the Graphics to Very High with frame rate on Medium or Go for Graphics in Low and be able to set frame rate to High.
For Genshin Impact, you can actually go for Low + 60 fps setting, and still have a decent experience. There will be some occasional stutters, but nothing game breaking. As for thermal performance, the device got a bit warm after a few minutes of playing, but not really too hot that it’s uncomfortable.
Camera
The vivo Y35 has a 50MP main camera and two 2MP sensors, one for macro and one for depth-sensing. The lack of an ultra-wide camera can be a deal-breaker for some, including myself, but in terms of quality, you’ll actually get some decent shots out of it, even at night. The bokeh quality is convincing but could use some work on accuracy at times.
Battery
The device is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, which is more than what you’ll usually get in several other mid-rangers. Unfortunately, the app that we use for benchmarking crashed, so we had to resort to a video loop test on YouTube.
The vivo Y35 managed to churn out around 19 hours of continuous 1080p YouTube playback via Wi-Fi, with brightness at 50% and volume at 80%.
Using the supplied charger, zero to full for its 5,000mAh battery took just past an hour, thanks to 44W fast-charging capability. Not exactly the best we’ve seen, but it’s still pretty fast considering the capacity.
Verdict
For its PHP 14,999 price tag, I think that the vivo Y35 presents a very attractive offer. It’s got a good-looking design, a decent processing package, lots of storage, and surprisingly good cameras, especially in low-light. The battery life is also excellent, and it’s quick to charge.
On the flip side, the lack of an ultra-wide camera can be a deal-breaker, and the use of a notch just doesn’t go well with its premium look.
vivo Y35 is now available at the vivo e-store, Shopee, Lazada, and the brand’s TikTok store.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
