vivo T1 5G Review: A True Legit Gaming Phone

vivo announced the availability of the T1 series last May. These mid-range smartphones from vivo targets the mobile gaming crowd who wants to step-up their rankings in games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang or Call of Duty Mobile. In my years of reviewing smartphones, I’ve seen brands marketing their products as gaming phones even when they aren’t one. So our question, is the vivo T1 5G a legit gaming phone for its price? Read on our vivo T1 5G review.

Table of Contents

VIVO T1 5G REVIEW SPECS:

OS:Android 12 with Funtouch OS 12
Processor:2.4 GHz SM7325 Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G Octa-Core processor | Adreno 642L
Display: 6.44" 1080x2400, 20:9 ratio FHD+ AMOLED Display HDR10+ with 90Hz refresh rate
Wireless Connections:5G, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, A-GPS, GLONASS
Memory:128 GB Internal Storage, 8 GB RAM
Connectors:USB Type-C 2.0, OTG supported
Cameras:64 Megapixels f/1.8 wide + 8 Megapixels f/2.2 ultrawide+ 2 Megapixels f/2,4 macro (Main Cameras); 16 Megapixels f/2.0 wide (Front)
SIM Card Slots:2x Nano SIM Cards required
Battery:4,700 mAh with 66W fast charger
SRP:P16,999

THE UNBOXING

vivo T1 5G Review

Packaging of the vivo T1 5G review unit is different from the previous models I’ve reviewed this year. It comes in a white box with the T1 5G logo visible on top.

vivo T1 5G Review

Found inside are the vivo T1 5G review unit, Silicon Case, Type-C USB Cable, 66W USB Charger Head, SIM Card Tray Ejector, and User Manuals.

THE LOOKS AND FEEL

vivo T1 5G Review

The last time I held a mid-range phone from vivo was six years ago when I reviewed the vivo V5. Back then the V5 was made of aluminum and screen was coated with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Six years is a long time so I’m pretty sure they have changed along the way.

The vivo T1 5G felt solid like its mid-range counterparts. After checking on the net, I discovered that the T1 5G was made of a plastic frame with a plastic back panel. That doesn’t sound premium, does it? While I agree it doesn’t sound premium, the 3D plastic material used is strong enough to withstand accidental drops. The matte coat finish on the T1 5G has sure fooled me into thinking that the phone is a premium mid-range unit.

vivo T1 5G Review

On the right side of the phone are the power button and volume controls.

vivo T1 5G Review

The bottom part houses the SIM card tray which can accommodate two Nano SIM Cards, a Type-C USB port and a speaker grille.

vivo T1 5G Review

Found at the back is a large camera module with three cameras and an LED flash inside. Honestly, I really dig its looks and like any black phones I liked in the past, the T1 5G can surely pass as a high-end phone in a black-tie event. It doesn’t attract fingerprints but it can be quite slippery sometimes. This is a Turbo Black colorway and it is also available in Turbo Cyan.

vivo T1 5G Review

Holding the T1 5G feels just right. It doesn’t bulge when slipped inside your pants pocket.

THE SOUND AND DISPLAY

vivo T1 5G Review

Screen display of the vivo T1 5G is measured at 6.44″ AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution. I am so pleased with vivo’s choice for an AMOLED display which is my preferred screen technology known for its brightness and deep colors. The teardrop notch is a bit of disappointment because a.) I really hate this type of notch and b.) it makes the phone look like and old model.

What makes up for this disappointment is the addition of the 90Hz screen refresh rate which makes the screen scroll buttery smooth especially for mobile games. There is also an in-display fingerprint scanner for added security.

vivo T1 5G Review

Thankfully, the silly notch wasn’t a hindrance for watching streaming videos or playing mobile games. This is what I love about the AMOLED display ever since they were introduced several years ago.

Sound was pretty adequate and I didn’t have any difficulty in listening to its audio while watching a movie. The downside here is the T1 5G doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, a feature which mid-range phones still managed to include up to today.

THE PERFORMANCE

vivo T1 5G Review

The vivo T1 5G is being marketed as a gaming phone so we reckon it should have a very fast processor comparable to its flagship counterpart. Was not disappointed when I learned that the T1 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G Octa-Core processor. I already knew this is a good processor but I still did my usual benchmark tests:

I compared these scores to the vivo V23 5G’s scores we reviewed months ago and I was floored! I didn’t expect the T1 5G to blow away the V23 5G, a phone priced higher by around P12,000.

vivo T1 5G Review

For the next couple of weeks we played mobile games on the vivo T1 5G. We played Call of Duty Mobile and noticed that the Graphics Quality can be set to Very High and Frame Rate to Max. We enabled the T1 5G’s Ultra Game Mode and it gave us a more immersed gaming experience for Call of Duty Mobile. The 4D Game Vibration mode (it only supports certain games including Call of Duty Mobile) made us feel as if we were playing a true gaming phone, and at the same time we were getting more frames per second. All of the games we played were smooth and we didn’t experience any stuttering on the graphics.

vivo T1 5G Review

Next, we played Genshin Impact, which is our favorite game to gauge a phone’s performance. The T1 5G performed phenomenally at the highest settings: 60 fps with extreme motion blur. We enjoyed playing on the T1 5G very much because gameplay was very smooth. Fighting enemies were a breeze while enjoying the vibrant graphics and character animations clearly on the device. We were able to appreciate the game’s open world design.

Although the graphics and gameplay felt very good, over time, we felt that the phone got a bit too hot to the touch for our liking. Thus, we could not keep my hands on the screen for too long. This is quite disappointing because it seems their vapor chamber cooling system didn’t work at all. We are not certain if this is only a problem with our review unit.

The T1 5G comes with 128GB of Internal Storage and 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, there is no slot for a Micro SD Card. You’ll have to rely on the fast 5G upload to back up your files to the cloud instead.

THE CAMERAS

vivo T1 5G Review

The vivo T1 5G is equipped with three cameras: 64 Megapixels main camera, 8 Megapixels ultra-wide and 2 Megapixels macro. The front camera on the other hand is 16 Megapixels. I have some high expectations with its cameras coming from impressive reviews of the V23 5G and X80 5G. True enough, I wasn’t disappointed.

Photos taken with the main camera produced good colors and methinks they’re pretty accurate. We didn’t detect any distortions in the images taken with the ultra-wide camera so it can be used for landscape photography or for simply taking group photos. Night photos are pretty good and they do not look oversaturated. We love the selfie camera because it took really good portraits even without beauty mode turned on.

Here are the sample photos taken with the vivo T1 5G:

vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review
vivo T1 5G Review

THE BATTERY LIFE

vivo T1 5G Review

Battery capacity of the vivo T1 5G is rated at 4,700 mAh, 300 mAh short of the usual 5,000 mAh usually found in mid-range phone models. 4,700 mAh isn’t bad anyway because based on our usage, the T1 5G can last up to a day consisting of 4 hours of videos {with 5G on), 2 hours of mobile gaming, and the usual phone calls and social media for the rest of the day on WiFi.

The phone is equipped with a 66W Fast Charger which can be fully charged in less than an hour. This is useful if you use the T1 5G continuously for mobile gaming.

DR’S CONCLUSION

vivo T1 5G Review

For its price, the vivo T1 5G is definitely the most powerful gaming phone in the mid-range segment. Serious mobile gamers who don’t have the budget to buy a flagship gaming phone can definitely settle for the T1 5G. I just hope the heat issue I mentioned is an isolated one, as my colleagues who reviewed the same phone haven’t reported or encountered this problem.

PROS:

  • Premium-looks and solid feel, despite of made with hard plastic
  • Powerful processor
  • Good cameras

CONS:

  • Outdated Tear-drop notch
  • Gets really hot while playing mobile games
  • No 3.5mm headphone jack
8.5 Total Score
vivo T1 5G Review

For its price, the vivo T1 5G is definitely the most powerful gaming phone in the mid-range segment. Serious mobile gamers who don't have the budget to buy a flagship gaming phone can definitely settle for the T1 5G. I just hope the heat issue I mentioned is an isolated one, as my colleagues who reviewed the same phone haven't reported or encountered this problem.

Design
7.5
Performance
8.5
Display
8
Battery
8.5
Price
6
Camera
8
Software
7
PROS
  • Premium-looks and solid feel, despite of made with hard plastic
  • Powerful processor
  • Good cameras
CONS
  • Outdated Tear-drop notch
  • Gets really hot while playing mobile games
  • No 3.5mm headphone jack
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