Vivo S1 First Impressions 2e374o Gadgets 360

Vivo S1 is the company's latest sub-Rs. 20,000 contender that boasts of a distinctive look, but is that enough? q631s

By Jamshed Avari | Updated: 10 August 2019 11:14 IST

Vivo S1 is priced in India starting at Rs. 17,990 3y2s63

Highlights

The Vivo S1 is priced slightly higher than the Vivo Z1 Pro in India
It is available in two eye-catching colour and pattern options
Vivo S1 gets an in-display fingerprint sensor and three rear cameras

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The Vivo S1 is priced starting at Rs. 17,990 for the variant with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but the option priced at Rs. 18,990 is not a clear-cut upgrade. You get 6GB of RAM but only 64GB of storage, so buyers should be careful about what they choose. If you want the best of both worlds, the top-end variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will cost you Rs. 19,990.

In of looks, the Vivo S1 will be polarising. Vivo has fully embraced the trend of colour-shifting patterns that catch the light as you move the device around in your hands. The Skyline Blue and Diamond Black colour options feature light bluish-pink swirls and dark purplish-blue diamonds respectively, and there's no plain, sober alternative. Our Diamond Black unit had a gold trim around the rear camera module and a gold Vivo logo on the rear.

The back of the Vivo S1 is completely flat but the seams between the rim and rear are a bit rough. In of button layout, ports, and even the shape and positioning of the camera module on the rear, the Vivo S1 is very similar to the Z1 Pro and by that token, the Y17 as well.

You'll notice that there's no fingerprint sensor on the rear, because this phone features an in-display sensor. Other selling points include the three rear cameras, 32-megapixel selfie camera, and 18W fast charging.

You get a 6.38-inch full-HD+ 19.5:9 AMOLED screen with rounded corners and a waterdrop notch at the top. We found the display quality to be adequate, if not particularly vivid. We'll have more detail on this, including how well the in-display fingerprint sensor works, in our full Vivo S1 review.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 712. The Vivo S1's battery is also smaller than that of its sibling at 4500mAh, though this does make the Vivo S1 considerably slimmer and lighter, and therefore easier to handle.

Vivo has outfitted the S1 with three rear cameras – a 16-megapixel primary camera with a Sony IMX499 sensor and f/1.78 aperture, a secondary ultra-wide-angle one with a 120-degree field of view and f/2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Vivo says this phone offers HDR, AI portrait framing, AR stickers, and slow-mo video recording.

The 32-megapixel front camera on the Vivo S1 has an f/2.0 aperture, and there are a few AI-enabled tricks in the camera app such AI face beautification and selfie lighting. For full details of the Vivo S1's photo quality in various situations, we'll have a detailed review coming up soon.

We've had mixed feelings about Vivo's Funtouch OS skin when reviewing the company's recent models, and things are no different now. Funtouch OS 9, running on top of Android 9 Pie, has very deep customisations UI quirks. Some of them are helpful, but others take time to get used to. Our demo unit was patched up to the May 2019 Android security update, and we'd have liked something more recent.

Vivo is clearly developing multiple products at similar price points in order to target diverse groups of buyers. The new Vivo S1 won't appeal to power-hungry enthusiasts in the same way that the Z1 Pro will, but it instead offers a distinctive style and promises great front and rear cameras. More importantly, it will be widely available both online and offline.

Do stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for our in-depth review, coming up soon, in which we'll examine the new Vivo S1's performance, cameras, screen, construction quality, and much more.

Vivo S1 13ya

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good battery life
Quick in-display fingerprint scanner
Bundled 18W fast charger

Bad
Average U performance
Cameras could’ve been better
Micro-USB port

Read detailed Vivo S1 review

Display 6.38-inch

Processor MediaTek Helio P65 (MT6768)

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4500mAh

OS Android Pie

Resolution 1080x2340 pixels

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