vivo Y28 In-Depth Review
Earlier this month, I unboxed and shared my first thoughts on the vivo Y28, which is the newest addition to vivo's entry-level Y Series lineup. The vivo Y28 promises luxury, functionality, and packed features in one device, ensuring it stands out in a crowded marketplace.
I've already unboxed the device and shared my initial impressions. In this review, I will delve deeper into the smartphone's features to help you determine if it's the right choice for you.
Design and Walk Around
As we discussed during the unboxing and first impression of the device, the vivo Y28 features a sleek and lightweight design that exudes luxury. One notable design feature is its 3D diamond pattern camera module, inspired by the elegance of watch design. It is available in two colors: Agate Green and Gleaming Orange. Mine is in the latter color, which is reminiscent of a warm sunrise.
Apart from its design, the Y28 is also practical. The back panel is equipped with anti-fingerprint technology to keep the phone clear and clean. However, the plastic frame with a metallic high-gloss finish tends to attract fingerprints. In terms of dimensions, the Gleaming Orange variant is 8.09mm thick and weighs 199 grams.
The vivo Y28 boasts a 6.68-inch HD+ (1608 × 720) IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It has a centered hole-punch camera at the top, along with an earpiece that also functions as a speaker discreetly positioned above the display. Additionally, the phone comes with a pre-installed screen protector.
On the back, the dual camera system comprises a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor, along with an LED flash. It also features vivo’s Dynamic Light, which resembles a circular LED light.
On the left side, there is a card tray with a 2-card slot for one nano-SIM card and either another nano-SIM or a microSD card for expandable storage up to 1TB.
On the right side, you'll find the standard volume rocker button and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button.
At the bottom of the phone, you can find the USB Type-C charging port, a downward-firing speaker, microphone, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Display and Multimedia
The vivo Y28 features a large 6.68-inch IPS display with HD+ (1608 × 720) resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and 760 Nits of brightness, which can go up to 1,000 Nits in HBM (High Brightness Mode).
The IPS screen produces vibrant colors and offers decent viewing angles. However, using the device in direct sunlight may pose some challenges, even at its maximum brightness.
The vivo Y100 has decent stereo speakers that can produce loud sounds up to 300%. It also has Hi-Res certification. However, for better audio quality, it is recommended to use headphones or a Bluetooth-enabled external speaker.
Camera
Rear Cameras
As for the camera, the vivo Y28 features a dual-camera set-up, including a 50MP F1.8 main camera with Phase Detection autofocus (PDAF) and a 2MP F2.4 secondary lens for depth sensing.
In bright lighting, the rear camera produces good quality photos, but there is room for improvement in its dynamic range and sharpness.
In indoor and low-light conditions, photos may appear less clear, even with the Night Mode feature. Nonetheless, the camera is suitable for casual social media use.
Front Selfie Camera
The vivo Y28's front camera is an 8MP camera with an F2.05 aperture. It includes typical selfie features such as Face Beautification and Photo Filters.
The front camera captures good photos, particularly in well-lit conditions. Background blurring for portrait selfies is not perfect but acceptable.
Video
Regarding video recording, the vivo Y28 supports up to 1080p@30fps for both main and front-facing cameras. However, the video recorded by the main camera may appear shaky due to the lack of image stabilization.
Funtouch OS, Apps, and Security
The vivo Y28 operates on a customized user interface called Funtouch OS 14, which is based on the Android 14 operating system. The phone comes with the standard vivo and Google suite of apps pre-installed, along with some bloatware apps that I initially removed, to free up space.
In terms of security, the vivo Y28 features an in-display fingerprint scanner and facial recognition to unlock the device. Both methods work well, with the fingerprint scanner being notably fast and accurate. However, the face unlock feature can be slower in low-light situations.
The vivo Y28 introduces the Dynamic Light feature, which vivo claims is a first in its price range. This feature synchronizes with the music you are playing, provides gentle notifications for calls and messages, and is used as a selfie countdown for photos.
Hardware and Performance
The vivo Y28 features a MediaTek Helio G85 processor manufactured using a 12nm process. It consists of two Cortex-A75 cores clocked at up to 2.0GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 1.8GHz. Additionally, it is equipped with a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU.
The vivo Y28 supports Extended RAM technology, allowing users to expand the phone's RAM virtually using its internal storage, resulting in a total RAM capacity of up to 16GB when utilizing the 8GB internal storage expansion.
In terms of performance, the device handles everyday tasks smoothly. However, the gaming experience in graphics-intensive games is acceptable with some slight lags in certain games. It's important to note that this is not a gaming smartphone, so expectations should be managed.
In the Philippines, the vivo Y28 is available with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Upon unboxing, my 256GB unit had already used 21.00GB of storage. For those needing more storage, it can be expanded up to 1TB via the hybrid SIM tray.
Additionally, the vivo Y28 comes with an IP64 Dust & Water Resistance rating, providing added protection against accidental splashes and other incidents.
Below are the benchmark scores from this device:
- AnTuTu v10.3.3 – 276,139
- AnTuTu Storage Test v10.3.3 – 15,320 (291.0 MB/s Seq. Read, 266.7 MB/s Seq. Write)
- Geekbench 6.3.0 – 438 (Single-core), 1,316 (Multi-core)
- PCMark – 7,596 (Work 3.0)
- 3DMark – 1,379 (SSE – OpenGL ES 3.1), 1,389 (SSE – Vulkan)
Battery and Connectivity
The vivo Y28 comes with a large 6,000mAh battery that can last a day or more with moderate usage. According to vivo, the vivo Y28 can last up to 24 hours of YouTube viewing or more than 39 hours of Facebook browsing on a single charge. In the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life Test, the device scored around 17 hours and 17 minutes.
Additionally, the vivo Y28 comes with a 44W FlashCharge charger that can charge the 6,000mAh battery from 0% to 50% in just 35 minutes, and from 0% to 100% in 1 hour and 25 minutes. The included 44W power brick features exclusive 24-layer protection technology to ensure fast and safe charging. The battery retention rate remains above 80% even after four years of use, ensuring durability and long-term reliability.
Furthermore, the vivo Y28 features standard connectivity options such as dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), 4G LTE, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack, and USB Type-C.
vivo Y28 Specifications
6.68-inch HD+ (1608 × 720) IPS display, 264ppi
90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate
Mediatek Helio G85 processor (12nm)
Mali-G52 MC2 GPU
8GB RAM (LPDDR4X)
128GB/256GB of internal storage (eMMC 5.1)
Up to 1TB Expandability via microSD Card
Dual-rear cameras (50MP F1.8 main + 2MP F2.4 depth)
8MP F2.05 front camera
Dual-SIM / 4G LTE
WiFi 5 / Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS
Dual-stereo Speakers / USB Type-C / 3.5mm audio jack
IP64 Dust & Water Resistance
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Funtouch OS 14 (Android 14)
6,000mAh Battery with 44W FlashCharge
Dimensions:
- 165.70 × 76.00 × 7.99 mm (Agate Green)
- 165.70 × 76.00 × 8.09 mm (Gleaming Orange)
Weight: 199g
Colors: Agate Green and Gleaming Orange
What’s inside the box
If you haven't seen the unboxing of the vivo Y28 yet, the box contained the smartphone itself, a SIM card ejector tool, a quick start guide, important information (including the Warranty Card), a USB power adapter, a USB type-C to USB-A charging cable, and a silicone case.
Price and Availability
The vivo Y28 is available in two variants: one with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of ROM, priced at Php9,999; and another with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of ROM, priced at Php7,999. You can purchase the vivo Y28 at all vivo concept stores, kiosks, and online through the official website, Shopee, and Lazada.
Verdict
Is this the smartphone you're looking for? The vivo Y28 merits consideration despite encountering formidable competition within its price bracket. The vivo Y28 introduces several features that ensure it can stand out in a crowded marketplace. These features include decent performance, a long-lasting battery, a good camera, stereo speakers, and exclusive dynamic light.
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