Looking at the excellent response towards the vivo U10 (review), the company has recently added a new device to its U-series, the vivo U20. For starters, the phone offers a massive 5000mAh battery with 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charging, Snapdragon 675AIE SoC and AI Triple Rear Cameras at an attractive starting price of Rs. 10,990 only.
The price to performance ratio for sure looks very compelling on paper. But, did the phone manage to impress us in real-world use? Well, check it out in our detailed vivo U20 review.
Vivo U20 Specifications
Before starting with the vivo U20 review, let’s have a glance at the phone’s specifications, pricing and things we get with the device.
- Screen Protection: Panda MN228 Glass Protection
- CPU: 11nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 675AIE Octa-core processor (2×2.0 GHz Kryo 460 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 460 Silver)
- GPU: Adreno 612
- RAM: 4/6GB
- Storage: 64GB, expandable up to 256GB
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie (FunTouch OS 9.2)
- Main Camera: 16MP (f/1.8, PDAF) + 8MP Super Wide-Angle (f/2.2, 13mm)
+ 2MP (f/2.4) Super Macro sensor - Selfie Camera: 16MP (f/2.0)
- Connectivity: MicroUSB 2.0, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM Radio
- Cellular: Dual SIM, Dual 4G VoLTE
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, rear-mounted
- Battery: 5000mAh, Li-ion Polymer, non-removable
- Charging: 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charger
- Weight: 193 grams
- Colours: Racing Black, Blaze Blue
Price: Rs. 10,990 for 4/64GB | Rs. 11,990 for 6/64GB
Box Contents
Here’s a complete list of items you get inside the box:
- vivo U20 Smartphone
- 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charger (5V-2A / 9V-2A)
- Micro-USB charging cable
- Transparent Silicon Case
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Documentation
vivo U20 Review
Design
As far as the design is concerned, the vivo U20 looks similar to its sibling and is available in two colours, Racing Black and Blaze Blue options. We have the Blaze Blue variant here which features a polycarbonate back with gradient purple-blue hue, adorned by an S-pattern that creates a shimmering effect on reflection of light.
At first glance, you will notice the premium design of the phone similar to that of high-end phones. Anyway, the phone sits perfectly in the hands and offers the right amount of grip.
Flipping the phone over to the front, there’s the Halo FullView Display, followed by thin side bezels and bottom chin. And the phone looks slick.
Talking of ports and placements, the power button and volume rockers are given to the right and are comfortable to reach. The top is empty while the left side bears triple slots for two sims and a microSD card. The micro-USB port, speaker and 3.5mm audio jack, on the other hand, are located at the bottom.
Display
The device also comes with Panda MN228 Glass Screen protection which scored higher than Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and Gorilla Glass 5 on the Vickers hardness test results. This makes it highly resistant to scratches and minor drops.
vivo has also added support for WideVine L1 certification, meaning you can enjoy HD content on streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video. And hence, the phone makes up for a perfect binge-watching experience on the go.
Performance
Under the hood, the vivo U20 gets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 675AIE SoC which is a well-balanced performance as well as an imaging-oriented chip that features an Octa-core CPU configuration. The chip is further mated with up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of storage, which is faster than the standards used in entry-level phones. Plus, you get an option to expand storage up to 256GB, thanks to the dedicated slot for microSD card.
The phone performs day to day tasks flawlessly, be it browsing the web or using multiple social media and productivity apps – no lags and hiccups whatsoever.
As an inclusion to FunTouch OS, the company has bundled a built-in Ultra Game Mode that brings in smart resource allocation, 4D vibrations, 3D surround sound, temperature management and notification control for an enhanced gaming experience.
Software
On the software front, the vivo U20 runs on the company’s custom FunTouch OS 9.2, based on Android 9.0 Pie. Now, the FunTouch comes with a bunch of preloaded applications like vivo’s proprietary app store, vivo Browser, EasyShare file sharing tool, followed by third-party apps like UC Browser, Amazon, NewsPoint, WPS Office, PhonePe and more. It is up to the consumer to keep or uninstall these.
The UI has a slightly different navigation pattern – the quick setting toggles which are generally found on the notification pane in other phones, need to be pulled upwards from the bottom of the screen. And the notification panel itself is quite easy to use.
That being said, there are some useful customisation features including a built-in theming engine, screen recorder, system-wide dark mode, and AI-based Jovi assistant. There’s also a gaming assistant called Ultra Game Mode which blocks calls, alongside letting you enable gaming features.
Cameras
For photography, the phone comprises of an AI Triple Rear Camera setup. This includes a 16MP primary camera with the Sony IMX499 sensor and f/1.8 aperture, accompanied by a 120-degree 8MP Super Wide-Angle sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. There’s also a 2MP Super Macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture for close-up shots up to 4cm. For selfies, there’s a 16MP camera, housed in the Halo FullView™ Display.
The primary camera clicks some amazing pictures in daylight with vibrant colours and a good amount of detail on offer. Low-light images too are quite good for a phone in the sub-12K category.
The Super Wide-Angle camera also produces good results and is fun to play with, thanks to a whole new perspective with minimum distortion and a decent level of detail. The Super Macro camera, on the other hand, produces some decent shots.
Coming to the selfies, the phone clicks social-media ready photos with its 16MP front camera. Overall, the camera experience on this device is very good.
Battery & Charging
The battery is indeed one of the strongest points for the U20. It gets a whopping 5000mAh battery which lasts easily for two days on medium use, including web browsing, surfing social media, watching videos and shows, and listening to music via Bluetooth.
And then, there’s support for 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charging which takes about 55 minutes for 0-50% and about two hours for a full charge. Interestingly, there’s also a facility for reverse charging in case you want to share some juice with other devices.
Major Highlights of the vivo U20
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 with AI Engine
- 5000mAh Battery
- 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charging
- 53” FHD+ Halo FullView Display
- L1 Widevine support
- Reverse Charge Mode
- Up to 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM
- UFS 2.1 Storage
- Ultra Game Mode
vivo U20 Unboxing & Impressions Video
vivo U20 Review Verdict – Should You Buy It?
For a starting price of Rs. 10,990, the vivo U20 is undoubtedly one of the best performing phones in its segment. Yet, it brings its own set of cons which are easy to be overlooked given the extraordinary battery life, AI Triple Rear Cameras, 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charging, and sharp display.
In the end, it all boils down to your personal preferences and priorities- if you’re someone who loves to game, needs fast charging and good enough cameras, the vivo U20 should be your first choice.
