Vivo introduced a new entry-level phone over the weekend. Vivo Y12s is a new variant of the Vivo Y12 that came out last year. It has a redesigned back and a new chipset, but it’s still a year-old budget phone. Let’s take a closer look.
The all-new Vivo Y12s replaces the compact camera housing the Y12 had with a squared-off camera bump. Two units are embedded inside — a 13MP main camera and a 2MP sensor. The 8MP ultra-wide camera that the original Y12 had has been lopped off. For selfies, a generic 8MP is present on the front.
The back and the frame of the phone are made of plastic, available in Glacier Blue and Phantom Black. The fingerprint scanner now doubles as the side-mounted power button. On the front, you’re looking at a notched 6.51” display.
Vivo Y12s is an affordable addition to the Vivo price list, having a standard TFT LCD screen that produces a 720P resolution, filling a 20:9 aspect ratio. The bezels appear thicker than they did last year, though.
Vivo Y12s repackages the 5000 mAh battery and the 3/4GB + 32GB array from Y12. But the storage now goes up to 128GB. It charges over dated micro-USB, without any fast charging support. MediaTek’s Helio P35, which came out in 2018, powers the phone. Vivo ships the Y12s with FunTouchOS 11 (currently being replaced with Vivo’s OriginOS).
The Y12s by Vivo starts from $142 (~Rs. 22,000), but this recycled model isn’t most competitive in this price range. Case in point, the cheaper Xiaomi’s Redmi 9 offers a full HD screen, a wide-angle camera, a faster chipset, and even fast charging support.