Are the folks down at Vivo’s marketing department doing alright? The Chinese smartphone maker has struck while the iron is hot, releasing yet another mid-ranger in its Y Series of devices, once again sliding under the radar thanks to its sub-R10,000 price point. The strategy seemed to work wonders last time around.
Our only concern is that its latest offering – the Vivo Y28 – doesn’t have the same ring to it as, say, the Vivo Y100, which garnered all the attention when it launched just two months ago. Perhaps the naming convention is working exactly as intended, considering the Y28’s exceptionally reasonable R7,000 starting price.
Vivo on your mind?
“Vivo’s smartphone range has consistently evolved to meet the demands of our discerning users,” said Tony Shi, general manager at Vivo South Africa. “With the Y28, we’re offering a beautifully crafted smartphone that not only looks good but delivers an exceptional user experience.”
The Y28 has some big shoes to fill, not least after Tony Shi’s comments above, though we have no doubts about Vivo’s ability to live up to the hype. For one thing – it boasts a 6,000mAh battery (and 44W charger), a feat not many phones can repeat, all wrapped up in an “ultra-slim body”, measuring 7.99mm.
It’s working with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage under the hood, both of which live to serve the Helio G85 chipset running the joint, which ultimately leaves much to be desired when it comes to raw power, as we saw in Xiaomi’s Redmi 12C. Vivo might tell you the Y28 is more than equipped to handle “heavy games and demanding applications with ease,” but we wouldn’t be so quick to be swept up in the marketing speak.
Read More: Vivo V30 5G review – Minus 50 aura points
Vivo hopes to disappear any negative comments surrounding its middling chipset by quite literally shoving something shiny under your nose. And… it might just work. The Y28 is available in two colours in SA – Agate Green and Gleaming Orange – and is equipped with “Glitter AG Technique” and “Flowing Glitter Particle technology” respectively. In other words, they’re pretty.
Don’t expect much from the Y28’s plain ‘ol 6.68in LCD other than being a decent spot to pull up Netflix during a particularly nasty bout of load shedding. More impressive is the 50MP main sensor fixed to the phone’s rear, coupled with an 8MP camera on the phone’s other end. Want additional bokeh sensors? Spend more money.
Pick up the Vivo Y28 before November’s end, and receive “gifts and services” valued up to R7,000. Those involve three months of accidental protection, covering “one free repair” within 90 days of device activation for “accidental, physical, or liquid damage.” Customers can grab their Y28 for R7,000 from “all major networks.”