Vivo Y12

The Vivo Y12 is the latest launch by Vivo. Launched in May 2019, the phone features a 6.35-inch display with a screen resolution of 720×1544 pixels and a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, it packs an octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 processor clocked at 2GHz. It offers 4GB RAM along with 32GB internal memory.

A 5000mAh battery powers it. The phone runs on FunTouch OS 9 based on Android 9 Pie. The dual-SIM phone sports a triple camera module on the rear – an 8MP primary camera (f/2.2 aperture), a secondary 13MP camera (f/2.2 aperture), and a third 2MP camera (f/2.4 aperture). At the front, there’s an 8MP selfie camera (f/2.0 aperture).

The Vivo Y12 includes sensors like Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, and Compass. There’s also Face Unlock support in the phone.

It is available in two colour variants – Burgundy Red and Aqua Blue. In India, the Vivo Y12 costs around Rs. 11,990.

In keeping with the latest trends, the Vivo Y12 sports a big display with a waterdrop notch. The front display offers an expansive viewing area, owing to the tiny notch (that houses the selfie camera) and a small chin. There are no bezels on the side. 

The body has rounded corners with a slim design for comfortable gripping. The rear panel features a gradient design, as seen before in the previous Vivo models. The glass back is glossy and highly reflective. The gradient design looks fantastic. But then, it is also a fingerprint and smudge magnet. On the top left corner, the tri-cam module is aligned vertically, with an LED flash placed just below. The fingerprint sensor rests conveniently on the top middle portion of the rear panel. 

The right side of the frame holds the volume rockers and the power button. The dual-SIM tray rests on the left side of the casing. At the bottom, you get a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro USB port, and a speaker grille.

As mentioned before, the Vivo Y12 flaunts a big 6.35-inch IPS LCD screen with a pixel density of 268 PPI. The phone has almost 90% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to the tiny notch and minimalist bezels. Although the screen resolution and PPI are on the lower side, the colours appear crisp and bright, for the most part. Also, the viewing angles are decent enough. So, you can enjoy a pleasant viewing experience indoors. As for outdoor viewing, the brightness levels and colours aren’t bright enough to be viewed comfortably under extreme sunlight. However, one thing that’s missing from the display is Full HD+ resolution. Honestly, we wouldn’t mind having FHD+ resolution in a phone costing around 12k.

The Vivo Y12 is equipped with an octa-core Cortex A53 MediaTek Helio P22 SoC clocked at 2GHz. Coupled with PowerVR GE8320 GPU and 4GB RAM, the phone delivers a smooth and lag-free performance. When it comes to day-to-day tasks like calling, texting, social media browsing, etc., the processor can handle these tasks with ease. Even while multitasking, you won’t face any glitches or lags, thanks to the 4GB RAM. As for gaming, the phone can handle lightweight games with ease, without facing any frame rate drops. However, for graphics-intensive games like Tekken, Asphalt, and PUBG, it’s best to keep the graphics settings at low or medium to avoid lags. 

One of the most striking aspects of the phone is that it has a tri-cam setting on the rear. It has a 13MP primary sensor, an 8MP wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. In daylight settings, the camera captures some fantastic shots with accurate colour reproduction. The photos depict a fair share of detail and look sharp. The HDR adds a bit of punch to the images, making them look social media worthy. As for the wide-angle shots, they look pretty decent. In low-light settings, however, the camera performance stutters. Captured images not only show a lot of noise, but they look blurry and out of focus. You can notice the barrel distortion in the photos. 

Coming to the selfie cam, the 8MP camera does a great job in favourable light settings. The selfies look bright and vivid, with natural colours and features, perfect for your social media feed. In dimly lit environments, again, the front cam suffers the same fate as the rear cam – images look washed out and grainy.

The battery is one of the strongest attributes of the Vivo Y12. With a 5000mAh battery, the phone promises an excellent battery life and backup. On a single charge, the battery can last an entire day and maybe even more, provided you use it for routine tasks like calling, texting, social media browsing, listening to music, etc. For more power-intensive tasks like gaming and binge-watching, though the battery level will drop faster, it will last you a full day, with little charge left for the night as well.

It has all the necessary connectivity options including Wi-Fi 802.11, b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth v5.0, micro USB port, dual-SIM, FM Radio, GPS with A-GPS and Glonass, and 2G/3G/4G support.

Overall, the Vivo Y12 seems like an excellent choice for those who’re looking for an affordable and reliable daily driver. For an entry-level device, the phone comes with a lot of great features and specs, including the large display, triple cameras, and massive battery. Other options in this price range are Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 6 Pro, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, and RealMe Pro 2, to name a few.