Vivo has been aggressively ramping up its mid-range portfolio and has added T4 Ultra to its portfolio. The successor to the T3 Ultra is targeting the premium mid-range segment (Under Rs. 40,000) with its powerful camera module offering 100x zoom, MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset, beefy 5,500 mAh battery pack. Certainly this segment (Rs. 35,000- Rs. 40,000) has become the hot spot for all OEMs to compete. And with the T4 Ultra, Vivo seems to have raised the bars focusing on the imaging hardware and overall user experience. At Giznext, we got our hands on the T4 Ultra’s 8GB RAM trim and have tested its daily performance. Does it fair all the hype? We have tried to break it down below:
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Box Contents
- Vivo T4 Ultra (unit)
- TPU case
- User manuals
- SIM ejector tool
- Charging adapter
- USB Type-C cable
Display Review
Let’s start with the basics first. The T4 Ultra’s big 6.67-inch quad-curved AMOLED panel looks sharp and crisp. Supporting a 2400 x 1200 pixels resolution with 460 PPI pixel density, the colors pops vibrant while the text look sharp. It comes with a 120Hz refresh rate and takes a step ahead in this visual game with whopping 5000 nits peak brightness. This definitely gives the T4 Ultra an edge over the rivals in the segment; specifically in the display game.
We were surprised how easy it was to watch videos and even get on with gaming outdoors. The T4 Ultra’s AMOLED panel has HDR10+ compatibility is another add on that provides an immersive visual experience with Netflix. Darks are clear and you don’t see any pixilations in the dark scenes. No evident frame drops and lags have been noticed during gameplays. You can find a Visual Enhancement feature in the display settings that makes content more vivid while optimizing power consumption.
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Design
Design language hasn’t been altered much and you’ll find the looks familiar. The looks and feel’s all premium with the slim form factor along with the curved edge design. The large camera ring at the rear does grab the instant attention. And why not, that’s the top selling point for this. new T4 series handset. We have received the Meteor Grey variant of the T4 Ultra which looks subtle yet classy.
The combo of satin-matte texture of the rear panel is smooth to touch and provides a luxurious feel. It’s a lightweight handset with 192 gms weight that’s easy to both hold and carry around. Thankfully, even with the smooth texture the rear panel isn’t prone to fingerprints and smudges which is big respite. But the grip can be slightly slippery and you can use the soft TPU case that ships with the retail box.
You also can opt for aftermarket cases and covers to protect the rear panel from scratches and also from accidental drops. Ports have got the usual placement with the power key and the volume key being placed at the right spine and the USB Type C port, speaker grille and the SIM card tray being positioned at the bottom panel. Note that this variant like its siblings come with hybrid SIM slot. So, only a single SIM card and a microSD card slot or just dual SIM cards can be used simultaneously.
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Camera
The biggest upgrade and the highlight of the T4 Ultra is its new and powerful camera setup. Vivo has stepped up the mobile photography game specifically in the mid-range segment. Specs here are a 50MP main lens (Sony IMX921) combined with 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 50MP periscope lens. Stepping up the photography game is the new periscope sensor which allows 3x optical and 100x digital zoom. While this isn’t a Zeiss co-engineered camera hardware like the X series, it’s definitely the T4 Ultra’s USP. We’ll speak about this one in a while, before that let’s start with the standard daylight performance.
The T4 Ultra’s main sensor does an impressive job with capturing details. Color retention is accurate no inconsistency is experience with color production. Dynamic range is to the point so is the edge detection. We are attaching a few samples here for the daylight shots and you can see the well balanced output it offers in broad daylight situations. Wide-angle sensor captures a decent frame overall both in daylight as well as night. Slight inconsistencies might occur in low light conditions.
Portrait mode here does a fine job with background blurs and highlighting the subject. You can switch between different focal lengths with the maximum being 100mm. Now coming to the primary camera highlight, i.e, the zoom capabilities. Standard zoom shots (up to 10x) are clear and vibrant. Edge detection and color retention is apt when you stick to this range. With the maximum range the output tends to get slightly hazy. Using a tripod or stable surface does help when you are zooming on the subject over 5x zoom.
Night photography doesn’t disappoint when you enable the Night mode. Details are well retained here too with low grains and and noise. The 100x zoom option is available in the Night mode too but basic 5x and 10x clicks better output overall. Added bonus is the Aura light feature which helps improving the portraits at night.
Selfies are well defined with the 32MP snapper up front. You get all the primary modes including Night, Portrait, Dual View, etc while using the front camera. Overall output is good and the selfie sensor offers a pleasing experience.
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Performance And Battery Backup
Vivo T4 Ultra has been updated with the Dimensity 9300+ chipset. MediaTek’s flagship SoC lineup has been a well performer overall and that driving the T4 Ultra makes it handle all the tasks decently well. We got out hands on the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. It’s built in 50,000 mm² cooling integrating a large vapour chamber area keeps a check at the temperature levels. This ensures experience is good with gaming and this unit has been able to handle graphic-intensive FPS and arcade titles well. Multitasking; specifically switching between multiple apps is swift. Storage is ample too if you go with the high end version. But still there is a provision for expanding storage via microSD card. This brings us to the SIM tray which is a hybrid SIM slot allowing using single SIM card and microSD card simultaneously.
Under its hood is the 5,500 mAh battery that allows a backup of over a day with a single charge. No additional plug-in is required if your usage is limited to basic browsing, calling, texting, etc. If your usage is extensive, you will need to use the charger by the end of the day. Its bundled 90W charger allows rapid charging speed. It takes around half an hour for the handset to take up to 50 percent charge, while a full charge takes slightly over an hour.
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Final Verdict
Vivo T4 Ultra is announced starting at Rs. 37,999 which brings it in the premium mid-range segment. It’s amongst the few Android phones in this price range to come offer a larger 10x telephoto macro lens. Photography is one of its forte, but the remaining features are well balanced. It has got a vibrant screen with fluid touch response, premium build and design, fast processing speeds, and decent backup. Vivo has certainly improved the user experience with the T4 series and solely focusing on the camera capabilities, overall performance has been optimised too. Vivo has definitely made some advancements with the series T phones and we have seen significant improvements in the T4 Ultra; specifically its imaging capabilities.
