Initial Verdict: the Y100 introduces several upgrades to make it competitive in the budget mid-range segment, though it faces tough competition because of its processor of choice.
Pros
-Great display
-Stereo speakers at last
-Fast charging speed for its price
Cons
-Weak processor of choice
-No Ultra-wide camera
vivo has been making relevant upgrades to its entry-level Y-series, and the Y100 introduces several new features that make it competitive in the budget mid-range segment. As a logical successor to last year’s Y36, does the Y100 offer better value?
vivo Y100 First Impressions Philippines: Design
If the Y100 looks familiar, that’s because it shares the same design language as the V27e, with the key difference being the Aura Light swapped for a more conventional LED light. That being said, you get flat frame sides and a flat back panel that uses AG glass to make it look and feel premium. The Y100 has a mirror finish for its frame that does attract a lot of fingerprints–good thing that there’s an included case to keep that shiny frame pristine and free from smudges.
The Y100’s button and port layout are similar to previous Y-series models, but the biggest change has to be vivo FINALLY equipping it with stereo speakers. This is the first time any mid-range vivo phone has stereo speakers, and we’re glad that the brand has been listening to our pleas to make this small but meaningful upgrade to their phones. Rounding up its updated design is the addition of an IP54 rating, making the Y100 safe from accidental water splashes.
vivo Y100 First Impressions Philippines: Display
While vivo’s Y series are usually entry-level offerings with IPS displays, that’s not the case with the Y100: you are getting an AMOLED panel this time, specifically one that has a 120hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution. The Y36’s IPS panel was already good, but we really love that the Y100 has an AMOLED display at last.
The Y100’s display supports Widevine L1 for your Netflix needs, and the colors are vibrant and accurate, making you enjoy watching your favorite KPop video. That’s made even better with the Y100’s stereo speakers that sound way better than the single speaker that vivo has been implementing in past Y series (and even V series) phones.
vivo Y100 First Impressions Philippines: Cameras
While you get upgrades with the display and speakers, vivo decided to play it safe with the Y100’s cameras. You essentially get the same setup, which consists of a 50-megapixel ISOCELL JN1 main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. There’s no ultra-wide camera to be found–instead, vivo added a flicker sensor on the Y100, which we doubt has any real use for everyday photography.
That aside, the main camera does produce decent shots in general, and our initial thoughts make us think that they are roughly at the same level as what we experienced with the Y36.
We will take more photos (and videos) with the Y100 to make our final assessment if there are any improvements in terms of software and post-processing compared to the Y36.
vivo Y100 First Impressions Philippines: Internals and Battery
Like the cameras, the same can be said with the internals, where you still get 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage on the Y100. The Y100 does use a Snapdragon 685, which is essentially a slightly overclocked version of the Snapdragon 680 used on the Y36.
We think that vivo could have opted for a better processor on the Y100 given its price tag, but we will reserve our thoughts for now–we will put the Y100 through its paces including gaming to see if the Snapdragon 685 does offer better performance compared to the Y36’s Snapdragon 680. On the software side, the Y100 comes with Android 14-based FunTouchOS 14, so you’re getting the latest Android version on this budget mid-range phone.
While the Y100’s battery is the same at 5000mAh, you are getting 80w charging for it. That’s the fastest charging speed on a Y series phone and is at par with what the V30 series has to offer. vivo claims that the 80w charging can fully charge the Y100 in less than an hour, and we will be doing our tests to see if they deliver their promise.
vivo Y100 First Impressions Philippines: Wrap-up and Initial Conclusions
The Y100 gets several good upgrades from last year’s Y36, with the biggest ones being the use of an AMOLED display, stereo speakers at last, and 80w fast charging. There are no changes when it comes to the cameras and internals, which might give the Y100 a challenge in competing in the saturated budget mid-range segment in the Philippines.
vivo Y100 First Impressions Philippines: Price
While the official launch of the Y100 is on April 27, it is listed in Shopee with an SRP of Php 13,499.
