Vivo Y19 Review

That Samsung Galaxy A51 was the best-selling smartphone in Q1 2020 is testament of how price has become much of a factor in customer preferences lately.

Budget friendly smartphones on the other hand have note disappointed as most manufacturers come up with compelling features to make their devices stand out among the many choices available in this price range.

The Vivo Y19 is one such smartphone. Prices at Ksh 26,999 the phone joins the Y-series which includes the Y12, Y15 and Y17 that are currently retailing in the Country.

The device come with a massive battery, 5000mAh designed to you through literally a whole day’s use. Vivo Y19 has a storage of 4GB RAM and an expandable128GB ROM. The phone is currently available in the country in Magnetic Black and Spring White colors.

Entry-level phones have come a long way from just being budget-friendly. There has to be a compelling feature to make it stand out among the many choices available in its price bracket. Thankfully, phone manufacturers are working to give you more value for your money.

Design

I must admit, the design wasn’t one of a kind as we have seen more glossy back, big-screened smartphones before. However, the phones does look much more expensive than it actually is.

The look and feel of the Vivo Y19 is excellent. The device has a 6.53-inch display and has a slightly thicker body, however, you can hold it comfortably in one hand. But make no mistake, for someone like me, this is definitely a two-handed device.

In terms of the button layout, the right side has the volume rocker on top of the power button  whereas the left side has the triple card slot for two SIMs and a microSD card; the bottom has a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a microUSB port, and a single speaker.

On the camera front, Vivo Y19 is equipped with a triple rear camera setup with 16-megapixels as a primary sensor with f/1.78, an 8-megapixel wide-angle snapper with f/2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, it employs a 16-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0, AI Face Beauty mode. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The camera protrudes just enough that it won’t lay flat on the surface of a table. But if you use the included jelly case, it flattens the case.

Screen

The Vivo Y19 gives you a large screen to work with. The water drop-style notwithstanding, the device has a 6.53-inch FHD + Halo display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, up to 90.3% screen-to-body ratio, dewdrop notch design and has 3D curved edge gradient design at the back panel.

The 1080p FHD+ screen give a wide viewing angles that are pretty much excellent. The colors are great, too making the device easy to use outdoors under bright light.

The company offers expected features like eye protection, which can automatically or manually adjust your screen from cool to warm to relieve eye fatigue; scheduled dark mode; and auto-brightness.

If you like tinkering with the color temperature, the Vivo Y19 only offers a simple slider than you can manipulate to go from cooler to warmer. As for being able to use the area around the notch, you have the option to adjust this on a per-app basis, if you want.