Vivo iQOO U5 Review – As iQOO is a sub-brand of Vivo, its features and layout are pretty identical. The Vivo iQOO U5 smartphone was released in January 2022 in China. The iQOO U5 5G is a complete pack of specs generally offered by mid-range smartphones. A decent processor, tall screen, and powerful battery add to its competence. All of these factors make the phone a great deal in the first instance.
Almost everybody today needs a phone with all the essential features at a budget-friendly price, and the iQOO U5 falls in this category. However, there won’t be any extraordinary specs like a premium phone. But it will undoubtedly provide you with a fair all-around experience at an affordable price. To understand more in detail here’s a detailed review of the Vivo iQOO U5 below.
Table of Contents
Vivo iQOO U5 Review
Highlights
- The Vivo iQOO U5 exhibits a 6.58 inches IPS LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
- The dual-camera setup on the rear side packs a 50MP primary with a 2MP macro camera and an 8MP front camera for selfies.
- It comes with a 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset with average Adreno 619 graphic chipset support.
- In the software section the device runs on Origin OS Ocean, which is based on the Android 12 OS.
- An ample 5000 mAh battery capacity comes with 18W fast charging support.
Design and Display
At first glance, iQOO U5 gives you a typical Vivo look with flat edges & a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a water notch display. It is designed to be an easily handheld gadget as it owns a straightforward layout and weighs 185 grams. Additionally, The back plastic body doesn’t seem premium but makes it durable. The phone is launched in attractive color options including White, Gray, and Aurora shade options.
While different shades suit different personalities, if you are searching for something elegant, white would be worth recommending. As far as the built quality looks astounding and grants a premium feel. The rectangular camera board gives a new breeze feel.
On the other hand, you are getting a pleasing setup of 6.58 inches IPS LCD display Panel. Moreover, a 120 Hz refresh rate is a thing to be happy about because it will result in a smooth gaming experience. The absence of AMOLED cannot be fulfilled, but at least you get an improved refresh rate, which is a good deal under this price tag.
Like all other mid-range phones, the physical build and design altogether won’t disappoint you. Watching content will be a pleasurable session as you have enough screen space. Following this, the handset is appropriate for outdoor usage as well.
Memory and Internal
With Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset based on 6nm, there is no compromise made when it comes to the iQOO U5’s performance. There will be significant power efficiency with fewer heating issues. Aside from the processing power, the visual aspect is handled via Adreno 619 GPU. Accordingly, the gaming experience will neither be outstanding nor dissatisfying.
On the other hand, Origin OS Ocean UI runs on Android 12 OS combined to form a modern yet simple User Interface. Besides this, you can expect the latest OS and security patch updates from Vivo on this phone. Anyway, the overall interface experience didn’t feel underwhelming, while you will also receive lots of customization features to change the ecosystem according to your desire.
Now, moving to the storage and RAM option, the base variant offers 4GB RAM with 128GB internal storage, while RAM could be shorter for some users. Hence it offers two more variants with 6GB& 8GB RAM under different pricing. So, you must select according to your budget & preference. There will be enough space to keep your data and download apps as you are getting 128GB of internal storage. Following this, the phone also provides an SD card slot solution.
Camera
In terms of optics, iQOO U5 houses a dual-camera setup on the rear featuring a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 2MP macro secondary camera. For the selfies, you receive an 8MP front camera. Following this, the camera setup provides vibrant and contrasting colors in each snap, while the portrait mode photos are also note-worthy. Selfies are also satisfying but not excellent. The overall camera setup might feel a bit underwhelming for the camera lovers.
But still, the camera quality is good, and you will obtain decent results in daylight photography. However, you will notice fewer colors in the lowlights images. Still, it’s far better than the regular budget 5G phone. Apart from this, you will also receive lots of in-house camera features. It’s a thumbs rule that the budget-friendly phones didn’t provide the apt video recording quality.
The same goes for the Vivo iQOO U5 smartphone, as you can only record up to 1080p videos. Although, across-the-board video recording is not that like some low-priced smartphones. But it doesn’t mean that this single factor can justify the overall cost. Therefore, we recommend you check the following battery section as well.
Battery and Others
An ample Li-Po 5000 mAh battery power is enough to take you through 5 hours of non-stop working. Subsequently, it brings in 18W fast charging support. Though, the charging speed might be a bit underwhelming as you have to wait roughly an hour to fuel. Well, there is no denying that the battery is powerful, but the charger could have been better & faster.
As for the additional features, the phone brings a reasonable sound experience and offers decent-level comms and sensors. Therefore, daily operations can be carried on hassle-free. Also, if 5G connectivity is your top priority, you must consider the iQOO U5 smartphone as a buying option as the device arrives at the $200 (Rs 14,999 in India) approx price tag.
Vivo iQOO U5 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Vivo iQOO U5 smartphone.
| Specifications | Vivo iQOO U5 |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | December 2021 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.46 x 2.98 x 0.33 inches |
| Weight | 185 grams |
| Size | 6.58 inches |
| Display | IPS LCD 120Hz HDR10 20:9 ratio ~401 PPI density |
| Protection | No |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2408 pixels |
| OS | Android 12, Origin OS Ocean |
| Chipset | 6nm – Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver |
| GPU | Adreno 619 |
| Card slot | Yes (dedicated slot) |
| RAM | 4GB, 6GB, 8GB |
| Internal | 128GB UFS 2.2 |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF 2 MP (macro) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie | 8 MP HDR Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD/Adaptive |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | No |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| Sensors | Side-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity, compass |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh Fast charging 18W |
| Colors | White, Gray, Aurora |
| Expected Price | $200 (Rs 14,999 in India) Approx. |
Conclusion
The Vivo iQOO smartphones are known for their excellent performance as the company works on the overall performance of the device rather than its specifications, and the iQOO U5 smartphone is no exception. Nothing so special nor so exciting, still it holds impressive processing, long-lasting battery, and precise sensors support.
Even, the price range has also justified the specs of the phone. However, if you want every up-to-date feature to be a part of your mobile phone, then the iQOO U5 is not the right choice for you. You must check out competitive alternatives like the Infinix Zero 5G smartphone. This phone is a great choice in the budget range, but the final decision is up to you.
