Vivo S16 Smartphone Review – Vivo release a new trio at the end of 2022, we are talking about the Vivo S16 series phone that was released in the mid-range segment. The smartphone makers released the Vivo S16, S16 Pro, and the downgrade version S16e. All of them are quite astounding and interesting when you see that for the first time as they got a premium appearance with appealing specs that everybody wants for the affordable 5G smartphone range.
For today’s review, we have the Vivo S16, which is exclusive to the Chinese smartphone market. Although, we don’t have a confirmation of being released on the global stage in the first place. But even if it does, the phone will be rebranded to be launched in other countries. However, if you want to know more about this phone, you can follow our review to make a good choice without further ado. Let’s head toward the Vivo S16 review to find out more details about this phone.
Table of Contents
Vivo S16 Smartphone Review
Highlights
- The device comes with a 6.78-inches AMOLED panel and brings a 120Hz refresh rate.
- As for the software end, you are getting the Origin OS 3 custom interface with the Android 13 firmware.
- A powerful Snapdragon 870 5G chipset will maintain the hardware and software department.
- As for the camera setup, it offers a 64MP triple camera with 50MP selfie lens support.
- It includes a Li-Po 4600 mAh battery with 66W wired charging support that will handle screen time.
Design and Display
The design layout of the Vivo S16 is pretty standard as you are getting a simple color option with plain texture on the back panel. The users can choose between the Black, Gold, and Mint shade option according to their needs. But if you are looking for something premium and professional at the same time, you should consider the Gold color variant.
Aside from this, the built quality of this phone is quite robust even though you are getting an average plastic body. Hopefully, the frame is slimmer than we thought as it is roughly 7.4mm thick. With this, the holding experience would be decent, while the phone weighs around 182 grams. Although, the phone doesn’t appear with an IP rating or coring glass protection.
In terms of the security aspect, you are getting an under-display fingerprint scanner on the 6.78-inches AMOLED panel. Besides this, you can also use the Face ID features to secure this phone. Speaking of the display, you are getting vibrant colors and crisp contrast with the HDR10+ content aid. Anyway, it’s good to see that company added 120Hz refresh for better UI navigation.
Memory and Internal
The Vivo S16 smartphone comes with the software skin of the OriginOS 3 based on the Android 13 indicates that you will a lot of native Chinese ecosystem applications. Following this, it also helps users to customize the android ecosystem with the brilliant options offered by the latest Android support. As for the gaming is concerned, you won’t feel underwhelming during the gameplay.
The reason for that would be a higher refresh rate that enhances touch responses, 5G connectivity offered by the 7nm Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G chip, better graphic unit, and 1×3.2 GHz top cloaking speed. All of these factors add up and give an impressive gameplay experience. Moreover, you won’t face any particular problems streaming content, normal social media usage, and casual gaming.
The hardware department also ensures to provide better performance in extreme tasks. Moreover, the phone will grant diverse storage options from which the users can pick the best options according to their needs. You can pick from 128GB, 256GB, to 512GB UFS 3.1 space that will be accompanied by 8GB to 12GB RAM support.
Camera
The camera department brings a triple camera module in the Vivo S16, which is pretty common in most phones. But one thing that makes the overall photography experience great would be the AI software offered the smartphone makers. It includes an amazing set of camera software that will grant robust colors and ample contrast with fine details. Hopefully, the 64MP primary sensor does take the initiative to bring better camera results.
In the real-time test, you can expect natural colors with crisp contrast that will elevate the whole photography experience. Following this, the smartphone also offers an 8MP ultra-wide lens that will support thorough and renders smooth wide-angle view support, but this section is lacking pixel details while zooming. You can perform digital zoom with the camera app, but the results are pretty underwhelming.
In terms of the close shots, you can rely on the 2MP macro lens, while the ring LED light will help a bit in the low light. The portrait mode results are accurate with vibrant and effective colors with proper blur effects. Following this, you can expect 4K video recording from the main setup, while a 50MP selfie will also provide remarkable details with various functions of the camera app and offers 1080p video recording.
Battery and Others
Moving to the Vivo S16 smartphone battery backup, you are getting a Li-Po 4600 mAh battery configuration. Through this, the users can enjoy screen time worth 5+ hours in a regular condition, while in a long gaming session, you will only attain up to roughly four hours worth of screen time. However, if you are not doing anything performance-driven tasks, the phone can stay active for a day or so with a single charge.
In terms of charging support, the 66W wired charging option is an incredible choice since it will only require up to 45 minutes to fill the battery. Aside from this, the sound output is loud and crisp with proper tunning support added by the company. Lastly, the Vivo S16 costs around $350 (Rs 29,590 in India) approx, which is an excellent deal overall.
Vivo S16 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Vivo S16 smartphone.
| Specifications | Vivo S16 |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | December 2022 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.46 x 2.94 x 0.29 inches |
| Weight | 182 g |
| Size | 6.78 inches |
| Display | AMOLED 120Hz HDR10+ 20:9 ratio ~388 PPI density |
| Protection | No |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| OS | Android 13, Origin OS 3 |
| Chipset | 7nm – Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×3.2 GHz Kryo 585 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 585 |
| GPU | Adreno 650 |
| Card slot | No |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Internal | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1 |
| Camera | 64 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 8 MP (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) Ring-LED flash, panorama, HDR Max – 4K@30fps |
| Selfie | 50 MP (wide) Dual-LED flash, HDR Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No 24-bit/192kHz audio |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity compass, color spectrum |
| Battery | Li-Po 4600 mAh 66W wired |
| Colors | Black, Mint, Gold |
| Expected Price | $350 (Rs 29,590 in India) approx |
Conclusion
The Vivo S16 comes with decent specs and perks that every user demand from an upper mid-range phone. It brings a powerful chipset configuration accompanied by top-notch display quality with beautiful camera results. Overall, the phone is worth recommending if you are looking for something different with decent photography.
But at the same time, the battery life is slightly lower than the competition, though it doesn’t come with wireless or reverse charging support. With that said, there are tons of other options that can replace this phone. For instance, the Xiaomi Redmi K60 offers almost the same attributes, which are also available on the international market.
