Vivo S1 Pro review: Could this be the best-value phone in mid-range market?

Today, we are going to take a closer look at the latest mid-ranger to hit the market that is the Vivo S1 Pro. This model is a follow-up to the Vivo S1 that was launched last year. Just like its counterpart, the focus for the S1 Pro is on design aesthetics, particularly the striking diamond-shaped camera module on the rear.

What more can you expect from this device? Well, first things first, the Vivo S1 Pro retails at 43,999 across Pakistan and is packed with premium features like 8GB RAM, Super AMOLED Display, 48MP Quad Camera, In-Display Fingerprint Scanning, Type-C Fast Charging and 32MP AI Selfie.

Now let’s explore the phone’s features in detail and see if these unique features justify the price.

The Looks and Feel

The Vivo S1 Pro is an eye-catching phone. The diamond pattern on the rear is inspired by jewelry and is certainly fascinating to look at. The phone comes in two colors; ‘Dreamy White’ and ‘Mystic Black’ with different gradient finishes that completely encapsulate the user’s eye. Primarily the device is clad in glass-plastic material, paired with aluminum frame that adds a nice feel to its diamond aesthetic.

The rounded edges and tapering back make the device easier to hold. For buttons and port, starting at the top we can find a noise canceling mic for loud speaker, as well as 3.5mm audio jack.

The phone’s volume rocker and power buttons are both placed on the right. While on the left we can find a hybrid dual sim card tray and at the bottom we can find the main microphone for regular calls, a USB cable Type-C port and single downward firing speaker. On front it has a u-shape notch, featuring a selfie shooter with relatively thin bezels.

Display and Angles

The Vivo S1 Pro features a 6.38-inch Super AMOLED Display FHD+ Resolution. It has an In-Display Finger Print Scanner that feels really fast and quite futuristic with different animations to choose from. Face unlock is also available and has a decent speed, even in the dark.

Users can easily enjoy watching their favorite TV shows or movies. The colors are very vivid, text & icons are adequately sharp and the visual quality is spectacular, so it is safe to say that no other phone in this price range is offering such a brilliant user experience.

The display also offers, always-on setting, with all your notifications, time and other important info always showing on the screen and doesn’t cost any additional battery.

Interestingly the screen is protected by Schott Xensation 3D, a material more durable than Corning Gorilla Glass; moreover the phone is splash-proof and in some cases, it can survive water drop as well. However, it doesn’t come with any IP-ratings and the company also doesn’t claim it to be water-proof.

Performance & Hardware Specs

For hardware, the Vivo S1 Pro is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 octa-core SoC, that ensures smooth operations on-the-go. The number suggests that it might not be a powerful processor but our tests in both real life and benchmarks apps suggests otherwise and it can handle anything thrown at it with ease.

The phone is also packed with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with expandable storage of up to 256GB to ensure that the users can upgrade the storage to their liking. Additionally, the phone’s built-in storage is UFS 2.1, which means data transfer is fast and application load time is quick.

This device is without doubt one of the best budget phones that comes with 8GB RAM to keep multiple apps running in the background.

When it comes to software, the device is equipped with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 9.2, that is based on Android 9 Pie, the experience has been improved a lot over the previous versions and now it feels more fluid and user friendly.

Battery and Backup

The Vivo S1 Pro is equipped with a high-capacity 4,500mAh battery and Dual-Engine Fast Charging; the built-in nine-layer security protection system makes charging fast and safe. The battery can easily last users for a day and a half even with rigorous usage. For those who love gaming or watching movies on the go, this phone’s battery power will be sufficient.

Camera and Video

Contrary to its predecessor, the Vivo has brought in four rear cameras for S1 Pro. The phone features a primary 48-Megapixel camera with an f/1.8 aperture; an 8-Megapixel wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture; a 2-Megapixel macro camera; and a 2-Megapixel depth camera. During daylight, the Vivo S1 Pro captures beautiful landscape shots. The selfie camera is 32-Megapixel with an f/2.0 aperture and definitely something to look forward too; especially for selfie-
enthusiasts. It easily captures detailed pictures, and users can even use built-in beauty filters to enhance their selfies.
Some options like night-mode and portrait effects are missing for now, but Vivo has informed users that the update will be rolled out soon that would allow for EIS and enhanced Bokeh as well.

Should you buy S1 Pro in 2020?

So, to sum this review up, we think that at Rs.43999, the Vivo S1 Pro comes with great storage, crisp display and a solid battery life. Staying true to the theme of the S-series, this device’s design is eye-catching which helps it stand out among the rest.

It is a great option for people looking for a mid-range phone that doesn’t fall short of latest features in the market. Although you have to make some compromises in terms of chipset, but the actual performance is really good.