VIVO Y100

After a string of premium launches in the vivo V30 and V30 Pro a few weeks ago, vivo has finally launched its upper entry-level offering: the vivo Y100. How does it fare as the brand's newest affordable device? Find out below.

- CHRIS NOEL HIDALGO 

DESIGN 

The vivo Y100 is available in Crystal Black and Breeze Green colorways, of which we were able to review the latter. The light green of the back panel features dynamic feather-like visual texturing which dances with the light. The matte finish of the Fluorite AG back glass ensures a scratchand smudge-free, but slightly slippery, handling experience. Meanwhile, the camera island is colored in glossy-not feathered emerald green and features three stacked camera lenses and an LED flash module. The lenses protrude out as to be the first point of contact with the surface when laying the phone screenside up. Thankfully, the vivo Y100 comes with a free clear case out of the box which provides protection to the great-looking back panel and camera modules, as well as adds much needed gripiness.

Up front is the huge 6.67-inch AMOLED Display with a punch hole camera along the top side and the in-display fingerprint scanner along the bottom. It also comes with a free pre-installed protective film as defense against nicks and scratches. The vivo Y100's right edge houses the power button and volume rockers; the top has a microphone pinhole and one of the grille-less speakers; the left is bare; and the bottom has the SIM-microSD card combo tray, another microphone pinhole, a USB Type-C slot, and the other stereo speaker, this time with a grille.

Physically, the vivo Y100 comes in either a 163.17 x 75.81 x 7.79 mm form factor for the Crystal Black version, and slightly thicker 163.17 x 75.81 x 7.95 mm for the Breeze Green color. The green one is also slightly heavier at 196g versus 186g for the black palette.

It's an overall solid design. However, like my gripe with other entry-level phones, the camera island design could have been made more aesthetically pleasing.

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