A few weeks ago, vivo launched an upgrade to their popular Y series with the Y16. It is positioned to be everyone’s go-to phone for photography and storage for memorable moments. So, how well does the phone perform as an everyday champ? Read on for our full review.
| Display | 6.51-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS LCD display |
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio P35 SoC |
| RAM | 4GB RAM (Extended RAM 2.0) |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB internal storage |
| Expansion | microSD card slot |
| Rear Camera | • 13MP F2.2 main |
| • 2MP F2.4 unspecified camera | |
| Front Camera | 5MP F2.2 front camera |
| Connection | 4G LTE |
| Dual-SIM (nano) | |
| WiFi | |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| GPS, BEIDOU, GLONASS, GALILEO | |
| Ports | USB Type-C |
| 3.5mm audio jack | |
| Operating System | Funtouch OS 12 (Android 12) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging |
| Dimensions | 163.95 x 75.55 x 8.19mm |
| Weight | 183g |
| Colors | Stellar Black, Drizzling Gold |
First off, check out our unboxing article here. The Vivo Y16 sports an LCD(IPS) 6.51-unch Halo FullView display with an HD+ resolution (1600×720 pixels). It has a waterdrop notch at the top for the 5MP selfie camera and placed just above it in the bezel is the earpiece for phone calls.
On the right side of the device, you’ll find the volume and power/lock buttons. The buttons themselves are clicky and nice to the touch. They are also well positioned in the middle of the frame, so they are easy to reach and press even if you have small hands.
Up on top is the secondary microphone and the card slot that support two nano SIMs and one micro SD for expanding the storage — perfect for making this phone your main storage for pictures and videos.
Down at the bottom, we have the main microphone, audio jack and the down-firing loudspeaker. At the back, we have this large camera array for the rear 13MP + 2MP camera.
Despite being a tall device, the Vivo Y16 features a narrow frame, making it comfortable to hold on to even in longer periods of time. The back cover is made with a glass-like texture that can withstand the usual wear and tear — making the drizzling gold color that we have for this review bright and elegant. With a 2.5D curvature frame, the phone itself is eye-catching yet is tested with endurance in mind.
The display on the Vivo Y16 is crisp and vibrant with accurate colors and minimal bezels. The waterdrop notch is small and is a welcome sight rather than the popular holepunch displays found on other smartphones.
The screen has a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz but the animations found on the Funtouch OS are smooth. It’s a good phone for binge-watching videos on Netflix and Youtube or playing games. The loudspeaker is somewhat ordinary but it’s crisp and can get pretty loud on max level.
The Vivo Y16 features two cameras at the back, consisting of a 13MP + 2MP combo to take good pictures. The performance is good, photos taken by the main camera have a clear yet accurate color profile with a lot of details and high dynamic range — perfect for any situations.
Low-light performance is decent and was able to illuminate scenes without blowing up the highlights and produce enough details without much noise. All in all, even with harsh lighting conditions, the camera was still able to produce decent results.
When it comes to videos. You will only have the option to shoot in 720 or 1080 resolution. But the quality is similar to the pictures taken with the main camera and can utilize standard video stabilization for a smooth capture.
For the operating system, the Vivo Y16 has Funtouch 12 based on Android 12. It’s a simple and familiar interface that features colorful icons and a combination of a home screen and app drawer to navigate through apps.
One of the main features of the Vivo Y16 is its Ultra Game Mode. You can easily turn it on by tapping on the Ultra Game Mode in the drop-down menu but it will also automatically activate once the phone detects that you’re playing a game.The device will optimize itself by clearing much need memory, putting some background services to sleep, and dialing down your notifications to give you a smooth and uninterrupted gameplay.
While playing a game, you can also access the dashboard to get you in on some finer controls like profiles and some gaming settings like screen recording that you might want to use.
Powering the Vivo Y16 is a Helio P35 processor, 4GB+1GB RAM, and a choice of 32GB/64GB/128 storage. The configuration is powerful enough to run graphics-intensive games like Genshin Impact but you’ll have to dial down the graphics settings in-game if you want to have a smoother experience. There are times that experience stutters when playing games but they are minor and don’t irritate us during gaming sessions. We really didn’t notice the device running hot during long periods of playing. Overall, solid performance considering that this is positioned in a low-budget environment.
We have the usual connectivity features on the Vivo Y16. A dual SIM that supports LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack for those who use wired earphones. For the biometrics, you have the scanner located at the lock button itself.
As for the battery, we have a large 5,000mAh battery that is sure to last you the whole day with moderate to heavy use — a very welcome specification considering it is positioned as an everyday phone.
The Vivo Y16, considering its specifications, is your usual budget smartphone. But it comes with an elegant design, a photography-focused camera, and a performing chipset. If you’re looking for something that won’t break the bank but will also perform nicely in the long run, or if you’re looking for a secondary device that can store lots of photos and videos, we can easily recommend the Vivo Y16.
