Extending its family further, the Chinese smartphone maker unveiled the Vivo T3 Ultra, priced in the starting segment of premium phones, at ₹31,999, powered by a high-end processor - Dimensity 9200+, recently seen in the company’s costlier model Vivo V40 Pro. 

In this review, we are going to explore further what else the phone has to offer.

Design

The new Vivo T3 Ultra resembles the Vivo V40 series, especially when you look at the camera sensor. Vivo has played it smartly with the design, borrowing the premium feel of its flagship models. While the design is not entirely unique, it maintains a certain sophistication that feels premium without inflating the cost.

Upon holding the Vivo T3 Ultra, the first thing you’ll notice is how lightweight and balanced it feels. This weight distribution ensures minimal strain during prolonged use. The rear panel offers a soft, velvety touch, adding to the comfort. 

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The phone comes with an IP68 rating, making the phone resistant to dust and water, a feature uncommon in this price range. The display of the phone gets Schott Xensation glass for protection. Also, on the screen, you will find the in-display fingerprint sensor, which is both fast and reliable, ensuring seamless access to your device.

The placement of ports and buttons follows the usual pattern seen in Vivo phones. On the left side lies the power button and the volume rockers. Towards the bottom, you will find the SIM tray, USB Type-C Port and the speaker grille.

Display

The new Vivo T3 Ultra features a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution. The curved edges of the display contribute to a bezel-less appearance, creating an immersive viewing experience. Colour reproduction on the T3 Ultra’s display is vibrant and punchy while maintaining good accuracy. The display comes with HDR10+ support, ensuring a wide dynamic range, making the colours pop, and the 4,500 nits peak brightness ensures excellent outdoor visibility. Whether you’re binge-watching shows or gaming, the 120 Hz refresh rate keeps everything smooth, while the 480 Hz touch sampling rate ensures highly responsive touch interactions. The phone also includes a Visual Enhancement mode, which optimizes content on platforms like YouTube and Netflix, making it a joy to consume media on this device.

OS

The Vivo T3 Ultra runs on FunTouch OS 14, based on Android 14. While the software experience is generally smooth and feature-packed, there is noticeable bloatware, which may not appeal to all users. The company has promised two years of OS updates and three years of security patches, ensuring that the device remains updated with the latest features and security enhancements.

Processor

The Vivo T3 Ultra is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ processor, which is a rarity in this price segment. By incorporating this flagship-grade SoC, Vivo has given the T3 Ultra a significant edge over its competitors.

In day-to-day usage, the T3 Ultra delivers a consistently smooth and responsive experience. Whether you’re scrolling through social media, watching videos, or engaging in heavy multitasking, the phone handles it all with aplomb. There’s no noticeable lag or stutter, even when pushing the device with demanding tasks.

The combination of up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage further complements the powerful processor, ensuring that the T3 Ultra can handle whatever you throw at it while providing ample space for your apps, games, and media.

Gaming performance of the T3 Ultra is quite good too. The phone handles both casual and graphically intensive titles with ease. We played BGMI at high graphics settings and max frame rates, and the T3 Ultra maintained smooth gameplay without any perceptible lag or frame drops.

The Geekbech test figures of the phone also rank higher than the smartphones in the same price segment. In the Geekbench 6 tests, the phone recorded a score of 2091 for its single-core and 5525 in the multi-core. The GPU test figure was impressive too, and it saw a figure of 11757. The test results clearly outmatched all the phones in the segment.

Camera

The camera setup on the Vivo T3 Ultra is led by a 50 MP Sony IMX921 primary sensor with OIS, featuring a large 1/1.56-inch sensor size and an f/1.88 aperture. This is complemented by an 8 MP ultra-wide camera. Vivo has also included its Camera-Bionic Spectrum technology, which aims to capture images that closely resemble what the human eye sees.

In well-lit conditions, the primary camera delivers impressive results. Images showcase good detail and decent colour reproduction. The dynamic range is generally well-balanced, though we noticed some inconsistencies in challenging lighting scenarios, with occasional underexposed shadows or slightly blown-out highlights.

The lack of a dedicated telephoto lens is somewhat compensated by the primary sensor’s ability to capture good detail in zoomed shots, particularly in favourable lighting conditions. However, the quality understandably drops as you increase the zoom level.

Low-light photography is aided by Vivo’s Smart Aura Light feature, which helps improve image quality in challenging lighting conditions. While it’s not a game-changer, it does provide a noticeable boost to night-time shots.

The front-facing camera is a standout feature, boasting a 50 MP sensor with a wide 92-degree field of view. Selfies taken with this camera are generally sharp and detailed, with the AI Facial Contouring technology doing a good job of minimising distortion often associated with wide-angle front cameras.

Portrait mode on both the rear and front cameras produces pleasing results, with good subject separation and natural-looking bokeh. However, we did notice that the processing tends to smooth out skin textures and adjust the lighting to create more aesthetically pleasing, if slightly less natural, images.

Battery

The Vivo T3 Ultra is equipped with a 5,500 mAh battery, which is generous for its class. In our testing, the battery life proved to be solid, if not exceptional. With casual to moderate usage, the phone comfortably lasted for about a day and a half. The inclusion of 80W fast charging is a significant plus point. This fast-charging capability helps offset any concerns about battery life for power users.

Verdict

For users seeking a balanced smartphone that offers both powerful performance and a refined design, the Vivo T3 Ultra comes across as a smart choice. The inclusion of the Dimensity 9200+ processor places it firmly ahead of many competitors in this price range, making it ideal for those who prioritise speed and multitasking capabilities.

With its flagship-level features, the Vivo T3 Ultra is clearly going to make the competition tough for the likes of Honor 200 Pro, Realme GT 6T, and OnePlus Nord 4. If you’re looking for a phone that offers a perfect blend of power, design, and value, the Vivo T3 Ultra is undoubtedly a strong contender.