Describing South Africa’s low to mid-tier smartphone space as “busy” would be an understatement. It remains the most competitive market for smartphones locally, as affordability is weighed against features when it comes to Mzansi’s populace, ravenous for smartphones and connectivity.

Among many names in the space is vivo, yet another Chinese manufacturer that has enjoyed success in its homeland and countries like India where affordability is a driving factor for purchases. The brand’s latest mid-ranger is the vivo Y36, launched locally in late August.

We received a review model of the Y36 from vivo and took our time testing this latest offering, sitting closer to the “low price” end of the scale, but not too far away from “more features.” But how does it weigh up against other vivo handsets in the same range, or perhaps more “premium” models from the same brand like the V27 and V27e?

We can tell you that it holds up quite well, even if when all is said and done, and someone asks you what makes this phone special, you will be left reaching for an adequate answer.

vivo Y36 – aesthetics and display

The vivo Y36 is a big and chunky smartphone. It is not dainty by any stretch. It fills your hand, and weighs in your pocket. Its edges are broad and its screen is vast. People with short fingers may have to use the phone with both hands.

We like the look of the camera island and two large lenses on the back. It gives the Y36 an air of sophistication, of technical confidence. It doesn’t need to be too flashy. The Meteor Black colourway of the model we reviewed adds to this feeling but the colour is only really noticeable on the back, and will disappear with an opaque case. This is because the front is mostly screen. According to vivo’s marketing the Y36 is 92 percent screen at its front.

Unfortunately, this does not make the difference you would think. While the screen is large, image quality isn’t the sharpest owing to a lack of HD capabilities. Colours are somewhat muted, and we didn’t get wowed by the digital vibrance like with the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.

Streaming video is serviceable enough on the smartphone, with no major complaints or praises. The sound however, has a slight metallic tinge to it. Similar to the POCO C40.

Specifications and performance

A solid offering of RAM and a Snapdragon chipset are usually a winning formula for performance requirements, and we weren’t disappointed by the minute-to-minute running of the device. Opening and switching between applications is responsive enough, with noticeable differences between too fast and too slow.

On Geekbench, we saw a multi-core score of 1 466, and a single core core of 413. To us, these scores are emblematic of the vivo Y36. They are lower than what can be seen with more expensive devices like the HONOR X9a (R11 999) and the previously mentioned Samsung Galaxy A54 (R9 999) but they are still adequate enough for daily use to not become a chore.

Unfortunately, they also speak to a possible decline in performance – which all smartphones will eventually produce – but the Y36 may not last as long as some (a bit pricier) contemporaries.

Camera

The vivo Y36 features a solid 50MP main shooter, capable of fantastic detail and gorgeous colours, even in twilight conditions. It has an automatic depth of field blurring when taking photos – an industry standard – and this makes some compositions pop.

The camera array stands as a highlight of the device, especially for its price point but again, there’s nothing wow about it. If a solid shooter is what you’re looking for, then that’s what you will find.

Battery

The beefy 5 000mAh battery onboard the Y36 will not let you down. We saw several days worth of battery life on a single charge, and not even to 100 percent. With lower usage it could probably see a week or two on a single charge.

With high usage, we recommend charging every two or so days. This is still beating out the capabilities of some of its rivals, and even some premium smartphones. Charging the device itself is quick with 44W fast charging. All this combines for a charging and battery experience that flies under the radar. You charge it, and it goes and goes.

vivo Y36 – Verdict

For a reasonable R6 999 (which can go up to R7 499 from some vendors like Takealot) the vivo Y36 is a good midranger from the brand. You will receive stable performance, a solid camera outing and a charging experience so on point that it will barely occupy your thoughts.

However, that’s kind of it. Many aspects of the Y36 can be found in contemporaries, and many do it better.

Are they more expensive? Perhaps, but some not by much. What we’re getting at is that, as we mentioned, the South African market is so competitive in this range of devices that brands need to start setting models apart with something special. Something that makes it worth choosing the Y36 over its rivals that are sitting just an inch away on the shelves.

The vivo Y36, for us, has not managed to do this and unfortunately may be forgotten in the swirl of other similar handsets.

FINAL SCORE: 7 OUT OF 10.