• The vivo Y100 is now available at all major network providers in South Africa.
• Another mid-range offer from the brand, the Y100 has less premium specs, for a less premium price.
• You can grab it from Vodacom right now at the discounted price of R7 999 (as of time of writing).

There is a new vivo Y-series smartphone available in South Africa in the guise of the vivo Y100. A little bit cheaper than the vivo V30 and V30e devices launched last month by the South African arm of the Chinese phone maker, the Y100 is another handset replete with varying specifications to juggle price and performance.

Compared to the V-series, the Y-series is the company’s mid-range offering, with specifications similar to those you would find in a Samsung A-series device. But compared to the latest V-series offerings like the V30e, which is about R4 000 more expensive, the vivo Y100 may be disappointing for fans in South Africa.

Especially on the side of the performance, as it sports a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip, compared to the Gen 3 chips in the V30e and the V30. It also comes in at a smaller storage allocation of 256GB.

A smaller smartphone than its V30 cousins, the Y100 comes in two colourways – Crystal Black and a lime green situation called Breeze Green.

The camera array on the Y100 is a bit more humble than those in the latest V-series devices, with an 8MP seflie camera instead of a 50MP snapper in the V30. The Y100’s ultra-wide lense is also an 8MP lens instead of the 50 on the V-series phone.

However, the battery on the vivo Y100 is comparable to the more-premium V30s, coming in at 5 000mAh, with 80W fast-charging. vivo is also promising a four-year battery health feature, meaning the battery will only begin to deteriorate after four years of usage. Of course, most will replace their smartphones before a four-year period is up, so it waits to be seen.

Finally, vivo South Africa adds that the new Y100 comes with IP5X dust resistance and IPX4 water resistance. What does this mean?

IPX4 is one of the lowest water resistance allocations, meaning that the device will survive splashes of water or a light rain. Definitely not suitable for the bathtub or the swimming pool. Meanwhile, IP5X dust resistance means that the device will function unless dust enters its inner equipment in a sufficient quantity. Keep it away from too much sand.

Durability-wise, vivo says that “the Y100 has also undergone rigorous testing, including an 8000-cycle steel wool wear test and a 9H pencil hardness test, ensuring exceptional durability.”

“With its elegant design, durability,  exceptional performance, and user-friendly features, the vivo Y100 is set to enhance user experiences and delight consumers with every innovative feature, all at an affordable price,” said Tony Shi, GM at vivo South Africa.

In the last Y-series vivo device we reviewed, we found that the brand’s mid-range strategy, to juggle certain bits of hardware, some more premium, while some lower, to find the perfect balance of performance, aesthetics, display, accessibility and the most important piece – price – often leaves a device without any soul.

The vivo Y100 is available across all major networks in the country, priced at R9 999, but some retailers like Vodacom are offering the device for R8 499, with a current special in place for R7 999.

[Image – Provided]