The Vivo T3 Pro 5G is a well-rounded smartphone that delivers a commendable experience at a mid-range price. With a sleek design, vibrant display, strong performance, and impressive battery life, it ticks many of the boxes for what consumers look for in a modern smartphone. It does have some drawbacks though, such as the presence of bloatware and issues in low-light photography, although these are minor inconveniences in an otherwise compelling package. What bothers me the most is the UFS 2.2 storage, which is sluggish when compared to other performance-focused phones in this price range.
The Vivo T3 Pro 5G has entered the competitive mid-range smartphone market, battling against formidable competitors like the POCO X6 Pro (review), Nothing Phone (2a) (review), and OnePlus Nord CE4 (review). Priced starting at ₹24,999, the T3 Pro attempts to deliver “pro performance”, appealing to users who seek high performance and longevity in their devices.
With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, a large 6.77-inch curved AMOLED display, and a substantial 5,500 mAh battery, the Vivo T3 Pro looks impressive on paper. It’s also important to note that the T3 Pro shares several specifications with the iQOO Z9 Pro, a recently launched phone from its sister company. So, in this review, I will explore the Vivo T3 Pro thoroughly to see if it can capture the masses’ attention and make a mark in the cutthroat mid-range smartphone segment.
The Vivo T3 Pro is going on sale starting September 3, at noon. The phone is priced at ₹24,999 for the base 8 GB + 128 GB variant, and it will cost ₹26,999 for the top-end 8 GB + 256 GB storage variant. The phone is available in two colours – Sandstone Orange and Emerald Green. It is available for purchase on Vivo India’s website, Flipkart, and select retail locations. There’s an introductory offer that gives HDFC and ICICI card holders a ₹3,000 discount. You can also avail a ₹3,000 exchange bonus and a no-interest EMI plan for up to six months.
The Vivo T3 Pro 5G features a sleek design. It boasts a leather back panel with golden accents, and the aesthetics will be appreciated by many, I’m sure, but personally, it looks a bit too garish for me. Particularly, the Sandstone Orange colour variant, which is a bit too vibrant for my liking. The gold border that runs around the camera module is a tad too gaudy, in my opinion, as well; but looks are subjective, so it’s up to you if you enjoy the aesthetics of the Vivo T3 Pro.
At just 7.5 mm thick, Vivo claims the T3 Pro is one of the slimmest curved phones in its segment. Thanks to its slim profile, the T3 Pro’s in-hand feel is fantastic, and the leather back is quite grippy. The Vivo T3 Pro also does not compromise on build quality. The device feels solid and well-constructed, exuding a sense of durability.
However, it is worth noting that the ultra-thin design comes with some trade-offs, particularly in terms of handling. Users may experience accidental touches along the edges, a common issue with curved displays. This can occasionally disrupt the user experience, especially during one-handed use or gaming.
Overall, the Vivo T3 Pro’s design and build are strong selling points, even though I’m personally not a huge fan of the colours and the look. The phone also comes with an IP64 rating, which means there’s some level of water resistance baked in.
The Vivo T3 Pro is equipped with a 6.77-inch curved AMOLED display that delivers vibrant colours. However, its FHD+ resolution is bested by the POCO X6 Pro which has a 1.5K resolution, making it a tad sharper.
With a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, the display provides smooth motion response and excellent visibility, even in bright outdoor conditions. When I tested the display for brightness, I got an impressive reading of 1,466 nits in Auto Brightness mode, making this one of the brightest displays in the mid-range segment.
The display supports HDR10+ and Widevine L1, so you can watch your favourite shows on OTT platforms in HDR. Colours look vibrant; slightly unnatural, but they certainly pop. Moreover, the contrast levels are good and the viewing angles are excellent. So, while the T3 Pro may not have the sharpest display in this price segment, its high brightness levels and good HDR reproduction make up for the lower resolution.
Under the hood, the Vivo T3 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM. The chipset is also found on the OnePlus Nord CE4, so you can expect similar performance. The device is available in two storage variants, 128GB and 256GB, providing good enough space for your apps, photos, and videos.
However, 12 GB RAM would have been a better option as the phone is also targeted towards gamers. Additionally, the phone sports UFS 2.2 storage, so the read and write speeds aren’t nearly as good as the OnePlus Nord CE4’s UFS 3.1 storage. And the POCO X6 Pro’s UFS 4.0 storage blows the Vivo’s read and write speeds out of the water. So, the T3 Pro definitely falls behind by a considerable margin here. In the PCMark Storage test, I got a Sequential Read Speed of merely 666 MB/s and a Sequential Write Speed of 832 MB/s.
Now in terms of performance, the Vivo T3 Pro does pretty well. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset handles intensive tasks with ease, but a smidge more RAM would have improved its multitasking abilities. In synthetic benchmarks, the Vivo T3 Pro outperformed the Nothing Phone 2a and Motorola Edge 50 Fusion (review) in nearly every test, and its scores were very similar to the OnePlus Nord CE4. However, the POCO X6 Pro outperformed the T3 Pro in nearly every CPU benchmark test. GPU benchmarks didn’t run on the POCO X6 Pro.
For gamers, the T3 Pro includes a dedicated gaming mode that offers features such as performance monitoring and a picture-in-picture mode for apps like WhatsApp, allowing for seamless multitasking during gameplay. Gameplay in games like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile is smooth and lag-free but I faced some frame drops in Genshin Impact after 15 minutes of gameplay, which I didn’t face on the POCO X6 Pro.
As for software, the T3 Pro runs on Funtouch OS, based on Android 14, offering a user-friendly interface with several customisation options. The software experience is generally smooth and responsive, with features like a sidebar for quick access to app shortcuts. However, the UI feels a bit clunky at times and the presence of bloatware is a notable downside. Users who prefer a minimalist setup may find this aspect of the T3 Pro frustrating, although most of the bloatware can be uninstalled or disabled.
The Vivo T3 Pro comes equipped with a dual rear camera setup, featuring a 50-megapixel primary Sony IMX882 camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens. There are three lenses on the camera module, but one of those is a dummy unit.
In daylight, the primary camera captures vibrant images with good colour, but the sharpness isn’t where I’d like it to be. The low-light photography is satisfactory, but the main shooter’s slow shutter speed becomes more apparent in dim lighting, potentially leading to blurry images if there is any movement.
The ultra-wide lens handles colours well, but it falls short in capturing fine details. Portrait photography, on the other hand, is pretty good. The camera performs admirably in well-lit environments, capturing impressive portraits with decent edge detection and natural background blur, but subjects’ skin can look a bit smoothened. And in tricky lighting, you can see some dynamic range issues.
For selfie enthusiasts, the front camera, featuring a 16-megapixel sensor, is capable of taking good photos in ample lighting. However, it tends to smoothen out skin textures in dimly lit environments, which may not appeal to all users.
Overall, the Vivo T3 Pro’s camera system is competent enough but there’s definitely room for improvement here.
One of the standout features of the Vivo T3 Pro is its impressive battery life. The device is equipped with a large 5,500 mAh battery that supports 80W fast charging. In practical terms, this means the T3 Pro can easily last more than a day of moderate usage, including activities like scrolling through social media, capturing photos, and casual gaming.
In the PCMark battery test, the Vivo T3 Pro lasted for an impressive 21 hours and 42 minutes, one of the highest scores recorded in its category. This endurance makes it an excellent choice for users who need a reliable device that won’t require frequent charging throughout the day.
Complementing its long battery life, the T3 Pro’s 80W fast charger can fully charge the device from zero to 100% in about 1 hour. However, users may notice the device warming up slightly during the charging process, which is common with high-speed charging technologies.
Overall, the Vivo T3 Pro’s battery performance is exceptional, living up to the “ultra battery life” claim. Whether you are a heavy user or someone who prefers not to charge your phone frequently, the T3 Pro’s battery life is sure to impress.
The Vivo T3 Pro 5G is a well-rounded smartphone that delivers a commendable experience at a mid-range price. With a sleek design, vibrant display, strong performance, and impressive battery life, it ticks many of the boxes for what consumers look for in a modern smartphone. It does have some drawbacks though, such as the presence of bloatware and issues in low-light photography, although these are minor inconveniences in an otherwise compelling package.
What bothers me the most is the UFS 2.2 storage, which is sluggish when compared to other performance-focused phones in this price range. Gamers would be better off considering the POCO X6 Pro since gaming on it is smoother and the UFS 4.0 storage speeds are exceptional. For those who want a good balance between display, performance, and battery, the Vivo T3 Pro is definitely worth considering.
