vivo S18 – A Powerful Mid-Ranger Worth Considering

vivo recently launched the S18, the latest addition to its popular S-series of smartphones. On paper, the vivo S18 seems like a very capable mid-range device with some high-end specs.

Design and Build

The vivo S18 sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and an impressive 120Hz refresh rate. This gives you a buttery smooth experience while browsing or gaming. The display also gets very bright at up to 2800 nits peak brightness, making it easily viewable even under direct sunlight. The phone has a glass front and a plastic frame/back. At 185g, it feels well-balanced in the hand. It comes in Black, Blue/Green, and Silver color options.

Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, the vivo S18 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset which provides solid performance for daily tasks as well as gaming. It comes in variants with 8GB/12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage. In my experience with other Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 phones, app load times and switching was quite fast without any stutters. Gaming performance should also be good on this phone.

Cameras

The vivo S18 sports a 50MP main camera along with an 8MP ultrawide lens. Selfies are handled by a 50MP front camera. On paper, these cameras seem capable of capturing detailed shots. Low light performance and image quality would need to be tested. Video recording tops out at 4K 30fps which is decent.

Battery Life

Keeping the lights on is a 5000mAh battery, which is sufficient for the phone’s needs. It also supports 80W fast charging, which Vivo claims can top up the battery from 0-50% in just 15 minutes. This should allow quick top-ups whenever the battery runs low.

Pricing and Availability

The vivo S18 is available in India at a starting price of around Rs. 30,000 for the base 8GB/256GB variant. For the price, you’re getting overall solid specs including performance, display, and fast charging – making this an enticing mid-range option if cameras and battery life also deliver.

So in summary, the vivo S18 seems like a well-rounded mid-range phone worth considering, especially for its powerful Snapdragon chip and fast charging capabilities. Performance in real-world usage and camera quality need to be evaluated further.