vivo always had a wide range of mid-range phones with powerful cameras. Its latest, the vivo Y73, is one such device featuring a 64MP main camera, together with a MediaTek Helio G95 chipset, and a 4000mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
The Y73 has a retail price of Php 14,999. It launched in the Philippines last March. Can it compete in a tight mid-range market? Let’s find out.
Accessories
vivo never disappoints when it comes to bundled accessories for mid-range and flagship devices. The retail package has the usual set but adds a pair of earphones, which is always appreciated.
In the box
- vivo Y73
- Pre-installed Screen Protector
- Silicone Case
- USB-C Cable
- Charger
- SIM Eject Tool
- Earphones
- Documentation
Design and Display
vivo has a penchant for designing good-looking phones and it shows on the vivo Y73. Our review unit is the Diamond Flare variant, which features an eye-catching design with square patterns and color gradients that changes when shifting against a light source. That being said, the overall design is trendy and seems to be targeted at younger audiences.
The back panel has an AG Matte Glass finish, held together by a polycarbonate frame. I am a fan of the back design which I loved on the X70. It has a soft and silky surface that feels good. It also makes fingerprints less visible, than would a glossy finish.
The phone is comfortable to hold, thanks to its sleek, rounded frame. The overall thickness is only 7.38mm.
At the front, we have a 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch housing a 16MP selfie camera. The screen has narrow side bezels, with slightly thicker top and bottom bezels.
The display itself is bright with saturated, contrasty, and punchy colors. It’s plenty sharp too at 409ppi. Both characteristics combine to make watching videos and viewing content a pleasant experience.
Also Read: vivo V23 5G review: Decent mid-range phone with powerful selfie cameras
On the left side, we have the SIM tray. While on top, is the second microphone. On the right, sit the volume rocker and power button. Personally, I prefer to have both buttons on one side because it makes a phone easier to handle. At the bottom side, we have the headphone jack, the main microphone, the USB-C port, and the mono speaker.
Performance and Battery
The vivo Y73 is powered by a Mediatek Helio G95, paired with a Mali-G76 GPU, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage. The phone supports 4G connectivity. It runs on FunTouch OS 11.1 based on Android 11, which also comes with a digital RAM extension feature that converts unused storage to up to 3GB of additional RAM.
The Y73 performs as you would expect for any modern phone with a contemporary processor. Basic navigation is fast and responsive. Apps open quickly, while animation looks smooth. I haven’t really noticed any stutters or lags during my time with the device.
As expected, graphically demanding games default to low settings. You can get away with medium on some games like Genshin Impact.
Here are the vivo Y73’s benchmark scores:
- AnTuTu – 350,971
CPU – 88,982
GPU – 103,668
MEM – 63,959
UX – 94,362 - Geekbench – 521 (Single-core); 1,625 (Multi-core)
- 3D Mark Wild Life – 1,492
The Y73 has a single speaker at the bottom. Of course, stereo speakers are better almost all of the time. But the sound quality is good, though. The bass is thin, but it’s not tinny. And the volume could use a little more boost. Anyway, you can always use earphones thanks to the 3.5mm audio jack.
As for the battery, the Y73 is equipped with a 4000mAh capacity. While it’s not as big as what you normally find on phones in the same range, it can last a workday with moderate usage. The 33W fast charger can reach almost 60 percent in 30 minutes. While a full charge takes an hour and 10 minutes in our tests.
Cameras
The Y73 is equipped with a 64MP main camera with EIS. Beside it, we also have two 2MP sensors for depth and macro. It also has a 16MP selfie camera.
The 64MP camera pixel bins to 16MP snaps. The camera app has toggles for HDR mode and portrait light effects. You can change aperture settings to blur the background or switch to super macro mode. It also comes with different modes, such as night mode (with night filters), portrait, 64MP, panoramic, pro, and more.
As for videos, it can shoot up to 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. It also has an ultra-stable mode, but it will put a limit on the quality of the video.
Photos from the 64MP camera are good in bright lighting conditions. The colors are contrasty and punchy with good detail. As expected, the phone struggles in low light.
Also Read: vivo X70 5G review: A great phone for avid smartphone photographers
Meanwhile, the 16MP front camera takes decent selfies with good detail and skin tones. Colors are generally good, but there are instances of too much contrast.
Final Thoughts
The vivo Y73 stands out with a sleek and eye-catching design, matched by a decent performance from the Helio G95. It feels really good in the hand as well thanks to the thin frame and the AG Matte Glass finish.
The AMOLED display makes this a good content consumption device, while its cameras will satisfy its target market. What’s more, it can also shoot 4K videos, something you rarely see in this price range.
What holds the phone back is the lack of 5G, which some would undoubtedly look for.
Still, if you’re on a tight budget looking for a capable phone with good cameras, then the vivo Y73 should be on your list.
Price and Availability
The vivo Y73 has a retail price of Php 14,999. It is now available in offline stores across the country, and online on Shopee and Lazada.
vivo Y73 specs
| Display | 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display, 2400 x 1080 |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G95 Mali-G76 GPU |
| RAM | 8GB RAM + 3GB Extended RAM |
| Storage | 128GB Storage |
| Rear Cameras | 64MP Main, EIS 2MP Macro 2MP Depth |
| Front Camera | 16MP Selfie Camera |
| Network | 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi Dual Band, Bluetooth 5, GPS |
| Others | In-display Fingerprint Scanner, USB-C, 3.5mm Audio Jack |
| OS | FunTouch OS 11.1, Android 11 |
| Color | Roman Black, Diamond Flare |
| Battery | 4000mAh Battery, 33W Fast Charger |
