vivo recently launched its T4R 5G smartphone in India, after the launch of vivo T4R. This has a large quad-curved AMOLED display, a fast Dimensity 7400 SoC, and a bigger 5700mAh battery. Is this the best phone in the market in the under Rs. 20,000 price range? Let us dive into the review to find out.
| Box Contents |
| Display, Hardware and Design |
| Camera |
| Software, UI and Apps |
| Fingerprint sensor |
| Music player and Multimedia |
| SIM and Connectivity |
| Performance and Benchmarks |
| Battery Life |
| Conclusion |
Box Contents
- vivo T4R 5G 12GB + 256GB version in Arctic White colour
- Clear Silicon case
- USB Type-C Cable
- 44W FlashCharge wall adapter
- SIM ejector tool
- Quick start guide and Warranty information
Display, Hardware and Design
The vivo T4R sports a 6.77-inch (2392 x 1080 pixels) FHD+ 19.9:9 aspect ratio quad-curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen has up to 1800 nits peak brightness and 1300 nits HBM. The colour output is good as well since it has 1.07 billion colors.
The 120Hz refresh rate offers a smooth user experience, especially when you are scrolling through the UI and when gaming. You can select from standard (default), professional, and bright screen colour modes. You can select smart switch or force it to 60Hz or 120Hz.
Visual enhancement optimizes the color and contrast of some pictures for more vivid display effects, says the company. The screen has Diamond Shield Glass protection, and the company also mentions that is uses SCHOTT Xensation α glass.
The phone has a new 32MP front camera inside the punch-hole. There is an earpiece on the top edge which also works as a secondary speaker. You can see ultra-narrow bezels on the sides. The haptic feedback is decent.
Coming to the button placements and ports, the power button is present on the right side along with the volume rockers. There is nothing on the left side. The dual SIM slot, primary microphone, USB Type-C port, and the loudspeaker grill are present on the bottom. The secondary microphone is present on the top. The phone has a plastic frame, and has a glossy finish, but it doesn’t attract fingerprints.
It weighs 183.5 grams, and the weight distribution is good. The Arctic White colour that we have has a refined, textured shade that transforms pure white into a luminous canvas shaped by nature’s mystery and subtle imperfections that make it truly unique, says the company.
It also comes in Twilight Blue colour that is inspired by the shimmering waves of the ocean and the fluid grace of water, wrapping cutting-edge technology in a premium liquid-metallic blue. It has IP68 + IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance, which is a first for the company in the price range. The phone also comes with Military-grade durability (MIL-STD-810H).
Camera
- 50MP camera with Sony IMX882 sensor, f/1.79 aperture
- 2MP Galaxycore GC02M1 sensor with f/2.4 aperture
- 32MP front camera with Galaxycore GC32E1 sensor, f/2.45 aperture
The camera UI is the same as other phones running Funtouch OS. It includes several features such as AR stickers, long exposure, 50MP mode, supermoon, underwater mode and more. Even though the phone has a 50MP rear camera, the final output is 12.5MP in size after pixel binning, and the front camera output is 32MP.
Coming to the camera quality, the daylight shots are good, and it is recommended to enable the HDR option which automatically switches on HDR according to the shot, so that the dynamic range is good. The camera can focus quickly. The portrait mode has decent edge detection. Even though it doesn’t have a dedicated macro mode, 2x zoomed shots are good for macro since it can focus close.
Low-light images are decent as well, but there is noise when you zoom in. The night mode is useful, thanks to the optimization. There is also a supermoon mode with up to 20x zoom, compared to 10x in the normal mode. The supermoon option is a good addition, but you can’t compare it to flagships.
The new 32MP camera does a good in daylight, and the front camera portrait is decent as well, but it is not the best when it comes to low-light. The Aura light is good, but it is not that bright compared to a standard LED flash.
Check out some camera samples below.
Software, UI and Apps
Coming to the software, the phone runs on Android 15 with Funtouch OS 15 on top. It recently got Android security patch for August 2025. The vivo T4R will get 2 Android OS updates and 3 years of security updates, similar to older T series phones.
Funtouch OS 15 brings vivo’s Priority Scheduling model for 15% faster app startup time, has a zRAM compression algorithm, resulting in a 40% boost in compression speed, vivo’s Origin Animation for a more natural and intuitive user experience. The Lightning-Speed Engine offers faster app launches, and Aqua Dynamic Effect adds a visually pleasing touch to system interactions.
There is AI eraser and image cutouts, AI Super Document, AI Circle to Search, and AI Note assist. Live wallpapers are now seamless, and there is also a customized call background. There is Link to Windows that enhances collaboration between your vivo device and PC.
Out of 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM, about 11.19GB is usable, out of which 4.5GB is free when the default apps are running in the background. There is an additional 12GB RAM expansion feature. Out of 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage, 221GB is free out of the box.
Apart from the usual set of utility and Google apps, it comes preloaded with a lot of apps such as Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Netflix, Spotify, and PhonePe. These apps can be uninstalled, but they come back after a reset.
Fingerprint sensor and Face unlock
The phone has an optical in-display fingerprint sensor which immediately unlocks the phone just by keeping your finger on the sensor. You can add up to 5 fingerprints. There are different animation styles that display when you unlock, which you can disable. The phone also has face unlock that can unlock the phone in seconds, but it is not as secure as fingerprint.
Music and Multimedia
The default Music Player also has equalizer and DeepField sound effects. It doesn’t have FM Radio support. There is audio super resolution, and super audio features. Audio through the stereo speakers and through the headphones are good.
This has Widevine L1 so that you can play HD content on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and other streaming apps. It also supports HDR playback on YouTube and Netflix.
Dual SIM and Connectivity
It has the usual set of connectivity features such as 5G with support for n1/n3/n5/n8/n28B/n40/n77/n78 bands, and supports Airtel and Jio 5G out of the box. There is also dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6 802.11be (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.4, GPS + GLONASS, but it lacks NFC support. It also has USB OTG support, and it has USB 2.0.
vivo says that the phone has 360° antenna that reduces network blind spots, and adds signal bridge technology to significantly improve low-frequency signal strength We did not face any call drops and the earpiece volume is good. It has the company’s own dialer with option for auto call recording.
The vivo T4R’s body SAR is 0.891W/Kg and head SAR is at 0.989/Kg which is way under the limit in India which is 1.6 W/kg (over 1 g).
Performance and Benchmarks
It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 SoC. It has 4X Arm Cortex-A78 cores at up to 2.6GHz, paired with 4X Arm Cortex-A55 cores at 2GHz. This uses TSMC’s 4nm process. The phone has vapor chamber liquid cooling, but the company doesn’t reveal the size. There is also graphite material on the front and back of the device, the company added.
The new Arm Mali-G615 GPU does a good job in games. The Dimensity 7400 is a minor upgrade over the 7300. There is graphite cooling with 13690mm² total cooling area and there are 10 temperature sensors for intelligent cooling. You can play graphic-intensive games like COD, BGMI, and Genshin Impact, but can’t expect sustained peak performance is high graphics mode. In BGMI HDR Extreme works.
In a 3D Mark wildlife stress test, it scored 98.8% which is good. The temperature increased from 34 to 38 degrees, which is not much. That said, check out some synthetic benchmark scores below.
Battery life
Coming to the battery life, the phone packs a 5700mAh battery that can easily last for more than a day with heavy use, thanks to the optimization.
I got close to 6 hours of screen on time with close to 2 and a half days of use mostly on Wi-Fi, and occasional 5G use with a Smart refresh rate, which is good.
Since the phone has support for 44W fast charging, it can charge up to 50% in about half an hour and up to 100% in over an hour. There is also a bypass charging feature when gaming, so the charging current bypasses the battery to go straight to the motherboard, so it doesn’t affect the battery.
Conclusion
The vivo T4R 5G enters a highly competitive sub-Rs. 20,000 segment with a strong set of features that make it a compelling choice. Its headline-grabbing quad-curved AMOLED display is a standout feature, offering a premium visual experience with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
The phone’s performance, powered by the Dimensity 7400 SoC, is smooth and reliable for everyday tasks and gaming. The excellent battery life, thanks to the large 5700mAh cell, ensures the device can easily last more than a day on a single charge.
The inclusion of IP68 + IP69 ratings and Military-grade durability is a significant advantage, setting it apart from many competitors in this price bracket.
While the camera performance is decent, especially for daylight shots, the absence of an ultra-wide sensor is a noticeable omission. The software, Funtouch OS 15, while offering new features and performance enhancements, comes with a fair share of preloaded bloatware. However, these are minor trade-offs for a phone that excels in core areas like display, performance, and battery life.
Overall, the vivo T4R 5G is a well-rounded smartphone that justifies its price. It’s an ideal choice for users who prioritize a premium display, long battery life, and robust performance, while also appreciating the added durability features. It may not be a perfect phone, but with the launch offers, it is arguably one of the best value-for-money options available in the market right now.
Pricing and availability
The vivo T4R is priced at Rs. 19,499 for the 8GB + 128GB model, 8GB + 256GB model costs Rs. 21,499 and the top-end 12GB + 256GB model costs Rs. 23,499. It is available through Flipkart, vivo India eStore and offline stores.
Alternatives
You can also check the iQOO Z10R with similar specifications, if you are looking to buy it online. The latest realme P4 5G should also be a good alternative in the similar price range.
If you spend a big more there is iQOO Z10 and vivo T4 with a bigger battery, and faster charging, but it also doesn’t have an ultra-wide camera, and lacks stereo speakers.
Pros
- 120Hz curved AMOLED display is good
- Smooth performance
- Main camera is good in daylight
- IP68 + IP69 ratings
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- No ultra-wide camera
- A lot of preloaded apps