Vivo T3 Ultra in-depth review: A near perfect performance phone for budget buyers
With its impressive specs, including a 5,500mAh battery and MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chip, the Vivo T3 Ultra stands out in the mid-range segment. Despite missing features like wireless charging and NFC, it offers excellent performance and camera quality for around ₹30,000.
2024 has been the year when performance-focused smartphones have completely dominated the mid-range segment. To capitalise on this trend, Vivo launched the T3 Ultra, its first phone under the ‘Ultra’ moniker in the performance-oriented ‘T’ series. On paper, the phone offers everything: a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ processor, a large 120Hz AMOLED display, a 5,500mAh battery, 80W fast charging, 50MP cameras on the front and back, and even an IP68 rating. But is the T3 Ultra really as flawless as it seems, or are there any skeletons in the closet? I’ve been using the Vivo T3 Ultra for nearly two months now, and here’s how it performed in my tests.
Design:
Vivo T3 Ultra comes with a glass sandwich design and is available in two colourways: Frost Green and Lunar Grey. I received the latter variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage for my review period which delivers a minimalistic yet elegant finish. However, having had a look at both the colour variants in close quarters, I can certainly confirm that Frost Green colourway is definitely a better choice among the two.
The T3 Ulta looks almost identical to the Vivo V40 with a similar camera module, sleek design with plastic frame and even the similar placement for Vivo branding with one minor change there is no Zeiss branding for the rear cameras this time around.
With a thickness of 7.58mm and a weight of 192g, the T3 Ultra is easy on the hands and is definitely among the lightest phones out their to carry a 5,500mAh battery. What's more impressive is that Vivo has also managed to pack in IP68 rating for the smartphone, meaning the phone can handle being submerged in up to 1.5-metre deep water for up to 30 minutes. However, the phone doesn't come with NFC, which is pretty standard for this price range and in case you are wondering there is no support for wireless charging as well.
Display and Software:
The T3 Ultra features a 6.78-inch 120Hz curved AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits and 1,200 nits in high brightness mode. Both the front and back glass are protected by Schott Xensation Alpha, which adds a layer of durability.
The display delivers punchy and vibrant colours with deep blacks, offering an overall enjoyable viewing experience. The high peak brightness ensures excellent readability even under direct sunlight. However, the T3 Ultra struggles with flickering issues at night, and the lack of an anti-flicker mode in the settings could be a concern for night owls like me, providing a reason to consider alternatives.
The dual speakers, while not featuring any branding like Dolby Atmos or JBL, deliver crisp and distortion-free audio even at high volumes, making the device suitable for streaming or light music sessions. However, unlike some other Vivo devices, there is no option to boost the volume to 200% or higher.
On the software side, the T3 Ultra runs Vivo's FunTouch OS 14, based on Android 14, with a confirmed Android 15 update scheduled for next month. Beyond that, Vivo has promised one additional year of major updates and three years of security patches.
For those unfamiliar with FunTouch OS, here’s a brief overview. The interface is feature-rich, lightweight, and fast, in my opinion. However, it comes with a significant downside: intrusive ads throughout the UI and a plethora of bloatware apps, which might be off-putting for some users.
Performance and battery:
The T3 Ultra runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ processor, which is comparable to—or even better than—other phones in the ₹30,000 price bracket. While Vivo claims an Antutu score exceeding 1.6 million, the T3 Ultra achieved scores between 1.4 and 1.5 million during my testing period. In terms of competition, the OnePlus Nord 4 (Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3) scored around 1.1 million on Antutu in my tests, while the Poco F6 (Snapdragon 8s Gen 3) reached approximately 1.4 million.
On Geekbench 6, the T3 Ultra recorded a single-core score of 2,064 and a multi-core score of 5,621. Additionally, it achieved a best loop score of 12,196 with 52% stability on 3DMark's Wild Life Stress Test. The phone did heat up noticeably during the 3DMark test, but I didn’t observe similar heating issues during everyday use.
While I’m not an avid gamer, I tested popular titles like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile at the highest settings and encountered no performance issues. The fast app loading speeds and the overall fluidity of the UI added to my positive experience with the T3 Ultra.
One drawback, however, is the phone’s haptics. The vibrations are excessively harsh, resembling those on a budget device. To make matters worse, Vivo doesn’t offer any customisation options for haptic feedback, leaving users with no choice but to disable vibrations altogether.
The 5,500mAh battery on the T3 Ultra can be fully charged from 0-100% in around an hour. This is probably the best battery life I have got in a phone this year, with a consistent screen on time (SoT) of around 8-9 hours.
Camera:
I was initially sceptical about the camera performance of the T3 Ultra, given my previous experiences with performance-focused phones in this price range. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the 50MP primary sensor, which also supports Aura lighting.
The primary camera captures good-looking shots in daylight, with close-to-natural colours and excellent dynamic range. It struggles in low-light conditions, but more often than not, you’ll get a decent-looking shot, albeit with noticeable noise levels. The 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens works like most ultra-wides in this segment—it’s there if you need it, but the colour shift from the primary sensor and the lack of detail are immediately noticeable.
The star of the show, however, is the 50MP front camera, which delivers sharp and detailed selfies with accurate skin tones. There’s some beautification applied to selfies, but it’s not a dealbreaker for me.
As always, you don’t have to take my word for the camera’s performance. A Google Drive link is attached to this article so readers can evaluate the raw images for themselves.
Verdict:
With its massive 5,500mAh battery, vibrant 6.67-inch AMOLED display, flagship-level MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ processor, and a decent camera setup, the T3 Ultra truly delivers on its promise. Add to that an IP68 rating, and it’s an easy recommendation for anyone with a budget around ₹30,000.
However, there are a few compromises to keep in mind—most notably, the lack of wireless charging and NFC, which I find to be a significant miss. The haptic feedback also leaves much to be desired. But if you can overlook these minor drawbacks, the T3 Ultra remains an outstanding choice that outperforms its competition in this range.
| Pro | Con |
| Premium design | No NFC |
| Powerful Dimensity 9400 processor | Poor haptics |
| Good cameras for the price | Flickering issue in low light |
| Long lasting 5,500 mAh battery with 80W fast charging | |
| IP68 rating for water and dust resistance |
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Business NewsTechnologyTech ReviewsVivo T3 Ultra in-depth review: A near perfect performance phone for budget buyers
First Published:21 Nov 2024, 11:10 PM IST
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