Vivo S18e

Vivo S18e

Vivo S18e’s price in Kenya is from Kes 40,000. It is a 5G network-enabled smartphone released on 14^th December 2023. The handset has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, a Mediatek Dimensity 7200 (4 nm) chipset, and a 50 MP + 2MP main camera. It runs on Android 14 and OriginOS 4 and has a 4,800mAh battery with 80W PD fast charging. Phone storage is up to 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage (ROM). Buy Vivo S18e at Phoneplace Kenya, available in Black, Purple, and Silver colorways.

Unique Selling Points of Vivo S18e

• Superior Display: it features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that supports a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1800nits per inch. Essentially, these features make scrolling through web pages and social media platforms incredibly smooth, especially compared to other phones within the price range.
• Powerful Processor: The handset is powered by a reputable mid-range chipset, the Mediatek Dimensity 7200. This processor delivers reliable performance for everyday tasks, multitasking, and even some light gaming, with no issues of lagging or overheating.
• Software: Vivo S18e phone comes with Android 14 and the OriginOS 4 interface. Although it is a heavily customized interface, it provides a large number of features and customization options for the user
• Decent Camera: Although the camera setup on the Vivo S18e isn’t innovative, it delivers good results for the device. The 50MP main sensor takes decent photos in good lighting conditions, while the 2MP depth lens helps capture close-up shots. The 16MP front camera is also suitable for selfies and video calls. Notably, the main camera records 4K videos.
• Battery: its massive 4,800mAh battery has incredible longevity, making the phone last for an entire day on a single charge, for moderate to heavy usage. Besides, Vivo S18e supports 80W fast charging, which can quickly charge the battery in a short time.

Vivo S18e Features, Technical Specifications, and Price in Kenya

Brand	Vivo
Model Name	S18e 5G
Status	Announced: 13 December 2023 Availability: 14 January 2024
Operating System	Android 14, OriginOS 4
Measurement	162.4 x 74.9 x 7.7 mm (6.39 x 2.95 x 0.30 in)
Weight	193g
Water Resistance	IP54, dust and splash resistant
Display	Type: AMOLED Brightness: 1800 nits (peak) Size: 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) Refresh Rate: 120Hz Protector: –
Processing Unit	CPU: Octa-core (2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 6x Cortex-A510) Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 7200 (4 nm) GPU: Mali-G610 MC4
SIM Card	Dual SIM (Nano Dual SIM stand-by)
Camera Set Up	Main Camera 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.95″, 0.65µm, PDAF, OIS 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) Features: Ring-LED flash, panorama, HDR Video Recording: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps Selfie Camera ·       16 MP, f/2.0, (wide) Features: – Video Recording: 1080p@30fps
Connectivity	Network: 5G Network enabled Technology: GSM / HSPA/ LTE/ 5G Network Speed: HSPA, LTE-A, 5G Supported bands: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
Memory	RAM: 8GB, 12GB Internal Storage: 256GB, 512GB; MicroSDXC: not supported.
Communication	Bluetooth: 5.3, A2DP, LE, apt-X HD Speakers: yes. Wireless internet: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct Ports: USB Type-C 2.0, OTG 3.5mm jack: not supported FM Radio: No Global Positioning: GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS NFC: Yes, supported. USB: USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Colour Variants	Black, Purple, Silver
Battery	4,800 mAh, non-removable 80W wired, PD Reverse wired charging.
Vivo S18e Price	From 40,000

Detailed Product Description

Design and Body Build

Vivo S18e has a distinct design language, opting for a circular camera module with a flat body and flat sides. The front features a punch-hole display flanked by reasonably thin bezels. Measuring 162.4 x 74.9 x 7.7 mm (6.39 x 2.95 x 0.30 in), and weighing around 193 grams, it is remarkably light and portable for its size. It is available in 3 colorways: Black, Purple, and Silver.

The handset’s body consists of a glass front and, a plastic frame. For a mid-range handset, the body material is rather cheap, with no glass protector, and a plastic frame and back pane. The body materials give the device a sleek and modern look but also make it prone to scratches and fingerprints. Notably, Vivo S18e is IP54 certified for dust and splash resistance.

Display

Vivo S18e has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a peak brightness of 1800 nits. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate and an under-display fingerprint scanner. The display has a punch-hole cut-out for the selfie camera and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It also has HDR10+ support and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Notably, the display is protected by scratch-resistant glass and has an attractive, 3D curved design. Vivo S18e’s display is one of the best features of the device, offering a smooth, vivid, and immersive viewing experience.

Camera Set-up

The handset has a dual 50MP camera system, which includes a Sony LYT600 main camera. This setup can capture detailed shots from a distance and is ideal for close-up portraits.

Main Camera

Vivo S18e has a dual rear camera setup consisting of:

• Primary Camera: A 50-megapixel primary camera.
• Depth Camera: A 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth camera.

Featuring Ring-LED flash, panorama, and HDR, the main camera takes high-quality pictures thanks to its sophisticated make. The 50MP primary sensor takes decent photos in good lighting conditions, while the 2MP depth lens helps capture close-up shots. Moreover, the main camera records 4K videos at 30fps.

Front Camera

For selfies and video calls, Vivo S18e is equipped with a 16-megapixel front camera. It decently records 1080p videos.

GCam

In addition to the default camera app, you can also install Google Camera (GCam) on your Vivo S18e. GCam is known for its superior image processing algorithms, which can result in brighter and more contrasty photos.

Performance

Vivo S18e is a mid-range smartphone that runs on Android 14 with OriginOS 4 as its custom skin. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor, which is an octa-core chip with a maximum clock speed of 2.8 GHz. It has 12 GB of RAM and comes with two storage options: 256 GB or 512 GB. The storage is not expandable as the phone does not have a microSD card slot.

Processor

Vivo S18e is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 CPU and Mali-G610 GPU. This processor package ensures smooth multitasking, gaming, and optimizing the seamless user experience for the 5 G-enabled handset.

Operating System

The phone runs on Android 14 with OriginOS. OriginOS is a custom Android skin developed by Vivo. It is designed to offer a more intuitive and personalized user experience, with features such as dynamic widgets, atomic notifications, and super cards. Android 14 is the 19th version of Android, which brings improvements to privacy, performance, and design. Some of the notable features of Android 14 are Material You, which adapts the system theme to the user’s wallpaper and preferences, Privacy Dashboard, which shows the user how apps access their data and permissions, and App Hibernation, which optimizes the storage and battery usage of unused apps.

Storage

Vivo S18e comes with internal storage options of 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, and 512GB 12GB RAM. Depending on your needs and budget, you can choose the model with storage specifications that suit you best. Considering the storage is not expandable, you can opt for the 512GB 12GB RAM and benefit from long-term use without storage limitations.

Vivo S18e Connectivity

Enjoy seamless connectivity and communications with the handset. It comes installed with:

• 5G, 4G LTE, and Wi-Fi 6 for fast internet access
• Bluetooth 5.4 and NFC for wireless data transfer and payment
• USB Type-C 2.0 for charging and OTG
• GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, and BDS for precise positioning and tracking.
• NFC

Unfortunately, the Vivo S18e does not have a 3.5mm jack for audio output, so you will need to use wireless headphones or a USB-C adapter.

Vivo S18e Battery and Power Management

The handset is powered by a 4800mAh battery. It supports 80W fast charging. This feature allows the phone to charge quickly, reducing the time you need to wait for the phone to recharge.

Power Management

• Battery Lifespan: The battery retains over 80% health after 1,600 charge-discharge cycles, extending its lifespan to about 4 years.
• Power Saving Mode: Vivo S18e’s battery has an ultra-power-saving /low-power mode, which is an effective way to extend the battery life of the device. The power saving mode involves limiting screen brightness and contrast, disabling location services, restricting connectivity, and turning off nonessential apps.

Overall, these features contribute to efficient power management and long-lasting battery life on the device.

Pros and Cons of Vivo S18e

Pros

• Unique Design: Vivo S18e’s glass back panel employs a textured photolithography process, creating a silk-like thread appearance while maintaining a smooth surface. The back of the phone displays a three-dimensional translucent texture that shifts with the phone’s movement
• The handset has a dual 50MP camera system, which includes a Sony LYT600 main camera. This setup can capture detailed shots from a distance and is ideal for close-up portraits.
• 4K Video recording capabilities by the main camera
• It features a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED direct screen with a 6,000,000:1 static contrast ratio. It supports the P3 wide color gamut and 8-bit color depth, with a local peak brightness of 1800nit. This provides for a great cinematic and immersive viewing experience.
• Vivo S18e boosts its charging capability, moving from 66W to 80W, and providing a faster charging experience to keep you going.
• Powerful Chipset for 4K videos, 5G, and great gaming experience.

Cons

• No MicroSD support for additional external storage
• Lack of Ultrawide Camera is disappointing for such a mid-range handset.
• The high price limits potential admirers, who may opt for alternative brands that are cheaper but with similar or even better specs.
• No gyro-EIS support for image stabilization.
• No 3.5mm jack port
• No FM Radio support.

Verdict

Vivo S18e is a sleek mid-range smartphone with several notable features and an unmistakably cool design. It stands out from the mid-range pack of handsets for its sophisticated dual 50MP camera system, 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED screen, unique design, and improved 80W wired charging. The phone’s camera system, which includes a Sony LYT600 main camera, can capture detailed shots from a distance and is ideal for close-up portraits, besides recording 4K videos. Equally, its battery longevity is commendable, besides having the fast-charging wired 80W PD unit and support for reverse wired charging.

However, the pricing for the gadget is a little discouraging, with a feeling it is a little overpriced for its specs and performance, especially when compared to rival brands such as Redmi Note 13 Pro+, Vivo V30 Lite, and Samsung Galaxy A34 5G. The lack of the ultrawide camera and no gyro-EIS support limits the full experience one expects when handling such an ‘awesome device’. Overall, it is a beautiful smartphone that will get you buzzing, once you familiarize yourself with it and overlook some of the limitations highlighted.

Alternative Handsets

• Vivo S18
• Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus
• Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
• Realme C67 5G

Check out Vivo smartphones in Kenya.