Looking for a budget Android handset for your elderly parents or home-schooled child? Vivo might have something for you. The company recently unveiled a new entry-level smartphone — the Vivo Y01 — in the Philippines.

Announced last month, the Y01 is available in Elegant Black and Sapphire Blue colors and sports a micro-pattern of vertical lines on the back, similar to the Vivo Y15s and Realme 9i. It carries a suggested retail price of P5,299 (around $101), making it one of the most affordable Vivo phones on the local market. Online, it’s initially offered on Vivo’s official Shopee store, but will also be available on Lazada soon. As a limited-time offer, a pair of Fomee earphones will be given to the first 1,000 customers who purchase the phone.

Unlike those models, however, the Y01 runs on Google’s Android Go edition based on Android 11. The operating system is designed for Android devices with 2GB of RAM or less and should run faster on bargain-basement devices while saving data and without compromising on Android’s core features.

What’s interesting also is that the Y01 is powered by an octa-core processor — in this case, a MediaTek P35 spec with PowerVR GE8320 graphics — which you normally wouldn’t find on phones running the lightweight platform. The lone variant sold in the Philippines comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

It also packs a 6.51-inch HD+ display and a 5,000mAh battery that charges over the older microUSB standard. It supports reverse wired charging as well. For taking pictures, the phone is equipped with a single 13-megapixel rear camera that can shoot portraits with a software-based bokeh effect and a 5-megapixel camera for selfies.

Vivo Philippines’ press release

Vivo Y01 specs

• 6.51-inch LCD display, HD+ resolution
• 12nm octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 processor
• PowerVR GE8320 graphics
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• 13-megapixel rear camera
• 5-megapixel front camera
• 5,000mAh battery
• Android (Go edition) based on Android 11
• Color options: Sapphire Blue, Elegant Black

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