Vivo has officially launched the T1 series in the Philippines, expanding its smartphone portfolio by introducing two new handsets. If you’re not familiar — the Vivo T1 series, which comprises the T1x and T1 5G in the country — is the brand’s latest gaming-oriented lineup.

(Update, July 6: Can the Vivo T1 5G game? See how the phone handles even some of today’s most demanding games in this gaming test!)

(Update, June 12: Is the T1 5G really the turbo-charged phone that Vivo claims the unit is? Find out in our review!)

The phones are pitched at a younger demographic, though, hence the tamer specs but more aggressive pricing. Locally, the Vivo T1x carries a suggested retail price of P8,999 (around $172 converted), while the Snapdragon 778G-based Vivo T1 5G costs P16,999 ($325) for 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The latter is available in Turbo Black and Turbo Cyan colors.

The T1 5G is exclusive to Lazada, whereas the T1x is a Shopee-only model. Both devices will be available for preorder at discounted prices beginning today, May 27, until the 30th of this month.

Today, we’re looking at the higher-end Vivo T1 5G in cyan, as seen in this unboxing article. Hopefully, this can make your decision easier, but do check back in a few days for our full review.

The T1 5G, like many of Vivo’s midrange offerings, ships in an unassuming white box emblazoned with the Vivo branding in holographic print. The front of the box shows you how much RAM and storage you’re getting for your money, while the rest of the key specs are listed on the back.

It’s worth pointing out that the local variant of the T1 5G is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, the same chip that powers the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G, Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, and Realme GT Master Edition, among many other capable 5G models.

Opening the box, you’ll find the following:

• Vivo T1 5G with protective film applied
• Clear silicone case
• Ejector tool
• Quick Start Guide
• Warranty card
• USB-C cable
• 80-watt FlashCharge wall adapter

Vivo T1 5G unboxed

The handset doesn’t ship with a pair of wired earphones, but then again, Vivo has decided to skip the headphone jack for its latest release. The other surprise here is the bundled charger: the T1 5G includes an 80-watt power brick in the box. No, that’s not a typo. And sure, although the phone only supports up to 66 watts of fast cable charging, it’s good to know that you can also use it to quickly — and safely — top up a modern flagship like the Vivo X80 Pro, if you choose to upgrade in the future.

Still, 66-watt charging is impressive at this price point. The 4,700mAh gets a 50% charge in 22 minutes and a full charge in about 56 minutes based on our checks.

As for the hardware itself, the Vivo T1 5G features a reasonably slim and attractive metallic body embellished with a fingerprint-resistant coating and a sizable display that has an embedded fingerprint reader for faster unlocking.

The large camera island on the rear plus the gradient coloring on our review unit may give the impression that the T1 5G is more expensive than it actually is. For pictures and videos, you get a 64-megapixel main camera, joined by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 2-megapixel macro option. You also have a bevy of shooting modes, including Night mode, Portrait mode, and, our favorite, Pro mode, which lets you capture RAW files of your photos alongside the usual JPEGs.

The front of the smartphone includes a waterdrop notch for the 16-megapixel selfie camera, and it’s probably the only detail on the exterior that gives away the Vivo T1 5G’s accessible price point. Bright and punchy, the 6.44-inch AMOLED FHD+ screen has HDR10 Plus certification and a 90Hz refresh rate, allowing smoother animations and gameplay barring any hiccups.

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We’ve been playing a bunch of mobile games on this device, and it’s worked out wonderfully thus far, thanks to its capable processor and gaming-centric features. It plays any game, including graphics-intensive Genshin Impact, at medium to high settings without lag or drag. It helps that the handset has an Ultra Game mode, which allows you to activate Performance mode with one easy tap.

That’s it for our unboxing and first impressions of Vivo’s latest smartphone. Stay tuned for our full review once the company’s local embargo lifts.

Specs and price comparison

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