Vivo may be becoming more aggressive in the midrange and premium segments, but that doesn’t mean they’re letting go of the budget range just yet. The Y81i is a testament to that, and it just unveiled itself in Malaysia. It’ll retail for MYR 599, which converts to around US$ 144. Here in the Philippines you can buy it for ₱6,999 through Lazada via Cash On Delivery.

Display, Design and Hardware

The Vivo Y81i is a more toned-down and affordable version of the Y81. This cheaper variant retains the iPhone X-like design that the latter has, with the same 6.22-inch 1520 x 720 HD+ resolution screen. Since they sport the same design and screen size, it’s hard to tell these two devices apart just by looking at them. They also have identical specs across the board as the only main compromise here is the processor used.

The Y81i is a toned-down version of the Y81i, sporting a less powerful MT6761 processor compare to the MediaTek Helio P22 of Y81. It has 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage expandable via microSD up to 256GB.

Camera, Software and Battery

Coming to cameras, the front notch houses a basic 5MP selfie sensor with f/2.2 aperture and AI Face Beauty while the rear houses a 13MP sensor. The front camera comes ready with face unlock as the handset doesn’t have a fingerprint reader. In terms of connectivity, the Vivo Y81i offers 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, micro-USB 2.0, USB OTG, and GPS. There’s also a Motorbike Mode for commuters that rejects calls and alerts senders of the receiver’s current status. The Vivo Y81i comes with a similar 3260mAh battery pack to the Y81 and weighs 143 grams. It will be offered in Red Black and Blue color options. On the software side of things, the Vivo Y81i comes with Android 8.1 Oreo-based Funtouch OS 4.0 which is Vivo’s own custom skin on top of Android. The battery is the same as the Y81 with 3,260mAh capacity which is good enough for up to single day of usage.

Full Specifications:

• Android 8.1 Oreo, FunTouch OS 4.0
• Dual SIM, Dual Standby (nano)
• 6.22-inch HD+ IPS display, 1520 x 720 pixel resolution, ~270ppi
• MediaTek Helio A22 quad-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 256GB
• 5-megapixel front camera, f/2.2
• 13-megapixel rear camera, f/2.2, LED flash
• Face Unlock
• HSPA+, 4G LTE
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.0
• GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
• FM Radio
• microUSB 2.0
• Dimensions: 155.06 x 75 x 7.77mm
• Weight: 143g
• Colors: Matte Black, Red
• 3,260mAh Li-Ion non-removable battery