The vivo T3 Ultra is making waves as the best smartphone in its segment, launching at a very aggressive price of ₹31,999. This device is equipped with the powerful Dimensity 9200+ processor, which was a flagship chipset from last year.
It’s a performance beast, and yet vivo hasn’t compromised on the camera quality. The T3 Ultra features an impressive camera setup, with the Sony IMX 921 sensor. The device also has a stunning 3D curved 1.5K OLED display.
The T3 Ultra offers premium features similar to the vivo V40 Pro (review) but at a more affordable price. This positions series-T as a performance series under Rs 35K. The question now is whether the vivo T3 Ultra is truly the best option in the ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 price range. Let’s dive into the review and find out.
vivo T3 Ultra Price & Availability
The vivo T3 Ultra is available on Flipkart, vivo e-store, and other retail stores. It’s available in three storage configurations:
- 8/128 GB: ₹31,999
- 8/256 GB: ₹33,999
- 12/256 GB: ₹35,999
vivo has teamed up with HDFC bank to offer a flat discount of Rs. 3000 on all three variants. You can avail it in the sale starting September 19th.
Pros
- Flagship-level Dimensity 9200+ performance
- Sharp 1.5K OLED curved display
- Great camera with Sony IMX 921 sensor
- 80W fast charging
- Impressive battery life
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- 4K video recording on both front and rear cameras
Cons
- USB 2.0 port
- Pre-installed bloatware
- No macro mode
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Design & Build
The vivo T3 Ultra makes a strong first impression right out of the box. It feels premium in the hand, with a nice heft. The matte finish on the back feels smooth and nice. However, despite the premium aesthetics, vivo has opted for a plastic frame, which might not be as robust as metal.
One interesting design element is the phrase “Professional Portrait” subtly inscribed on the top of the device—a nod to its portrait camera, which we’ll explore later. Alongside this, the top edge houses a secondary microphone and an IR blaster.
At the bottom of the device, you’ll find the SIM card tray that supports two nano SIM cards, a USB Type-C port (unfortunately, it’s the 2.0 variant, which might be a letdown for those expecting faster data transfer speeds), the primary microphone, and the primary speaker.
The left side of the phone is clean and free of buttons or ports, while the right side is home to the power button and volume rockers, with the latter positioned just above the power button. This layout is ergonomic, making it easy to adjust the volume or power up the device with one hand.
The vivo T3 Ultra features a glass back and a plastic frame. The curved design, both on the display and the back, makes it comfortable to hold. It weighs 192 grams and is 7.58 mm thin, striking a good balance between lightweight and slim.
The front has an optical fingerprint sensor, but it lacks a headphone jack, which is now a common omission in this range. On the plus side, the T3 Ultra offers IP68 water and dust resistance for added durability.
Available in Lunar Gray and Frost Green, the Lunar Gray variant I have features a matte finish that looks and feels premium. Overall, the design of the vivo T3 Ultra is good for the price.
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Display
The vivo T3 Ultra’s display is a 6.78” 120 Hz OLED screen with a 3D curved design. If you’re not a fan of curved displays, this might not be for you. However, for those who appreciate a curved screen, this one offers a 2800 x 1260 resolution (about 1.5K), delivering sharp visuals.
However, the default resolution is set to FHD for some reason. So, you’ll have to manually select 1.5K to be able to enjoy the full resolution of the vivo T3 Ultra’s display. For color tuning, you have options: Standard for natural colors (default), Professional for warmer tones, and Bright for cooler hues.
The display supports 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and 105% NTSC color saturation, ensuring vibrant and accurate colors. The screen refreshes at 120 Hz, though it’s not LTPO.
It reaches a peak brightness of 4500 Nits for HDR content and 1200 Nits HBM for regular use, which should be adequate for most conditions, though it’s not the brightest screen out there. The HDR support is there for content on YouTube and Netflix.
The curve on the display is subtle and shouldn’t be bothersome to most users. The top and bottom bezels may appear uneven due to the curvature, but the punch-hole cutout aligns well with the status bar, making for a clean look. Oh, and watching movies and shows on this screen is a delight.
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Speakers
The vivo T3 Ultra features stereo speakers that are loud enough for general use but not not something to write home about. The stereo separation is present but less pronounced than you might expect.
Unlike the T3 Pro, the T3 Ultra doesn’t have an option to boost the volume to 200% or 300%, which might be a downside for those, like me, who found that feature useful. Oh, and the frequency separation is decent, so you get clear sound across different ranges.
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Software
The vivo T3 Ultra runs on Funtouch OS 14, and vivo promises 2 years of software updates and 3 years of security updates, which is standard for this segment. However, the software does come with its share of bloatware, which might be a drawback for some users.
Upon booting up, you’ll see prompts to open the V-Appstore, which can be annoying. You might want to disable V-Appstore and the Browser app to avoid being bombarded with notifications. While you can uninstall most pre-installed apps, some, like the V-Appstore and Browser, are stuck on the device.
Funtouch OS 14 is packed with features and customization options, and the animations are smooth. However, it lacks wallpaper blur and zooming effects.
The haptics on the vivo T3 Ultra is average at best. On the plus side, it has useful AI features like AI Eraser and Photo Enhance, which work well for editing photos. The camera app also offers a ton of watermark customization, allowing you to personalize it extensively. Overall, the FuntouchOS 14 experience has been decent.
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Biometrics
The vivo T3 Ultra’s biometrics are solid overall. The optical fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate, though you do need to press it, and the placement is a bit low for my liking. Still, considering the price range, it’s not a dealbreaker.
The face unlock is also quick in good light, but keep in mind it’s only a 2D face unlock, so it struggles a bit in low light. In brighter conditions, though, it works just fine.
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Performance
The Vivo T3 also features the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chipset, a flagship processor that’s a step-up version of the Dimensity 9200, which was seen in high-end devices like last year’s Vivo X90 Pro.
The chipset is paired with up to 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It’s further enhanced by a vapor cooling system to manage heat dissipation effectively and help with sustained performance.
Synthetic Benchmarks
In terms of benchmarks, I started with Geekbench 6, where I got a single-core score of 1,730 and a multi-core score of 4,177, which are strong results for this segment. In the OpenCL GPU test on Geekbench 6, it scored 9,464, and for the Vulkan GPU test, it scored 8,877, both good numbers.
In the storage test, the results were solid with a score of 90,814, and sequential read/write speeds of 1,644 MB/s and 1,544 MB/s, along with random read/write speeds of 828 MB/s and 632 MB/s, respectively. Oh, and this confirms that the storage is UFS 3.1.
The Geekbench AI test gave me a quantized NPU score of 1,823. In the Wild Life Extreme Test, it achieved a score of 3,681 with an average FPS of 22.05. On Antutu v10, the device scored 1,475,551.
I also ran a CPU throttling test. In the 15-minute, 20-thread test, the CPU throttled to 84% of its max performance, with an average of 260,545 GIPS. In the 50-thread, 30-minute test, the CPU throttled to 63% of its max performance, with an average GIPS of 291,364.
While not the best, these are still good results for the throttling. In the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, it got a best loop score of 3,478, a lowest loop score of 2,383, and a stability rate of 68.5%. While the sustained performance isn’t the absolute best, it’s still good.
| Benchmark | Score / Result |
| Geekbench 6 CPU | 1730, 4177 |
| Geekbench 6 GPU (OpenCL) | 9,464 |
| Geekbench 6 GPU (Vulkan) | 8,877 |
| Wild Life Extreme Test | 3,681 / 22.05 FPS |
| AnTuTu v10 | 1,475,551 |
| AnTuTu v10 Storage Test | 90,814 |
| Geekbench 6 AI Test (NPU quantized score) | 1,823 |
| CPU Throttling Test (15-min, 20-thread) | 84% throttling / 260,545 GIPS |
| CPU Throttling Test (50-min, 30-thread) | 63% throttling / 291,364 GIPS |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | 3,478 / 2,383 / 68.5% stability |
Gaming
Moving on to gaming, I tested four games: BGMI, Asphalt 9, Genshin Impact, and COD Mobile. Starting with Asphalt 9, I played at Default settings and achieved an average FPS of 54.45. In Performance settings, the average FPS was 54.15, and on High settings, it was 54.37. The gaming experience in Asphalt 9 was very enjoyable with smooth performance.
In Call of Duty Mobile, I played on Very High + Max settings and got an average FPS of 58.4. The game ran very smoothly without any noticeable issues.
For Genshin Impact, I first played on the Default (30 FPS Medium) settings and got an average FPS of 29.35. Then, I switched to 60 FPS on Medium settings, where I achieved an average FPS of 58.64, with the device temperature staying under 42°C.
When I bumped up the graphics to High, the FPS remained consistent at 58.08, but there were a few FPS dips, and the device temperature rose to about 45°C after 10 minutes of gameplay.
Lastly, in BGMI, I played on Smooth + Extreme settings, with an average FPS of 55.46. There isn’t a 90 FPS option yet, but I hope it will be added in future updates. On Balanced + Extreme settings, I got an average FPS of 54.89.
In Ultra HDR + Ultra settings, the average FPS was 38.67, with the gameplay still being good despite a few FPS drops. The device did heat up to around 43°C, which seems normal.
| Game | Graphics Settings | FPS |
| Asphalt 9 | Default | 54.45 |
| Performance | 54.15 | |
| High | 54.37 | |
| Call of Duty Mobile | Very High + Max | 58.4 |
| Genshin Impact | 30 FPS Medium | 29.35 |
| 60 FPS Medium | 58.64 | |
| 60 FPS High | 58.08 | |
| BGMI | Smooth + Extreme | 55.46 |
| Balanced + Extreme | 54.89 | |
| Ultra HDR + Ultra | 38.67 |
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Cameras
One of the highlights of the vivo T3 Ultra is its camera system. Not only does it come with a great main camera—the Sony IMX 921—but also gives you a great selfie camera—a 50 MP sensor with autofocus support. Here are the detailed camera specifications:
- Main: 50 MP Sony IMX 921, 1/1.49”, f/1.88, 23.5 mm equivalent, AF
- Ultra-Wide: 8 MP OmniVision OV08D10, 1/4”, f/2.2, 16 mm equivalent
- Front: 50 MP Samsung JN1, 1/2.76”, f/2.0, 20.5 mm equivalent, 93.2°/80.4°, AF
- Video:
- Main: 4K/1080p/720p at 30/60 fps
- Ultra-Wide: 1080p/720p at 30 fps
- Front: 4K/1080p/720p at 30/60 fps
Main
The 50 MP IMX 921 23 mm main camera on the vivo T3 Ultra captures really good photos overall. The 2x crop maintains nice detail in both shadows and highlights.
However, shadows can sometimes look a bit underexposed, and in strong lighting, highlights might get clipped. This makes the camera a bit inconsistent in challenging conditions, but it generally delivers good dynamic range and accurate colors.
There are three color modes: Natural, Textured, and Vivid. In Natural mode, colors stay true to life, while Textured mode adds warmth and enhances textures. Vivid mode, the default setting, boosts and saturates colors. I found HDR to perform better in Natural and Vivid modes, but it was a bit off in Textured mode.
In low light, the large sensor does a good job, giving you good detail with minimal noise. However, HDR could be better in these conditions—it’s not bad, but it doesn’t always manage the lighting as well as it could.
There’s some warmth in the photos, and the Night Mode helps lift shadows, making night shots better. The Sky Enhancement feature is also a nice addition, enhancing the sky in photos. There’s also a SuperMoon mode that uses AI to enhance the moon for you.
Ultra-Wide
The ultra-wide camera on the vivo T3 Ultra comes is an 8 MP sensor, so while it’s not the most detailed, it performs fairly well for its specs. I would have preferred a 12 MP lens for better clarity, but for 8 MP, it holds up decently.
As with most ultra-wide cameras, there’s some distortion around the edges, which is expected, but you’ll also notice chromatic aberration in certain shots. However, the HDR performance on the ultra-wide camera is good enough.
The overall detail is good considering the limitations, and you still get the same color tuning options—Natural, Vibrant, and Textured—as with the main camera. In low light, the ultra-wide lens is decent but not outstanding. There’s noticeable noise in the night shots.
I love taking macro shots. However, since the vivo T3 Ultra’s 8 MP ultra-wide does not have autofocus, there’s no macro mode, which is a bit disappointing, at least to me.
Portraits
The vivo T3 Ultra offers a 2x crop for portraits using the rear camera, and the results are generally good. However, edge detection can sometimes be a bit off. The shutter speed in portrait mode is decent, and you can adjust the bokeh levels, which is nice.
That said, HDR performance in portrait mode can be problematic sometimes, leading to subpar photos with poor HDR, especially in challenging lighting conditions like backlit. This is an area that could use improvement.
In ideal lighting, though, portrait mode performs well, with good foreground and background separation, both in 1x and 2x mode. The skin tones also need a bit of work, especially with darker skin tones.
Front
The vivo T3 Ultra sports a 50 MP front camera with autofocus, giving you generally good photos and videos. Selfies come out nicely detailed, with good color accuracy and a decent balance of HDR, light, shadows, and contrast.
You get the same three focal lengths as on the vivo T3 Ultra—0.8x, 1x, and 2x—which gives you some flexibility in how you frame your shots.
However, HDR can occasionally be a bit off, and while the overall quality is solid, the skin tones tend to be a little too white for my liking. Despite this, the front camera is still a strong performer, especially in ideal lighting conditions.
Video
The vivo T3 Ultra is capable of shooting 4K video at 60 fps from both the rear and front cameras, which is impressive for a phone in this price range. The ultrawide camera, however, is limited to 1080p at 30 fps.
Videos from the rear camera are generally stable and have good HDR and color balance. However, without stabilization, the footage can feel a bit jerky. When stabilization is enabled, which can be enabled in even 4K60, the footage smooths out nicely.
A notable issue is that the autofocus can be slow to lock onto subjects, especially when something suddenly enters the frame. This results in blurry footage until the camera manages to focus, which is something vivo should look into.
In low light, the videos remain impressive, with minimal noise and almost no lens flare issues. The HDR performs decently in most conditions, though it can falter slightly in low light.
The ultra-wide camera delivers generally good video quality with decent detail and stability, but since it’s just 8 MP, there’s some noise in low-light conditions, and the HDR isn’t as strong.
The front camera really shines with 4K60 recording—very rare in this segment. However, keep in mind that stabilization only works in 1080p30 mode. Videos in this mode are stable and look good, though the HDR can sometimes struggle with faces. Overall, the front camera produces good-quality video with plenty of detail.
vivo T3 Ultra Review: Battery Life and Charging
The vivo T3 Ultra’s got a 5,500 mAh battery with support for 80W vivo Flash Charge. Now, the battery life on the T3 Ultra was decent at best. With moderate usage, Wi-Fi and Mobile data mixed, I was getting 7 hours of screen-on time. The apps that I used include Twitter, Camera, Docs, YouTube, and Apple Music in the background.
With heavy usage, the screen time dropped to around 6 hours. My heavy usage included 45 minutes of Camera use, 1.5 hours of Genshin Impact at Medium settings, and other apps like Twitter, YouTube, Docs, etc. Oh, and I didn’t encounter any major overheating issues when using the device normally.
As for charging, the vivo T3 Ultra, like I said, comes with 80W Flash Charge, and the charger is included in the box. So, vivo turns off “Fast Charging” by default, which prevents the device from overheating but takes longer to charge.
The vivo T3 Ultra, with the Fast Charging feature disabled, takes over an hour to charge from 0% to 100%. Should you turn on the Fast Charging feature, which I’d recommend doing, the device takes 15 minutes less, that is—45 minutes, to fully charge the device. The device does get hot, but so much that it becomes problematic.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy the vivo T3 Ultra?
Smartprix Rating: 8.2/10
Design and Build: 8/10
Display & Speakers: 8.2/10
Software: 8/10
Biometrics: 9/10
Performance: 8.5/10
Cameras: 8.5/10
Battery Life & Charging: 8/10
The vivo T3 Ultra is, hands down, one of the best phones you can grab in its price range. The Dimensity 9200+ is a beast when it comes to performance, making it perfect for gamers, multitaskers, and anyone who needs a fast phone. Plus, the camera setup, with the Sony IMX 921 sensor, takes solid photos and shoots impressive 4K video.
If you’re into both gaming and photography, the T3 Ultra is the perfect option. The smooth performance, paired with its great cameras, makes it a dream for anyone who needs both. Add to that the sharp 1.5K curved OLED display and fast 80W charging, and you’re pretty much set.
However, there are issues like bloatware, poor haptics, and occasional issues in the cameras, but it’s a solid device. Now, if no zoom lens is a dealbreaker for you, the HONOR 200 might be a better pick. But just know, you’ll be trading off some performance for that. Unless Zoom is your top priority, the vivo T3 Ultra is where it’s at.
First reviewed in September 2024.
