Vivo T4 Ultra Review

The Vivo T4 Ultra has entered the competitive mid-range smartphone market with a bold promise of offering a sleek design, robust performance, and capable cameras, all wrapped in a premium package priced under ₹40,000. But does it deliver enough to be the best smartphone in its price segment? After two weeks of extensive use, here’s a detailed account of my experience with this device.

Design

The Vivo T4 Ultra immediately impresses with its design. At just 7.58mm thick and weighing around 194 grams, it’s remarkably slim and lightweight, making it comfortable to hold for extended periods. The grey variant we tested features a matte finish on the glass back, which not only looks refined but also effectively resists fingerprints and smudges. This practical touch ensures the phone retains its premium aesthetic even with daily use. The frame is made of a sturdy aluminium alloy, adding to the phone’s durability while maintaining a refined look.

The rear camera module is neatly integrated, with a slight bump that doesn’t disrupt the phone’s sleek lines. The sides are gently curved, enhancing grip, and the in-hand feel is luxurious, rivalling that of more expensive devices. The phone also features an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance, providing peace of mind against accidental spills or rain, but don’t take it for swimming.

On the front, the 6.67-inch Quad Curved AMOLED display takes centre stage, featuring slim bezels and a centred punch-hole for the selfie camera. The curved edges give it a flagship-like appearance, though they can occasionally lead to accidental touches during one-handed use. Vivo includes a pre-applied screen protector and a high-quality silicone case in the box, adding value and protection from the start.

Display

The Vivo T4 Ultra’s 6.67-inch AMOLED display is a highlight. With a 1.5k+ resolution (2800 x 1260 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate, it delivers smooth scrolling and vibrant visuals. The colours are punchy yet natural. Outdoor visibility is excellent, with a peak brightness of 5000 nits. During testing, the screen remained readable even under direct sunlight, making it ideal for outdoor use. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures fluid animations and Vivo’s software allows toggling between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz modes to balance performance and battery life. The in-display fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable, unlocking the phone in under a second.

Performance

At the heart of the Vivo T4 Ultra is the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, a flagship-grade chipset built on a 4nm process. Paired with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, it delivers blazing-fast performance. Over the course of two weeks of use, the phone handled everything from multitasking to gaming with ease. Apps launched instantly, and switching between them was seamless, thanks to Vivo’s Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15.

Everyday activities like browsing the internet, participating in video calls, and using social media were easily handled by the device. The phone’s responsiveness was particularly noticeable in demanding scenarios, such as editing photos or videos directly on the device. Vivo’s software optimizations ensure efficient RAM management, and the 256GB storage provides ample space for apps, media, and files. For users needing more, a 12GB RAM variant is also available, though the 8GB model felt sufficient for most use cases.

Gaming performance was a standout. Playing Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on high graphics settings with HDR and ultra frame rates, the T4 Ultra delivered smooth gameplay with no stuttering or frame drops, even during intense matches. The phone did warm up slightly after 20–25 minutes of continuous gaming, but temperatures remained manageable, and performance didn’t throttle. The inclusion of a vapour chamber cooling system likely helped dissipate heat effectively.

Funtouch OS 14 is feature-rich, but it comes with some pre-installed bloatware that can be uninstalled. The software experience is smooth, with useful additions like customizable always-on display, gesture controls, and a game mode that optimizes performance. Vivo promises three years of Android updates and four years of security patches, which is decent but lags behind competitors like Samsung or Google in this segment.

Camera

The Vivo T4 Ultra boasts a triple-camera setup that includes a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide sensor. The front features a 32MP selfie camera. Vivo’s imaging software shines through, delivering vibrant, detailed photos in most conditions.

In daylight, the primary camera captures sharp images with excellent dynamic range and accurate colours. The sensor handles high-contrast scenes well, preserving details in both shadows and highlights. The 3x periscope lens is a rare inclusion at this price, offering crisp, clear shots at medium zoom levels. During testing, it excelled at capturing distant subjects, such as building details or portraits, with natural bokeh. However, image quality slightly softens beyond 5x digital zoom.

The 8MP ultrawide sensor is adequate but not exceptional. It produces decent shots in good lighting, but the colours are less vibrant than those of the primary sensor, and details soften at the edges. Low-light performance across all lenses is respectable, thanks to Vivo’s Night Mode, which effectively brightens shots without introducing excessive noise. The primary camera performs best in this scenario, while the ultrawide struggles in very dim conditions.

The 32MP front camera is a delight for selfie enthusiasts. It captures detailed, well-exposed shots, and Vivo’s AI enhancements smooth skin tones without looking artificial. Portrait mode on both front and rear cameras offers precise edge detection, making Instagram-worthy shots.

Video recording supports up to 4K at 60fps on the primary and telephoto cameras. Unfortunately, there was no option to use ultrawide in video mode.

Battery

The Vivo T4 Ultra houses a 5500mAh Si/C Li-Ion battery, which is an adequate capacity. With moderate use, such as social media, streaming, calls, and occasional gaming, the phone lasted over a day, often ending with a 20–25% charge remaining. Heavy users, including gamers, will comfortably get through a full day, though intensive tasks like prolonged gaming or 4K video recording drain the battery faster.

We conducted a 4K video test, and watching a 30-minute 4K video clip depleted the battery by just 5%. This is impressive, as it means a whole movie can be watched without worrying.

The included 80W fast charger is a game-changer, taking the phone from 0% to 50% in just 23 minutes and a full charge in under an hour. However, the absence of wireless charging is a slight disappointment.