vivo has introduced the Y36 as a well-equipped yet budget-friendly smartphone for Gen Zs and content creators on a budget.
It is packed with a clean but trendy design — something that youngsters would really appreciate. Plus, a decent set of specs to cater to their social media needs, content creation, school, and even work. But with its price of Php12,999, can it really provide value to its target audience? We find out in our vivo Y36 review.
vivo Y36 4G Specs
- Android 13, Funtouch OS 13
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.64-inch FHD+ IPS display, 2388 x 1080 pixel resolution, 394ppi
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 octa-core processor
- Adreno 610 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear camera, LED flash
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- Loudspeaker
- IP54 dust and water resistant
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.1
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- NFC
- FM radio
- USB Type-C
- Dimensions: 164.06 x 76.17 x 8.07mm
- Weight: 202g
- Colors: Glitter Aqua, Meteor Black
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 44W FlashCharge
Design and Build Quality
The vivo Y36 immediately impresses with its unique design on the back. The colorway that we have is the Glitter Aqua variant, which has a Blue tone with a Crystal Glass design that looks like a shimmering lake as it reacts to light. A reflective accent surrounds the large camera island that reflects rainbow colors.
But if this color is too much for you, there’s a Meteor Black model that’s a bit cleaner and more straightforward. Both models use Flourite AG Glass. Thanks to the unique design, the rear glass stays clean from fingerprint marks, even without the case.
At 8.07mm, the Y36 is definitely not the thinnest phone around, and you can definitely feel it, especially with the flat edges.
It may not be the thinnest phone, but it really provides a comfortable grip, even with the case on. The weight is also respectable at 202g, which actually makes it lighter than it looks.
On the front, we have a relatively large 6.64-inch FHD+ IPS display, with a clean punch-hole for the selfie camera. The bezels are also very thin.
At the top, we have the secondary microphone for noise isolation when making calls. The SIM tray is also here for some reason, unlike most phones that have it on the side or at the bottom. Not a big deal, though, as it can house two nano SIM cards and a microSD card for storage expansion.
The left side is clean, while on the right, we have the volume controls on top of the lock/power button that also works as the fingerprint scanner. The physical buttons feel really well-made and clicky. No complaints here.
At the bottom, we have the USB-C port, single loudspeaker, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the primary microphone.
The vivo Y36 4G looks good and feels comfortable in the hands — the only thing that matters for a smartphone at this price, at least in the design and build department.
Display and Sound Quality
The vivo Y36 has a 6.64-inch FHD+ IPS display. That’s larger than most phones, which only have 6.5-inch displays or less. The screen resolution is also apt and we’re thankful vivo didn’t settle for an HD+ screen for this one unlike its previous releases.
Color quality is great, although the contrast could be better. The max screen brightness is fine, but we kinda want more, especially when it’s really sunny outside and you want to check your phone.
It also has a fast 90Hz refresh rate, but the smoothness it should’ve provided is not noticeable, possibly due to the underpowered processor — which we’re seeing in a lot of 90Hz phones in this price range.
The Y36 4G lacks stereo speakers. The single loudspeaker is fine but definitely lacks bass. It also has a 200% volume boost feature, but the difference from the standard 100% is barely audible.
Hardware and Performance
The vivo Y36 4G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor — one of the last 4G-only chips in the 600 series. It is joined by 8GB of RAM with up to 8GB of virtual RAM expansion.
vivo Y36 4G Benchmark Scores
Overall performance is passable, but we’re expecting more for a device at this price point. While most apps do run fine, the frequent lags and jitters kinda ruin the experience.
Still, almost everything is pretty doable on this device. Video calls are fine, as well as browsing on social media, editing photos, stitching clips for TikTok, writing documents on Google Docs, watching videos on YouTube or Netflix, listening to music, and more.
Gaming is also decent, as long as you settle with Medium graphics settings. Call of Duty Mobile ran smoothly with overheating being not a big issue. MOBAs like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and League of Legends: Wild Rift ran well with decent frame rates. In case you want to join the latest Farlight 84, that’s playable too without any issues.
Software and User Interface
The vivo Y36 ships with Android 13-based Funtouch OS 13. Definitely not the cleanest Android skin we’ve seen, but long-time vivo users would sure feel at home.
There are a couple of dedicated vivo features we appreciate. There’s the Nano Music Player widget that lets you easily control music from any streaming app anywhere you put the widget on the home screen.
We also like the dedicated System Cleanup widget so you can, in theory, easily clean up the system if you feel it slowing down.
There are also customizable ambient light effects that light up the edges of the screen even when the screen is off every time you receive notifications.
You can also play with different animations for charging, face recognition, USB insertion, and the animation from how it transitions to the home screen.
We also appreciate the storage settings which comprehensively show how much storage you’re using and where you’re using it from.
The RAM settings also show how much RAM the device is currently using. The Extended RAM function is enabled by default and we just let it be to gain an extra multitasking boost — albeit the boost isn’t really that significant.
vivo’s own assistant, Jovi, is more comprehensive on the Funtouch OS 13, giving you more options to configure if you take the time to play with it.
The device also has a Smart split-screen feature, S-capture built-in, Smart Motion, and more.
vivo’s Game Assistant is also here, which is easily accessible on the sidebar while playing any game. It shows the CPU and GPU stats, switching between three modes (Battery Saver, Balanced, and BOOST), Esports Mode, voice changer, block notifications, and more.
It uses Google Keyboard by default, which you can easily get used to if you haven’t used it before, and has access to different emojis, gifs, and more.
The camera app, like in previous Funtouch OS versions, is intuitive and really easy to use.
These are the key things you should know about the UI of the vivo Y36. Let’s just hope it gets long-term update support so it stays relevant for at least two years, and hopefully more.
Camera
The vivo Y36 has a sharp 50-megapixel main camera joined by a 2-megapixel depth sensor. A 16-megapixel selfie camera is on the front. Nothing too interesting here, which is fine considering the price.
Like most phones in this category, the main camera takes acceptable photos in good lighting, but with a noticeable drop in quality in low-light environments. Photos during the day have enough detail with respectable colors, albeit the lack of contrast and poor dynamic range is quite noticeable.
Use it during the night and you’d get less appealing photos. Even with the Night Mode enabled, you can easily see the loss in detail. The colors look a bit washed out, too.
The pixel-packed sensor allowed the camera to take 2x shots, even without a dedicated telephoto lens. We tested it, and the images it took still look clean, with enough detail to be usable.
Meanwhile, the 16-megapixel front shooter is passable. Much like the primary camera on the back, it takes decent selfies during daylight but does struggle in poor-lighting scenarios.
Still, shooting selfies are really fun as the app has different beautification effects. You can also use Portrait Mode on this one if you want to focus to be just on yourself and not any distractions in the background.
Connectivity
The vivo Y36 has dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, vivoShare, USB OTG support, wireless printing, Android Auto, and Nearby Share — all worked fine during our time with it.
But its biggest bummer is the lack of 5G connectivity, which other competing smartphones already have. Anyway, 4G LTE is not that bad and often more than enough in day-to-day usage.
Battery
The vivo Y36 has a 5,000mAh battery, a standard on any phone today. It is paired with vivo’s 44W FlashCharge technology.
It got one of the highest scores in our PCMark battery test, as it was able to last for 19 hours and 16 minutes before the battery dropped from 100% to 20%. That’s after a loop of synthetic workload with the WiFi and Bluetooth off and brightness and volume at 50%.
We’ve also noticed an impressive standby time. In one scenario, we stopped using the device with 35% left, got back to it for a couple of days, and were still left with about 20-25% of juice.
The vivo Y36 continuous to impress in this department thanks to its 44W FlashCharge. In our tests, a quick 15-minute charge from 17% already took us to 39%, another 15 minutes and we’re at 59%. A full charge took about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Verdict
The vivo Y36 is definitely not the most powerful smartphone around, and it’s not the most future-proof, either. While the processor was able to handle day-to-day tasks fine, we were expecting it to be smoother. In addition, the lack of 5G connectivity is really a bummer.
But if the unique design lured you in, we won’t blame you. The glassy back surface and the shiny design pattern make it an eye-candy. Those who are always on the go would also appreciate its long battery life and fast charging.
vivo Y36 4G price and availability in the Philippines
The vivo Y36 is available in the Philippines for a price of Php12,999 at vivo concept stores, Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
Pros
- Unique, eye-catching glass design
- Long battery life
- Speedy charging
Cons
- Underwhelming processor for the price
- Camera quality could be better
- No 5G