vivo T1 5G review: Midrange gaming phone and more!

vivo has just released another competitive phone for its midrange lineup — the T1 5G. Boasting unique features such as an Ultra-Game Mode, an industry-leading Vapor Chamber cooling system, 1,300 nits AMOLED display, and a 64-megapixel camera, the vivo the T1 is easily worthy of your consideration.

With the market being flooded with different midrange phones, let’s dive into the details and see what this device has to offer.

Packaging

The vivo T1 comes in a straightforward and simple white box labeled with the phone model and accompanied with the brand logo.

Inside the box, you are greeted with the device, a free jelly case, some manuals, a 66W power brick along with a USB-C charging cable, and your SIM ejector. These are all tucked away neatly in their well-organized, designated areas.

Design

The vivo T1 5G follows a familiar and traditional design with thin bezels, smooth surfaces, and a matte, metallic Turbo Cyan finish (also available in Turbo black) giving off a cyan and purple-ish hue when light hits it.

It houses the camera module on the upper left back panel where you will find three cameras neatly arranged in two circular enclosures protected by scratch- and smudge-resistant glass panels. At the bottom, you will find a USB-C charging port, a single speaker grill, pinhole for mic, and a dual SIM tray.

On the right, you will find its power button and volume rocker while the left and top panels are left blank adding to its clean and minimalist look.

The phone is light and thin giving you a comfortable grip while button placement feels natural and within reach.

Display

The vivo T1 5G comes with a 6.44-inch AMOLED display and features a teardrop notch for its front camera located at the top and center.

The screen comes with a 90Hz refresh rate with an astonishing contrast ratio of 6 million:1. Moreover, the peaking screen brightness is cranked up to 1,300 nits providing superior clarity even in direct sunlight. Its 100% DCI-P3 color gamut shows more colors plus its HDR 10+ support makes visuals pop with vibrant and engaging graphics.

Watching your favorite shows simply delivers an enjoyable and immersive viewing experience.

Performance

Powering this device is a 2.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 778G 5G CPU, with 8GB RAM + 4GB virtual RAM and 128GB of storage, an Adreno 619 GPU, and comes with Funtouch OS 12 operating system where daily tasks are handled with ease and precision.

Battery life will definitely last you the whole day on normal to heavy usage thanks to Its 5,000mAh battery paired with a 66W fast charger, claiming a 0-50% charge in just 18 minutes.

As a gaming-focused phone, you can be assured of smooth and lag-free gaming using medium to high graphics.

And as mentioned, the 8GB RAM features an Extended RAM 2.0 , which can draw up to an additional 4GB from ROM, to ensure you of smooth and quick processing tasks you throw at it.

On top of that, the vivo T1 features an “Ultra Game Mode” found in the settings that allows you to customize your device to the settings best for your gaming experience such as Esports Mode, Eagle Eye Enhancement, 4D Game Vibration, Sound Quality and Frame-rate Priority giving you the most enjoyable and immersive mobile gaming experience.

This device also supports 5G connectivity that is ultra-fast and dependable with faster internet speeds. It is also rigged with an industry leading Vapor Chamber Cooling System keeping your device cool no matter how heavy the task, and at its peak performance.

Cameras

You’d probably expect a compromise in the imaging department from a gaming-focused device. But, surprisingly, the cameras did not disappoint at all.

This phone is equipped with a three-camera setup which includes a 64MP f/1.79 main sensor that delivers crisp and vibrant photos followed by an 8MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. Meanwhile, the front features a 16MP f/2.0 selfie camera in a rather outdated teardrop notch design.

Personally, vivo’s camera interface is probably one of the most user-friendly and organized out there. With fun and useful features that will not leave you wanting, it comes with an array of shooting modes such as Night, Portrait, 64MP, Pano, Live Photo, Slow Motion, Time-Lapse, Pro, AR Stickers, Documents, and Dual View.

These modes may seem too common but wait till you play around presets and some of the settings, and you will quickly realize that this device will stand out.

Beginning with the selfie camera in portrait mode, you are greeted with one of the most intricate beauty and lighting settings I have seen on a phone.

It kind of reminds me of creating facial profiles of characters in The Sims 4. This feature allows you to modify your selfies into the perfect portrait of your design with every type of adjustment you can think of. Just be sure the date you found from your online dating app will not be too disappointed when you meet in person.

Photos produced by the main camera are satisfactory with AI being subtle resulting in more natural-looking photos. It does a good job of capturing sharp and vibrant images, however, I did find some photos shot indoors to be a bit over-exposed for my liking leading to a lack of contrast and texture even in well-lit conditions. Therefore losing that punch in depth and color.

Another feature I really enjoyed was the different presets on Night Mode. It gives your photos a cinematic feel through the use of different color grading options adding character and mood to seemingly ordinary photos.

Video recording tops at 4K 30fps and 1080 60p when electronically stabilized. It also comes in a dual view mode which uses both front and rear cameras simultaneously and your standard slow motion.

Conclusion

The vivo T1 5G could easily be one of the smartest choices around as your all-rounder and daily driver phone. There is little compromise for its features and price and at PhP 16,999, you get an AMOLED screen, a competitive camera setup, 5000mAh battery, up to 12GB of RAM plus Ultra-Game mode. 

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Honda Accord EL Turbo CVT review: Packed with road-sensing tech

03/12/2021

When I think of premium midsize sedans like, say, the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, I get flashbacks from the ’90s with their boxy and spacious design and cream-colored interior. Recent models have of course evolved with the times but still has that overall feel — an executive look for the more mature and established individual.

But this Honda Accord that HCPI lent us decided to stand out from its peers with a sportier and youthful approach. It also packs a lot of tech to make driving easier, safer, and more enjoyable. This is the Honda Accord EL Turbo CVT Honda Sensing.

Exterior

What we have right here is the Platinum White Pearl which looks really sporty for me. I’d personally say the other two colors (Modern Steel Metallic and Crystal Black Pearl) have more of an executive feel, but the white variant is very sporty — not in a 2 Fast 2 Furious kind of way but more along the lines of Die Another Day kind of sporty.

Up front, it has full LED headlights with auto-leveling and auto high beam as it senses when no oncoming traffic is present.

Those sensors could be found at the central highest point of its windshield and on the front bumper. These unlock the Honda SENSING technology that we’ll talk about in just a bit.

Running across the front fascia is a unibrow-like ledge in chrome. The application of chrome is seen in other parts of its exterior like door handles and exhaust tips for a bit of added bling. Here we also see its Daytime Running Lights and fog lamps using full LED.

Amplifying its fastback design, the Accord comes with rather aggressive lines that run from the side of the hood all the way to the taillights. The lower part of each door also features sharp accents that further give its exterior personality.

This leads us to a pair of Guide Type LED tail lamps that easily pierce through darkness and even heavy rain. Meanwhile, adding to that is a pair of exhaust tips wrapped in chrome, as mentioned earlier.

Pop the trunk and you get a spacious area easy enough to load stuff the size of golf bags. And to wrap up the exterior, the Accord stands on attractive 18-inch wheels that look like they’re in constant motion even while standing still — a really sporty treatment.

Interior

Once you step inside, you’re put in a more executive setting with the all-black interior and leather-wrapped seats. Needless to say, the cabin has a very premium feel which is exactly what you’d expect from a sedan such as this one.

The interior is very roomy, especially at the back. With the available space, one can easily whip out a laptop and work conveniently while stuck in traffic, for example. And with its included privacy screens, it’s almost like having your own small office on wheels.

I only wish it had those in-car outlets so we could charge laptops and other devices faster in addition to its USB ports for the back row.

Meanwhile, the driver and front passenger have access to an 8-inch infotainment touch unit which is pre-loaded with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This feature allows you to basically port over your phone and its apps to the vehicle’s system — a really helpful feature while driving.

Just like the seats, its steering wheel is also wrapped in leather with silver accents and is populated with buttons for controlling media playback and deploying some of the vehicle’s features.

The Accord comes with an all-digital instrument cluster that’s easily visible at night or during daytime and cycles through different monitoring systems to ensure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape.

A bright red button starts and stops the engine via a simple press. For me, this lone button gives a good break from all the black elements inside. It’s like a reminder that even though the interior feels very executive and mature, it’s also sporty and always ready for a bit of fun.

Honda also did a great job with suppressing the sedan’s NVH or noise, vibration, and harshness. Partner that with its comfy seats and the result is a more enjoyable riding experience even for long trips.

Features

Aiming to make everyday driving easier and enjoyable, the Accord is loaded with bells-and-whistles that benefit both the driver and passengers. These include Smart Keyless Entry, Auto-Dimming Rear-View Mirror, and an intelligent Dual Zone AC.

You can also activate its Brake Hold feature during heavy traffic to eliminate the need to keep your foot on the brakes during bumper-to-bumper traffic. And for backing up, it uses a reverse camera with parking sensors front and back.

If the driver demands more control over its transmission, a pair of paddle shifters are present. And when it comes to making sure your trip goes smoothly, its 8-inch head unit has everything you need — from navigation, music playback, and radio features. It can even let you call and read text messages using voice commands.

Plus, as mentioned earlier, its Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities bring in useful driving apps like Waze and Google Maps for a more updated navigation system. Music streaming app Spotify and even messaging apps like Telegram are also supported.

Safety and performance

Again, the Accord EL Turbo CVT Honda Sensing comes with an array of tech features guaranteed to make your trips not just more enjoyable, but also safer.

As mentioned, it comes with Honda Sensing which is the company’s driver-assistive technology.

Under its belt, the Accord uses its sensors for Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow for long, straight highways while its Lane Keep Assist alerts you and nudges your steering when you start to drift out of your lane.

Same thing happens when you’re close to the side of the road. Its Road Departure Mitigation system will alert you through vibrations from the steering wheel and steers you back to your lane. This forces the driver to use turn signals to change lanes or the system will read it as unintentional swerving and will guide you back.

Additionally, the camera on the passenger-side mirror activates and displays live video on the 8-inch display and it reveals more on that side than simply checking the mirror — it’s great for tight spaces or simply when turning right.

It is also equipped with forward collision warning, collision mitigation, and blindspot monitoring to help avoid accidents. And in case something happens, a total of six airbags are ready to deploy with two up front, two at the side, and another pair for side curtains.

Despite its somewhat bulky design, it drives really light and feels like you’re bringing a normal-sized sedan. A simple tug on its steering wheel and the vehicle easily follows.

And when you need speed, its 1.5-liter turbocharged engine delivers 190hp and 260Nm of torque. It’s powerful and responsive enough to be able to get out of its current spot easily. We’d say the 1.5-liter engine is just right for what it’s powering.

This is then paired with the company’s Earth Dreams CVT and together with the paddle shifters, the driver could easily have fun with the Accord if they wish to and take full control of the sedan’s power.

But then again, a lot of those who are looking into vehicles like this also want to spend time in the backseat. So from that perspective, the Accord is like a smooth-sailing boat, and like what’s been established earlier, it comes with controlled noise and vibrations so you can cruise long roads in comfort.

Creature Feature

As always, in our reviews, The Modern Creatures aims to find special offerings that make them worth having — a Creature Feature if you will that gives a product advantage from its peers. For the Honda Accord EL Turbo CVT Honda Sensing, it would have to be its array of tech and safety features together with its youthful design.

As I’ve said at the beginning, these vehicles have been the cars of our uncles or titos back in their days and we’re used to seeing straightforward features and a design that’s not too flashy. But with this Accord, Honda was able to take away the dull and mundane elements and breathed a fresh design and packed serious tech into this midsize sedan.

Pricing and final thoughts

Although of course, great tech and premium looks come with a rather steep pricing of PhP 2,308,000. But the useful features, Honda Sensing, and its sporty/executive look help justify the price tag.

I’m sure a good chunk of the vehicle’s market would prefer something that looks like this over some of its competition with classic designs and straightforward features — I know I would.

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