The Vivo Y31 series has been launched in India as successors to last year’s Y29, but this time with a Pro variant as well. Vivo’s Y-series has several models catering to the mid-range and budget price segment. The Vivo Y31 has a starting price of Rs 14,999, while the Y31 Pro starts at Rs 18,999. Both phones feature a similar design and come with features such as a 6,500mAh battery, a 50MP camera, an 8MP front camera, and 44W fast charging support.
The Vivo Y31 is an upgrade over the Y29, which launched in India last December. The design has been slightly modified for the camera setup compared to the previous model. You’re still getting a premium look and finish in Rose Red and Diamond Green colours. The smartphone also has IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance ratings, the highest available in this segment.
The Vivo Y31 still features the same display, a 6.68-inch HD+ (1608 × 720 pixels) LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a high brightness mode of 1,000 nits. LCD panels are standard in this price category, but you can easily get phones that offer higher resolution, and even an AMOLED panel like the Lava Play Ultra.
The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor, as opposed to the Dimensity 6300 on the Y29. The former is built on the 4nm process, while the latter is on the older 6nm process. Based on this difference, you can expect better performance from the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset. We’d still reserve our judgment for when we review the device.
Vivo has increased the battery capacity from 5,500mAh (Y29) to 6,500mAh on the Y31. The charging speed remains the same at 44W. This is one of the best battery combinations you can get at this price, and the backup should last around a full day. The camera setup is still the same as the Y29, which includes a 50MP primary camera and a 0.08MP secondary sensor. For selfies, you get an 8MP front camera. In this price range, this is the standard camera setup.
The Vivo Y31 comes in two variants: 4GB + 128GB at Rs 14,999, and 6GB + 128GB at Rs 16,499. It’s worth mentioning that most brands now offer either 6GB or 8GB as the base option in this segment. 4GB seems like a dated choice, especially with AI features like Circle to Search and AI Screen Translation on the Y31.
Vivo Y31 Pro
The Vivo Y31 Pro features a slightly larger 6.72-inch FHD+ (2408 x 1080 pixels) LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,050 nits of high brightness mode. The Pro model is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, which is actually common in phones priced lower than the Y31 Pro. Meanwhile, the Vivo Y31 Pro’s competitors use the Dimensity 7400, which is already a generation ahead. That said, Dimensity 7300 is a solid chipset, and we’ll have more to share about the phone’s performance in our full review.
The Pro model also has a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP selfie camera, but it gets a 2MP depth sensor, which should aid in portrait shots. The battery setup is the same as the vanilla Y31. With a 6,500mAh battery and 44W fast charging, the Vivo Y31 Pro should easily give you a day’s backup. Interestingly, the Y31 Pro has an IP64 rating, but it still comes with military-grade durability.
The Vivo Y31 Pro is priced at Rs 18,999 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and Rs 20,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant. The smartphone is available in Mocha Brown and Dreamy White colours.
Vivo’s latest smartphone lineup targets users in the budget lineup with a stylish and durable design at its forefront, a big battery, and cameras. However, the trade-off comes in performance: the 4GB base RAM on the Y31 and the Dimensity 7300 in the Y31 Pro feel out of step with industry trends, where rivals are moving to higher base RAM, faster and newer chipsets.
