Vivo T4 Pro review: flagship-like telephoto camera on a budget

• By Sanket Vijayasarathy
Published On: 6 October 2025 | 10:05 IST Last Updated On: 9 October 2025 | 12:18 IST

Vivo’s T series has always positioned itself as value-driven, but with the Vivo T4 Pro, the brand is trying to punch above its weight. This phone isn’t just about small iterative upgrades over the Vivo T3 Pro. Instead, Vivo has packed in features that we’d usually associate with flagships – a periscope telephoto lens, a huge 6,500mAh battery with 90W charging, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset, and a quad-curved AMOLED display. Add IP68/69 durability, stereo speakers, and long-term software support, and the T4 Pro starts sounding like a complete package.

But does all of this come together to make the T4 Pro worth buying? Let’s find out.

A telephoto camera that justifies the hype

The 50MP Sony IMX882 telephoto lens, featuring a 3x optical zoom, is easily the star of the T4 Pro. At its native zoom levels, you get sharp, detailed shots that most rivals at this price bracket can’t deliver. I noticed that when shooting buildings, signs, or even candid street moments from a distance, the T4 Pro delivered photos with impressive clarity. Vivo has also tuned its image processing well here. Colours stay natural, and there isn’t the over-sharpening you sometimes get with mid-range cameras.

Up to 10x digital zoom comes in handy if you’re at a concert or performance and want to capture close-ups of the performer(s), provided there is ample lighting around. Of course, things start to soften as you push beyond 10x digital zoom, but the fact that Vivo offers clean, usable shots up to 10x is a win in itself for this segment.

The telephoto lens can zoom up to 100x, allowing you to capture subjects from a great distance, with AI enhancing the shots for improved clarity. Blurred yet readable text will be sharpened in post-processing, but blurred text that is unreadable when clicked will remain unreadable even after processing. I saw the high-end Pixel 10 Pro XL do this using Pro Res Zoom, and it’s even more impressive that a sub-Rs 30,000 phone manages to come close.

The best part about the 50MP telephoto lens is the portrait shots you get to capture. I was able to take some striking portraits in 3x and 4x, which not a lot of phones in this segment can manage. The Motorola Edge 60 Pro can capture 3x portraits, but the results aren’t as crisp due to its lower-resolution 10MP sensor. When compared to the OPPO K13 Turbo, the Vivo T4 Pro’s portraits delivered better colour reproduction and contrast, whereas the OPPO phone tended to wash out the colours, making it look brighter but less appealing at the same time.

In short, if photography is your top priority under Rs 30,000, this camera gives the T4 Pro a good edge over the competition.

Reliable main camera but no ultra-wide lens

The rest of the camera package is great, too. The 50MP primary sensor captures good daylight images with pleasing colours and a wide dynamic range. Indoors and in low light, Vivo’s algorithms step in to keep shots bright, though sometimes at the expense of natural detail.

The fact that you get an impressive 50MP telephoto and main cameras comes at a cost of losing out on an ultra-wide lens. Yes, the Vivo T4 Pro cannot capture wide-angle shots, as the third sensor is a 2MP bokeh camera, which is a curious choice. I’m not quite sure what the 2MP bokeh sensor is for when you already have a stellar telephoto lens.

The 32MP front camera, an upgrade from the 16MP sensor on the T3 Pro, delivers crisp selfies and is tuned towards social media-friendly shots with smoothed skin tones, which may not appeal to everyone but will work for the audience Vivo is targeting.

If you’re interested in learning more about the cameras of the Vivo T4 Pro, you can read our in-depth camera review, which also compares the phone’s cameras with those of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro and Realme 15 Pro.

Built tough but still looks premium

The T4 Pro doesn’t go for an experimental design. Instead, it sticks to a familiar slim and curved body that looks premium in Blaze Gold and Nitro Blue finishes. The standout here isn’t aesthetics but durability. The phone carries IP68 and IP69 ratings, meaning it can survive submersion for up to 2 hours and even withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. Add Schott’s new Diamond Shield glass, reinforced corners, and a cushioning layer between the frame and screen, and you get a device that feels reassuringly sturdy.

The matte glass back keeps smudges under control, while the frame feels sturdy. At 8.5mm and 203g, it’s not the slimmest or lightest, but the overall build strikes a balance between practicality and polish.

Performance and software

Powering the phone is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, a 4nm chipset that promises a 27 percent CPU boost, 30 percent GPU jump, and better efficiency over its predecessor. Paired with up to 12GB RAM (plus 12GB virtual) and Vivo’s VC cooling system, the T4 Pro should handle gaming and multitasking comfortably.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 does respectably well in benchmarks like AnTuTu and Geekbench, though it lags behind MediaTek rivals like the Dimensity 8350 and Dimensity 8450. That said, Qualcomm’s chipset is one of the better ones when it comes to sustained performance, as it throttled less than its rivals.

Software-wise, it runs Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15. Vivo promises four OS updates and six years of security support, offering longer support than other phones in this segment. Phones such as the Realme 15, Motorola Edge 60 Pro, and Vivo’s own V50e, promise up to three OS updates and four years of security patches. You also get Gemini integration, including Gemini Live and connected app support, letting you interact with Google’s AI assistant more fluidly across apps like Maps, Gmail, and YouTube.

Now, those familiar with Funtouch OS would know it comes with a fair number of pre-installed apps out of the box. You’ll likely need to spend some time removing the ones you don’t use and replacing them with those you prefer. Beyond that, the UI feels a bit dated compared to what other brands are offering. One example of a feature that could use a revamp is the way the control centre and notifications are combined when swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen. On OriginOS, which is finally confirmed to launch in India soon, you get a more feature-rich control centre with better customisation options. If the T4 Pro gets upgraded to OriginOS, I reckon it would make the device even more appealing in its segment.

Reliable all-day battery life

Another notable feature is the 6,500mAh battery. Vivo has used a 3rd-generation silicon-carbon anode design and new packaging to accommodate it without making the phone bulky. The company promises the battery will retain 80 percent health even after 1,300 cycles, i.e. roughly four years of use.

In our PCMark battery test, the phone comfortably outlasts the Edge 60 Pro and OPPO K13 Turbo on a single charge. In real-world terms, the Vivo T4 Pro is a two-day phone for moderate users, lasting a full day with some change for heavy users. Features like Super Battery Saver, bypass charging for gaming, and AI optimisations further stretch usage. Charging is handled by 90W FlashCharge, taking around 40 minutes from 20 to 100 percent.

Verdict

The Vivo T4 Pro feels like a phone that’s trying to punch above its price – and in some ways, it succeeds. The 50MP telephoto lens is a genuine differentiator, producing crisp zoom shots and standout portraits that you simply won’t get from most rivals in this bracket. Add a large and reliable 6,500mAh battery, respectable Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 performance, and long-term software support, and you’re looking at one of the most well-rounded options under Rs 30,000.

That said, the lack of an ultra-wide camera is puzzling, the chipset doesn’t quite outpace MediaTek rivals, and the preloaded apps can be an annoyance. Still, for buyers who prioritise photography and battery life above all else, the T4 Pro delivers terrific value and feels like Vivo’s most confident T-series phone yet.

Editor’s rating: 8.2/10

Reasons to buy

• Excellent telephoto lens for the price

• Reliable sustained performance

• Strong two-day battery life

• Longer software support than rivals

Reasons to skip

• Not the fastest chipset in the segment

• No ultra-wide camera

• Several pre-installed apps