Vivo Y31d

The Vivo Y31d starts at Rs. 67,499 for the 6GB + 128GB model. It is built around two things: a huge battery and strong protection against water and drops. The rest of the hardware is basic for the price.

Strengths:

• A 7200 mAh battery with a 44W charger in the box, bypass charging and reverse charging
• IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance
• Loud dual stereo speakers with a volume boost up to 400%
• Vivo's latest OriginOS 6 on Android 16

Weaknesses:

• A 720p IPS LCD with a noticeable chin, where rivals offer AMOLED
• The Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 performs much like the older Snapdragon 685
• No memory card slot, no NFC and no 5G
• At about 219 g, it is heavy

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 costs a little more at Rs. 68,999 but brings a far better AMOLED screen, a 108MP camera, a 20MP selfie camera, a memory card slot and up to four major Android upgrades. The Vivo answers with a bigger battery, faster 44W charging and tougher water protection.

Verdict: worth considering if battery life and durability are your top priorities, for example for outdoor workers or children. For screen quality and overall value, the Redmi Note 15 is the stronger buy.

The Vivo Y31d uses a 6.75-inch IPS LCD with HD+ (720 x 1570) resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, with a centred punch-hole camera.

The big plus is brightness. With 1250 nits in high brightness mode, outdoor visibility is very good, even in direct sunlight. Scrolling feels smooth, colours are acceptable, and TÜV eye-comfort certification makes it easy on the eyes during long viewing sessions. Always On Display is available for a few seconds at a time, which is unusual on an LCD.

Limitations:

• 720p resolution looks soft for the price, especially for reading and video
• The bezels are uneven, with a thicker chin at the bottom
• LCD cannot match the contrast and deep blacks of AMOLED rivals like the Redmi Note 15

It is a bright, comfortable screen for daily use, but it is the phone's weakest area against the competition.

The phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2, with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. There is no memory card slot, so choose your storage carefully.

In everyday use, the Vivo Y31d feels smooth. Apps open and close without stutter, and messaging, social media and video streaming are handled comfortably. AnTuTu scores sit around 480,000 to 540,000.

Gaming is casual at best. Popular games run at around 60fps, but this is not a gaming phone.

Important to know: opinions differ on how new this chip really is. It feels quicker than older Helio G99 phones in daily use, but in practice it behaves almost exactly like the Snapdragon 685 under a new name. Its Adreno 610 graphics chip is the same one used with the Snapdragon 685, so buyers should not expect a big leap in speed.

Performance is fine for normal users, but rivals at this price offer similar or better chips with better screens.

The Vivo Y31d has a 50MP main camera with a 2MP auxiliary sensor on the back and an 8MP selfie camera on the front. There is no ultrawide lens, but a 0.8x option gives a slightly wider view, and 2x works well for portraits.

Photo quality: daylight shots have good detail and dynamic range and look ready for social media. Processing tends to brighten images and lighten skin tones, so faces may not look completely natural.

Useful extras:

• Live Photo, Dual View, Pro, Night and Document modes
• Underwater photography mode, which makes sense given the IP68 and IP69 rating
• AI retouching tools in the gallery

Video:

• Both cameras record up to 1080p at 30fps, with no 4K
• The rear camera has electronic stabilisation; the front camera does not

It is a dependable everyday camera for the price, without anything that stands out.

Battery life is the main reason to buy this phone. The Vivo Y31d packs a 7200 mAh BlueVolt battery, Vivo's largest so far.

Real-world endurance: around 12 to 13 hours of screen-on time, and roughly a day and a half to two days of normal use per charge.

Charging:

• 44W FlashCharge with the charger included in the box
• About 50% in 43 minutes, and a full charge in around 1 hour 25 to 30 minutes
• Reverse wired charging to top up another phone or accessory
• Bypass charging, which powers the phone directly while gaming on the charger to reduce heat

Vivo also promises six years of battery health, so the battery should hold up well over time. There is no wireless charging, which is normal at this price.

The Vivo Y31d ships with OriginOS 6 based on Android 16. It brings a glossy new look, a redesigned Control Center, new icons and extensive lock screen customisation, and it runs smoothly in daily use.

Useful features:

• Origin Island, which shows music, ride and other live updates around the camera cutout
• AI Captions from the Control Center, which can translate videos you are watching
• AI retouch tools in the gallery
• A notification light on the back that also works with the camera
• A 400% volume boost for the speakers

Vivo has not published an official Android update or security patch policy for the Y31d in Pakistan. The Redmi Note 15, in comparison, promises up to four major Android upgrades, which matters if you plan to keep your phone for several years.