India

Vivo U20 review: The most powerful budget phone right now

More capable than its Xiaomi and Realme counterparts

Published

January 18, 2020

Clinton Jeff

In late September of 2019, vivo announced a new budget smartphone called the vivo U10. It was powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 — the same processor found on two of the most popular budget phones at that time: the Redmi Note 8 and the Realme 5.

Vivo’s entry into that very competitive price segment was a pretty good success. Just right after, competition came up with newer models at a slightly higher price segment and so did vivo with the slightly more premium U20.

With Snapdragon 675 running under the hood, the vivo U20 has a slight edge over its competition. But is there more to this phone? Here’s our full review.

Ordinary but solid design

With a 6.53-inch display, the Vivo U20 is a big phone that doesn’t feel bulky. It’s worth noting that vivo went with a full HD+ panel on the U20 instead of the HD+ panel found on the U10. The bump in resolution is much appreciated, as well as the wide viewing angles. The display is bright enough for outdoors or sunny days.

The front of the phone has an odd ridge against the curved frame, making it feel a little uncomfortable when you’re holding it, but it shouldn’t be an issue if you use the bundled case.

Its glossy back catches fingerprints quite easily. You’ll have to keep wiping it clean if you’re particular about smudges and grime, so the case definitely comes in handy.

You’ll find the vivo branding in landscape orientation, with the triple camera module and LED flash along the same line. There’s also the rear mounted fingerprint scanner. It’s smaller than what I’m used to and is placed a bit too high for comfortable use, but it works well and works fast.

On the right side of the phone are the power and volume buttons, and on the left is the hybrid SIM card tray for two nano SIM cards or one SIM card and one microSD card. At the bottom a 3.5mm headphone jack, loudspeaker grille, microphone, and sadly, a microUSB port.

The Vivo U20 is available in two colors: Racing Black and and Blaze Blue. The unit we have is Racing Black.

Capable gaming phone at such a good price

The vivo U20’s internals are actually pretty impressive. The Snapdragon 675 is a pretty powerful processor, especially at this price point. It’s able to handle multi-tasking and gaming with no lag or issues at all. It’s interesting to see vivo come out with it at the same price point as the Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5, which are powered by the much less capable Snapdragon 665.

Coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, gaming with the U20 is a good experience. I played PUBG Mobile on the high preset with graphics set to HD, and frame rate set to high; and hey, I had zero issues — no lag, no stutters.

Just like other phones running on Snapdragon 675, it does get a little warm when you’re playing games after about 20 or so minutes.

Ultra Game mode lets you block incoming notifications and automatically answer phone calls in hands-free mode when you’re playing games. There’s also an off-screen Autoplay feature which lets you run a game even with the display switched off.

Nifty software features you’ll either love or hate

The vivo U20 runs Funtouch OS 9.2 on top of Android 9 Pie out of the box. There a little bit of bloatware pre-installed like Gaana, Amazon, Opera, and a couple more, but you can easily uninstall most of them.

FunTouch OS is something you’ll either love or hate depending on your preference. If you’ve used it before you’ll be familiar with the slight oddities. Otherwise there are a few things you’ll need to get used to that’s not found on other Android smartphones.

For example, you’ll need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the quick toggles which is the exact opposite of the action on every other Android smartphone. If that’s not to your liking, you change it to a swipe down from the upper right corner of the phone — similar to how it is on iOS.

There’s also vivo’s smart assistant Jovi which can recognize products you point the camera at. It can also remind you to drink water every day so you don’t have to install a third party app. Overall, it’s not really much more useful than Google Assistant.

A few features I like are raise-to-wake, the ability to launch apps by drawing alphabets on the lockscreen, and a Motorbike mode. There’s also dark mode and gesture navigation.

Average camera performance

The vivo U20 has a triple camera setup: a 16MP primary camera with a Sony IMX499 sensor, 8MP ultra wide angle lens and a 2MP macro lens. Up front, there’s a 16MP selfie camera.

Vivo’s camera app is hasn’t changed much recently. It has a variety of modes, including night mode, portrait mode, live photo, AR stickers, along with the usual timelapse and panorama. There’s also a pro mode for those who like to tweak their camera settings.

The vivo U20 is quick to focus and handles exposure well. Daytime images look pretty good in the gallery app. You’ll notice that they do suffer in terms of details when you zoom into them. There’s a tiny bit of grain that sweeps into each photo as well.

Portrait photos has pretty good edge detection. Photos come out with a good amount of detail and a natural level of bokeh. There’s also a separate bokeh mode where you can adjust the level of blur. The results are pretty good, too.

The ultra wide angle camera suffers from the same distortion at the edges and lack of details that we see on other phones at this price range.

Low light photos aren’t great unfortunately. There’s a real lack of details and a lot of grain. The dedicated night mode does help get brighter images, but they aren’t that much better. There’s also no image stabilization so you’ll want to stay really still if you’re using the night mode to take photos.

Great battery life

The vivo U20 is powered by a massive 5,000 mAh battery, and that translates to great battery life. You can use this phone for a day and a half on a single charge before you’ll need to reach for the charger.

On a day of heavy usage, with a bit of gaming, a couple shots on the camera, and the usual bits of social media and Whatsapp, I still had plenty of battery life percentage left when I got home at the end of the day.

Despite the gigantic battery, charging the U20 doesn’t take too long either. The bundled 18W Dual-Engine fast charger got the phone up from zero to over 30 percent in half an hour, reaching about 60 to 70 percent in one hour. A charge to 100 percent takes about an hour and 45 minutes.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

No one expected vivo to come out of nowhere and suddenly be this strong of a contender in this aggressive entry-level price segment. This is a company that lately have been pumping out more expensive smartphones, and what we have here is an entry level smartphone that is pretty premium for its price.

Its powerful processor and great battery life are great; if only the camera were better. And if we are to nitpick, we would have loved to not have seen a microUSB port on this phone.

If you’re on a budget and are looking for the most powerful phone in the INR 10,990 price range (US$ 155), the Vivo U20 is your best option right now.

Related Topics:U20 Vivo vivo U20 vivo U20 review

India

TECNO’s POVA 8 5G is both futuristic and future-ready

8000mAh battery, Sony LYTIA 600 camera, Alive Matrix display, and more

Published

June 11, 2026

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Four months after the POVA Curve 2 5G, TECNO adds the POVA 8 5G to their performance-focused arsenal.

Futuristic vibe

TECNO’s POVA 8 5G continues the series’ signature sci-fi-inspired design language. The latest smartphone features sharp geometric elements and a semi-transparent rear panel.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

One of its standout features is none other than the new Alive Matrix Display. It’s a customizable light panel on the back that can display 49 pre-loaded lighting effects for incoming calls, notifications, charging status, gaming sessions, and more. Prospective users can also personalize scenarios to match their style and could actually store many more customized effects aside from the pre-loaded ones.

Beside that LED display lies the 50MP main rear camera based on Sony’s LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) sensor. The said sensor offers improved light capture for brighter and more detailed photos. It also supports 2x lossless zoom. Up front, you’ll get a 13MP front-facing shooter.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Powering the device is MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 SoC. That’s paired together with TECNO’s in-house G1 Signal Enhancement Chip and SE1 Wi-Fi Enhancement Chip — making it a triple chipset smartphone.

TECNO says these chips help improve connectivity in challenging environments such as elevators and basements while boosting Wi-Fi reception.

The phone also features a 144Hz display with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification and military-grade durability.

Last but definitely not the least, its 8000mAh battery that can last as much as two days. For some measure, TECNO says the phone can last up to 85+ hours of music playback, 29+ hours of YouTube streaming, 26+ hours of WhatsApp, or 14+ hours of playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).

Future-ready

Aside from the beastly battery packed inside, TECNO is also bringing several practical AI tools to the POVA 8 5G.

Among them is AI YouTube Summary. This turns lengthy videos into concise notes with key points and timestamps. The device also features AI-powered noise cancellation that helps isolate the speaker’s voice during calls, recordings, and meetings.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

For photography, AI LightMaster 2.0 can remove unwanted reflections, lens flare, and shadows. The phone also supports uploading Live Photos directly to Instagram as Boomerang.

In select markets, users can even access AI Health features that estimate metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiration through facial scanning technology.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Further solidifying its future readiness, TECNO promises two major Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates.

The company is also bundling three years of FREE 256GB cloud storage for POVA 8 5G users. Eligible markets can also receive a 3-month Google AI Plus trial which includes 2TB of cloud storage.

Pricing and Availability

The TECNO POVA 8 5G debuts first in India and is available in 16-Bit White, Terminal Green, and Plasma Orange colorways.

UPDATE: In India, the POVA 8 5G is currently offered in 6+128GB and 8+128GB configurations for INR 29,999 and INR 31,999 respectively.

Specific pricing and availability in global markets are yet to follow along these four color choices: Arc White, Graphite Black, Echo Green, and Helios Orange.

India

Nothing opens first India store in Bengaluru

New retail space blends self-expression, creator culture, and community play.

Published

February 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Photo by Michael Josh/GadgetMatch

Nothing has officially opened its first India store in Bengaluru, marking a major step in the brand’s global retail expansion.

Located in Indiranagar, Nothing Store Bengaluru spans 5,032 square feet across two floors. The space draws inspiration from 1970s assembly lines and workshops, translating Nothing’s rebellious design language into an interactive, hands-on environment built for the local community.

The store puts self-expression at its core. It is the only Nothing location worldwide where customers can personalise their products. A dedicated studio also supports creator unboxings and hands-on content, reinforcing the brand’s focus on co-creation.

The space includes a community hangout zone for events and meetups, alongside playful elements such as vending machines, claw games, and conveyor-belt displays. An in-house coffee shop, seating areas, and workshop spaces position the store as a cultural hub rather than a traditional retail outlet.

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A post shared by Michael Josh Villanueva (@michaeljosh)

Nothing and CMF products are available in store, alongside official Nothing merchandise. The brand says the location will evolve over time through collaborations, workshops, and limited-run installations by local creators, reflecting the rhythm and voices of the city.

Bengaluru was chosen for its role as India’s innovation capital and its community of early adopters, creators, and cultural tastemakers. Indiranagar’s creative energy and lifestyle focus made it a natural home for Nothing’s first physical store in the country.

The Bengaluru opening builds on Nothing’s first store in Soho. The company has confirmed plans to open additional locations in New York and Japan.

Nothing Store Bengaluru opens on February 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM IST. It is located at 660/1, 100 Feet Road, 1st Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. Regular store hours are 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

India

TECNO POVA Curve 2 5G packs an 8000mAh battery

The brand’s biggest battery in a smartphone yet

Published

February 13, 2026

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

This 2026, TECNO is refreshing its performance-focused POVA lineup by adding a new member in it.

Big power without the bulk

Despite its slim and curved 7.42mm design (and weight of only 195g), the POVA Curve 2 5G arrives with TECNO’s largest battery yet — 8000mAh battery to be precise.

TECNO says the battery is TÜV SÜD-certified for long lifespan and is engineered to last up to six years. It’s also rated to operate in extreme temperatures ranging between as hot as 60°C (140ºF) or as cold as -20ºC (-4ºF).

If you’re already in a pinch, there’s the 45W fast charging with Bypass charging support in tow.

Durability was not compromised as it has a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i Front Glass protection, IP64 water and dust resistance rating, even SGS-certification for 1.5m drop protection.

Speaking of front, it features a curved 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. Beneath that glass lies MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 5G SoC.

On the software side, it runs the latest HiOS 16 (based on Android 16) with integrated AI tools in mind. That means AI-powered content summaries, writing assistance, call noise reduction, and automatic photo enhancements.

TECNO’s Ella AI Assistant has also been improved with more personalized interactions across the system. One-tap FlashMemo also exists for instantly capturing on-screen information. Moreover, Mind Hub organizes notes and AI-generated content in one place.

Lastly, connectivity gets a boost, too. With POVA Curve 2 5G’s dual-signal enhancement, it has an improved cellular and Wi-Fi performance in crowded or weak-signal environments. Interestingly, it also supports offline voice, text, and image communication up to 1.5km in open areas.

With all these in mind, TECNO promises two major Android OS upgrades.

Pricing and Availability

The TECNO POVA Curve 2 5G comes in three colorways: Melting Silver, Storm Titanium, and Mystic Purple.

It launches first in India this February 2026. Pricing is between INR 31,999 and INR 34,999 for the 8+128GB and 8+256GB configurations respectively.

It will also make an appearance at MWC 2026 this upcoming March 2 until March 5, 2026.