Vivo T4 Ultra quick review: First true flagship killer from Vivo?

India Today

a day ago

From the moment I unboxed the Vivo T4 Ultra, I've taken quite a liking to it. At first, it was just the design that stood out — sleek, solid, and premium — and that's usually the first thing you notice with any new phone. But after using it for a while, I can say I'm genuinely impressed, more by the features than the price. That's not to say there's anything wrong with how much it costs, but when a phone succeeds a model (T3 Ultra) priced from Rs 31,999 and jumps to Rs 37,999, it's bound to spark comparisons. That's a Rs 6,000 hike, and naturally, expectations run high.advertisementNow, this isn't a full review — that'll come later — but based on early use, the Vivo T4 Ultra enters an already crowded mid-range segment with all the right ingredients to stand out. Here are my first impressions.Nailing it with the display and design
The Vivo T4 Ultra is fairly thin and light for a big phone, and the satin finish is easily one of its best design elements. We've seen this before in Vivo's V series, and even in its X series flagships. The T4 Ultra continues that legacy beautifully. I'm not sure how the company manages to pull off satin finishes so well, but if there's one brand that truly nails it, it's Vivo. The T4 Ultra feels fantastic in the hand — it hides smudges well, and has that oddly satisfying texture when you run your fingernail across the back. If you know, you know.advertisementVisually, there's not a huge difference between the T3 Ultra and the T4 Ultra, but eagle-eyed users will spot one key change: the addition of a periscope telephoto lens on the new model.Flip to the front, and you'll find a quad-curved 6.67-inch AMOLED display. It's slightly smaller than the previous model, but features a 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution, and a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. Vivo claims it's brighter than the older panel — and to be fair, that one wasn't bad either.Two things I really appreciate here. First, even though it's not a completely flat display, the quad-curved design gives it that balanced look and feel — more practical than those aggressively curved panels that might look fancy but aren't always usable. Second, the screen supports 1,600 nits in High Brightness Mode, which is a more realistic measure of outdoor visibility. It's a bright, vibrant screen, whether you're watching videos or gaming. Pair it with the excellent stereo speakers, and you've got yourself a solid multimedia experience.Betting big on performanceUnder the hood, the Vivo T4 Ultra runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, a chipset we haven't yet seen in any other phone launched in India. But we've already seen what the regular Dimensity 9300 is capable of — and with Vivo's usual software optimisations, performance so far feels snappy and responsive.advertisementIt's also great to see more brands bringing flagship-level chips to mid-range phones. Just like we now see Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3-powered phones under Rs 50,000, it's refreshing to have a Dimensity 9300+ phone under Rs 40,000. That said, I'm still in the middle of testing, and only after a few more days will I be able to properly comment on the T4 Ultra's overall performance.As for the battery, the phone packs a 5,500mAh unit with 90W wired charging. Honestly, I was hoping to see a silicon-carbon battery here. Not that there's anything wrong with lithium-ion — it works just fine — but silicon-carbon tech would've made a noticeable difference in battery endurance and longevity. Still, the 90W fast charging is a nice bump over the 80W support on the T3 Ultra. In my use so far, it takes around 50–55 minutes to charge fully from zero, which is decent for this battery size.Unsurprisingly, great camerasAt this point, solid cameras on Vivo phones aren't a surprise any more, and the T4 Ultra is no different. Just like the recently launched Vivo V50e, this phone takes great photos. In fact, if you'd ask me: What are two things Vivo always gets right? Without giving it a second thought, I'd say it's design and camera performance.advertisementOn the T4 Ultra, you get a 50-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and a new 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom — a welcome addition for anyone who enjoys taking zoom shots. The periscope lens really adds versatility when it comes to photos and videos. Of course, we'll be diving deeper into the camera quality in the full review, but so far, so good.Summing upThe Vivo T4 Ultra looks like a well-rounded smartphone with a premium design, top-notch display, and reliable cameras. It's definitely an upgrade over the T3 Ultra, especially with the new Dimensity 9300+ chip inside. But it's also more expensive. To Vivo's credit, though, the base model now comes with 256GB of storage instead of the 128GB we saw earlier, which helps justify the price hike a bit.As was the case with the T3 Ultra, Vivo is offering a flat Rs 3,000 discount with eligible bank cards, bringing the effective price down to Rs 34,999. Whether that makes the upgrade worthwhile depends on your specific needs and what you value most in a phone. But based on early impressions, the T4 Ultra seems like a solid contender in the sub-Rs 40,000 category.Stay tuned to India Today Tech for our full review of the Vivo T4 Ultra.