This is the new Vivo T3 Ultra, or as we like to call it, the Vivo V40 Pro Fan Edition! It’s got nearly all the same features as its high-end sibling, the same processor, display, and battery. The design is almost identical too.
The main difference is that The T3 Ultra doesn't get the fancier camera hardware and ditches the Zeiss partnership, which helps keep the price down. But is it worth the price, or should you splurge on the more premium V series? In this article, we'll compare the two options and help you decide which one is right for you.
Vivo T3 Ultra Camera
Let’s start with the camera, because let’s face it Vivo is known for its impressive camera tech. The Vivo T3 Ultra packs the same 50MP Sony IMX921 main camera with OIS as the Vivo V40 Pro. You also get an 8MP ultrawide and a flicker sensor designed to reduce flicker in videos.
Please watch the video to see camera samples.
Photos come out crisp and detailed, with vibrant colours thanks to some extra saturation, especially if you’re shooting in Vivid mode. You can also switch to Textured or Natural mode.
HDR performance is top-notch, making bright skies look stunning and skin tones appear natural, though indoor shots are just okay, not quite up to the same level.
Portrait mode is impressive with its 2x zoom and accurate edge detection. check out how it keeps his beard in focus.
Vivo’s Aura light feature adds extra illumination in low light, but in our testing, it didn’t outperform a traditional flash. The Night mode, however, excels by pulling in more details in poor lighting, giving nighttime shots a noticeable boost.
The 8MP ultrawide performs decently for capturing broader scenes but may show some colour shift and average low-light performance. For video, the Vivo T3 Ultra records in 4K at 60fps with standard stabilisation, keeping shots smooth and detailed. For even smoother footage, you can opt for ultra stabilisation at 1080p/60fps.
The flicker sensor didn’t make much of a difference in our testing, as flicker remains visible in video samples. On the plus side, the front-facing 50MP camera takes well-lit, detailed selfies.
Vivo T3 Ultra Performance
Now, let's talk about performance! The MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chip in the Vivo T3 Ultra is a souped-up version of the already solid MediaTek Dimensity 9200, which dropped last year.
With a 10% boost in CPU and GPU performance, the 4nm octa-core chip makes the T3 Ultra one of the fastest in its class.
It even edged out the more expensive Vivo V40 Pro in Antutu, which uses the same chipset, and slightly outperformed the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-powered Moto Edge 50 Ultra, a phone that costs ₹55,000.
In real-world use, everything is smooth—scrolling, swiping, and app-switching are seamless without lag. Gaming is great too -- BGMI runs at 60fps flawlessly, Call of Duty Mobile hits 120fps, and Genshin Impact, one of the most demanding games, runs well for the most part but causes slight warming and minor frame drops after about 30 minutes.
Now, the model we used comes with 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, but just note you don’t get any storage expansion here.
Vivo T3 Ultra Software
On the software side, the Vivo T3 Ultra runs Android 14 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 14. There are pre-loaded apps, but most can be removed. Look, in our honest opinion, Funtouch OS gets a worse rap than it deserves; it offers plenty of multi-tasking and customization options. Once you get the hang of it, it’s fine to use.
Plus, Vivo offers 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches, pretty standard for this price. However, the OnePlus Nord 4 offers 4 years of Android updates and 6 years of security updates, so we would've liked to see Vivo match that.
Vivo T3 Ultra Design
Design-wise, the T3 Ultra is almost a carbon copy of the Vivo V40 Pro. With symmetric curves on both sides, it feels great in hand. At 7.58mm thick, it claims to be the thinnest phone with a 5500mAh battery.
But seriously, who’s asking for thinner phones? A bit more thickness usually makes phones easier to hold. Still, Vivo nailed the design balance, the T3 Ultra looks pretty sleek and is also lightweight. That means you can keep those long chats going with your girlfriend without a wrist ache.
The camera module is also straight from the V40 Pro. But it works—it looks cool, almost like a bottle opener that adds to the overall design.
Vivo’s choice of subtle colours is a nice touch. We have the frost green variant, which has a refreshing minty vibe, but if you prefer something neutral, there’s a grey option too. The frame is plastic, but the buttons are very tactile and easy to press.
The glass back features a matte finish that resists fingerprints, though it is slightly slippery—a minor issue easily solved by using the included case.
For durability, both sides are protected by Schott Xensation glass. While we’re not certain it’s stronger than Gorilla Glass, we’ve dropped the phone a few times without any scratches. Plus, as mentioned earlier, this phone is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance, which is impressive to see in this price range.
It’s great that brands like Vivo and Motorola are bringing such premium features to the mid-range segment. The phone includes stereo speakers that deliver good output. There’s even an audio booster mode that can amplify call volume to 200%, which is handy in noisy environments.
Vivo T3 Ultra Display
The display is another highlight. It sports a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 4500 nits, making it easily visible even under direct sunlight. It supports HDR on YouTube, so everything looks fantastic but unfortunately, Netflix has yet to make use of it.
The colours are quite accurate by default, but there’s plenty of customisation available in the settings if you want to tweak the look. You get three main profiles to choose from but we stuck with the ‘Professional’ mode since it gave the most neutral and natural colours.
Our main issue with the display is the pronounced side curves, which lead to reflections and colour shifts at certain angles. Additionally, the in-display fingerprint scanner, while quick, is positioned a bit too low on a phone with such a large screen.
Vivo T3 Ultra Battery
Finally, let's quickly talk about battery and charging. The Vivo T3 Ultra supports 80W fast charging, and the charger comes right in the box.
You can go from zero to full in just about 52 minutes and with the 5500mAh battery, you’ll get around 9 hours of screen time on mixed-use, which is really good. And even though some competitors offer faster charging, this setup ensures you won’t be scrambling for a charger often.
Vivo T3 Ultra Verdict
Ok, so, here’s the answer to the question we started with: Should you go for the Vivo T3 Ultra or the Vivo V40 Pro?
If you’re looking for a well-balanced phone with solid camera performance, the Vivo T3 Ultra is a great choice, it really hits the sweet spot.
But if you’re all about the camera and don’t mind spending a bit more, the V40 Pro offers impressive versatility.
