CHENNAI: The Vivo S2 marks the return of Vivo’s S series after a fairly long break. The last S Series smartphone – the Vivo S1, was launched in 2019. The 2026 device sits in the premium band of the mid-range smartphone segment. Vivo has pitched this as a stylish smartphone that has a spec sheet to match. It’s easily one of the best looking smartphones in this segment.
The S2 comes in a choice of three colour ways - Regal Bronze, Sapphire Blue and the Silk White that we checked out. This is a gorgeous shade of white with a premium matte finish with shifting colour patterns under light. The S2 stands out with its slinky form, the device weighs under 200 gm despite a robust battery. Even though it’s crafted in a plastic chassis, it still looks premium. It’s also a durable smartphone, geared for drops up to 1 metre.
The first thing you’re likely to notice is the pill-shaped camera module that sets the Vivo S2 apart. Camera performance is reasonably good with most of the camera duties handled by the 50MP primary lens; there’s also a 2MP depth sensor in the mix. The primary lens and the 32MP selfie shooter do a good job in optimal light and can shoot 4K videos. Vivo’s Aura Light Portrait system gives Portrait images a boost. It’s the lack of versatility – there’s no ultra-wide or a telephoto lens, that is a dampener.
If curved displays are your thing, then you will love the 6.83inch (2800 x 1260 pixels / 449 PPI) display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Colours are punchy, this is a great binge-watch screen (with HD and HDR streaming on Netflix) that hits a peak brightness of 3000 nits. The display is complemented with built-in symmetrical dual stereo speakers.
The Vivo S2 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7360 Turbo (4nm) chipset. You get a choice of two storage options – 8GB/128GB or 8GB/256GB. One of our favourite features is battery performance. There’s a massive 7050 mAh under the hood that should comfortably last more than a day. Vivo has bundled a 44W charger in the box that powers this device in quick time. The Vivo S2 scores with its design and display, making it a serious contender in the sub Rs 40K segment.
(Rs 39,999 onwards)
(Ashwin Rajagopalan is a lifestyle writer and consumer technology expert. Catch the latest digital and tech updates in this weekly column.)