Up front we have the 5.2-inch display, above it are the earpiece, 5MP front camera, and sensors. Down below are three unlit capacitive navigation buttons for Options, Home, and Back.

On the left is the dual-SIM card tray for a nano and micro-sized SIMs. On the right are the volume keys and the power/lock button.

Up top are the headset jack and the dedicated microSD card slot. Down at the bottom are the microphone, microUSB port, and loudspeaker.

Flip it on its back and you will see the 8MP camera and LED flash, a couple of antenna bands, and the Vivo branding right in the middle.

On hand, the Y55 has a size that is neither too big nor too small, which makes it comfortable to hold even those with small hands. It has a chrome lining on the edges that adds extra grip while the back has a metallic matte finish that repels smudges and fingerprints well.

My only complaint is the plastic body that creaks when you squeeze it. It’s a big turn off considering that it almost looks premium, but feels different to the touch. In addition, it’s also susceptible to micro scratches so you might want to use the protective case that is included in the package right away.

Display and Multimedia

The display comes with a modest 5.2-inch screen size with HD resolution or equal to 282ppi. Pixels are discernible, but not an eye-sore. Screen quality is good with natural colors, wide viewing angles, can produce enough brightness for outdoor use, and has eye protection mode for night-time viewing.

As for the down-firing loudspeaker, it may not look like much but it can produce loud sounds with a subtle bass. It’s not that great though compared to more expensive, media-centric smartphones, but it is better than other devices in this price range, and good enough for some private listening.

OS, UI, and Apps

It’s good that Vivo decided to equip the Y55 with Funtouch OS powered by Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Even the Vivo V3 Max is still stuck with 5.1.1 Lollipop. UI-wise, nothing much has changed. It still has a clean interface with attractive icons. There’s no app drawer as all apps are placed in homescreens.

Swiping from the top to bottom will reveal notifications, while swiping from the bottom will show shortcut keys and recent apps. Doing screenshots are cumbersome though as you need to access it via a shortcut key which takes a few of presses instead of the usual volume down + lock button combo.

One of the features the Y55 is flaunting is the Smart Split. It essentially lets you split the screen in two for easier multitasking like watching a video while reading a message. Not a game-changer, but it’s good to have it even for a 5.2-inch screen.

When it comes to apps, the Y55 doesn’t have a lot pre-installed. It’s mostly Google apps which you cannot uninstall. It’s a bit annoying especially if you’re not using any of them. Other apps include Vivo’s Easy Share wireless file transfer, Facebook, and WPS Office.

Storage-wise, you have 16GB of claimed storage, but with only 8.95GB as usable. That’s pretty much limited, but you can use a microSD card via its dedicated slot for heavy media files like music, videos, and photos.

Camera

Imaging is handled by an 8MP main shooter with a 5MP front for selfies which is what you’d normally find in entry-level devices. Images produced are decent with sufficient details even when shooting indoors or in low-light. Autofocus is also fairly quick, but a bit sluggish when shooting subjects up close.

The front camera, on the other hand, doesn’t offer much in terms of resolution, but it has beautify, one-tap makeover, and smart screen flash for selfies in the dark. Don’t expect great quality flash though, but it will suffice as a fill flash in some scenarios.