Vivo Y500 Arrived in Nepal: Built for Endurance, Not Performance

When you look at vivo’s smartphones, the Y series makes up most of them. There are the Y05, Y19s, Y21d, and many more. Amidst the Y series lineup, the Y400 debuted last year. And its successor of 2026 is here, the vivo Y500.

Last year’s Y400 did not have a good processor, and the pricing was off — yes, even before the smartphone price hike wave hit. Now the Y500 arrives right in the middle of that wave. But this time, not only has the price gone up, the specs are better too. But is it finally good enough to actually recommend? Let’s find out.

What is the Price of Vivo Y500 in Nepal?

When I said the Y400’s pricing was off, I mean it was way off. It launched at Rs. 36,999 and had very few redeeming factors. And this year, the successor costs significantly more. The vivo Y500 price in Nepal starts at Rs. 54,999 for the 8/128GB variant and goes up to Rs. 61,999 for the 8/256GB variant. That is Rs. 18,000 more than what the Y400 launched at, which is a massive jump.

If you are looking to purchase, the phone has already launched and is available via vivo authorized outlets across the country.

Okay, sure, the price jump from the previous version is massive, which is not a good sign. But with the Y500, vivo has something to show for it. You are getting a cleaner display, a much bigger battery, and a more refined look overall.

But what about performance? Well, it runs a new 4G chipset that technically performs better than the fan-favorite Helio G100 series. And only two other smartphones have used this chip so far, the itel Super 26 Ultra and the Spectra J3. So how does the new processor fare, and how is the phone overall? Let’s see.

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Vivo Y500 Overview

The vivo Y500 has gone through a major redesign on the back, or more precisely, its camera module. The new pill-shaped camera module instantly gives it a fresh look and makes it look nothing like its predecessor. And personally, I quite like it. It is different from the typical Samsung-style pill module and feels more unique.

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Adding to that, the Y500 also carries an IP68 and IP69 rating. Sadly, the Aura Light from the Y400 is now gone. That was a bummer, because it really gave the Y400 a V60 series type of vibe.

But hey, at least the display looks stunning. You have got a huge 6.83-inch AMOLED panel running a crisp 1.5K resolution with a refresh rate peaking at 120Hz. The pixel density sits at 449PPI, so images are sharp, and the experience is noticeably smooth.

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What makes it even more impressive is that it uses a Q10+ light-emitting material, and the specs closely align with what you find on the X300 Pro. Sure, there are some downgrades like the absence of an LTPO display and PWM dimming, but offering display quality at this level in this price segment is a genuinely nice addition.

Specs aside, vivo has also reduced the bezels on the Y500 compared to the Y400. It is not perfectly uniform like what you find on premium phones, but the chin is very minimal, and at first glance, the bezels feel balanced. vivo is also boasting a 94.47% screen-to-body ratio to back that up.

And you will see every detail clearly as well, even on sunny days, with 2,000 nits in HBM mode and a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. For comparison, the Y400 peaked at just 1,800 nits, so this is a meaningful step up.

With that high a resolution and brightness, you would expect the battery to drain fast, right? Well, not with the chunky 8,100mAh battery it carries.

This makes the Y500 one of the few phones to sport a battery above 8,000mAh. Naturally, with a battery this size, the phone is on the thicker and heavier side, coming in at 8.40mm for the Blue variant and 8.52mm for the White variant, with a weight of 215g. To charge the massive unit, the Y500 supports 44W fast charging, which is also included in the box.

Now to the most important part of the phone, at least for me, and that is the processor. And sadly, it is not that impressive. The Y500 runs the Unisoc T7300, a 4G chipset. And the Y500 is one of those rare phones that costs north of Rs. 50,000 and still offers a 4G chip. That instantly brings down its value in terms of performance.

While the T7300 is still a 4G chipset, it technically uses newer Cortex-A78 performance cores. Even the well-regarded Helio G200 sticks with older Cortex-A76 cores, so the T7300 should have the upper hand on paper.

Unfortunately, real-world reviews tell a different story. Phones powered by the T7300 have been criticized for poor optimization, with noticeable heating and faster-than-expected battery drain, making it difficult to fully trust its performance despite the promising hardware.

To make matters worse, it seems like vivo is trying to hide what processor it uses. The specification and overview page of the Y500 does mention processor speed and core count, but the brand name of the chipset is nowhere to be found. Every other vivo phone on the official website clearly states whether it uses a MediaTek or Snapdragon chip. The Y500 does not, which seems deliberate and a little suspicious.

Just like the raw performance, the camera is also not that impressive. The main camera is actually the same as the Y400, with a 50MP Sony IMX852 main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. The only upgrade in the camera department is the selfie shooter, which has jumped from 8MP to 32MP. That is a significant improvement on the front at least.

Lastly, on the software side, the Y500 boots on the latest Android 16 with OriginOS 6 on top. Years of software support have not been officially mentioned, but if you are paying upwards of Rs. 50,000, at least 4 years of software support from vivo is a reasonable expectation.

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The vivo Y500 gets some things very right, but it also gets some important things very wrong. The display is genuinely impressive, the IP68 and IP69 rating is a welcome addition, and the massive 8,100mAh battery is one of the biggest you’ll find on any smartphone right now. vivo has clearly tried to offset the impact of the price hike by delivering in these areas, and to some extent, it has.

But the 4G UNISOC T7300 at this price point is a hard pass for anyone who values performance. And while the huge battery is impressive, the Y500 doesn’t feel like a particularly well-balanced smartphone. It prioritizes endurance over almost everything else, leaving performance and overall value behind.

If your top priority is battery life, the Honor X9d offers an even larger battery alongside a 5G chipset and more RAM, making it the more sensible choice. On the other hand, if you’re after a more balanced smartphone, options like the Nothing Phone (4a) and the Infinix Note 60 series deliver a much better overall package with stronger performance, better displays, and a more rounded user experience.

What are your thoughts on the Vivo Y500? Let us know in the comments below!