With its dual-SIM capabilities the Vivid smartphone adds even more value to solid specs.

XPmobile’s Vivid boasts two SIM slots (conventional SIMs, not micro-SIMs), allowing you to employ a single device for calls coming to your business line and personal number.

Furthermore, by using the phone’s SIM management tool users are able to designate which SIM handles calls and SMSs as well as which one is used for data services. This means that you can buy one SIM from the local operator offering the best mobile data tariffs and get another for the one providing the cheapest voice rates.

Beyond its dual-SIM functionality the Vivid also offers a very decent media consumption experience on-the-go, thanks to packing a 5.0" 720p touchscreen. Demanding 3D games, such as Blitz Brigade and Dead Trigger, play fluently due to the phone’s 1.5 GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6589T chipset and 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage.

Also onboard the Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) device is Wi-Fi 802.11 n, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G HSDPA connectivity, plus an 8 MP autofocus main camera and 2 megapixel front-facing one with a flash. In terms of camera performance, the snappers are quick-on-the-draw and offer extra features including the ability to capture HDR images. However the detail is not on par with other 8 MP shooters from the likes of Samsung, Nokia, or LG for instance, whilst night time shots or photos taken in bad lighting conditions are not the camera’s forte.    

As far as battery life is concerned it manages a working day, despite a relatively small 1700 mAh battery.

To the point

You can get the Vivid smartphone for a very good R 3 499 from XPmobile on 011-462-8806. This is a real bargain, since the device offers an impressive spec-bang to go with that midrange price tag. To illustrate this, the Vivid offers dual-SIM functionality and a bigger display compared to our midrange smartphone of choice, Huawei’s Ascend P6, but costs R2 000 less money.