The vivo T5e has launched in India at ₹13,999, and it arrives with a specification that will stop a lot of buyers in their tracks: it is a 4G-only phone, built around a UNISOC T7225 processor, an HD+ LCD and a single 8MP rear camera. What it does offer is a 5,500mAh battery, Android 16 out of the box, and an IP64 plus MIL-STD-810H durability pitch.
vivo T5e price in India and availability
The T5e is sold in a single configuration:
- 4GB + 64GB — ₹13,999
RAM can be extended by a further 4GB from storage, and the microSD slot supports cards up to 2TB, which matters more than usual on a phone with just 64GB of onboard storage. Colours are Aero Blue and Shadow Grey. It is on sale now through vivo’s own India e-store, Flipkart and offline retail partners.
vivo T5e specifications
The T5e is aimed squarely at battery life and drop resistance rather than performance. The 12nm UNISOC T7225 is an entry-level eight-core chip that sits well below the MediaTek Dimensity and Snapdragon parts that dominate this price band.
- Display: 6.74-inch HD+ LCD, 90Hz refresh rate, 570 nits high-brightness mode
- Processor: Octa-core UNISOC T7225 (12nm)
- Memory: 4GB RAM + up to 4GB extended RAM, 64GB storage, microSD up to 2TB
- Software: Funtouch OS 16, based on Android 16
- Rear camera: 8MP with LED flash
- Front camera: 5MP
- Battery: 5,500mAh (5,380mAh rated), 15W wired charging, reverse charging support
- Battery health: vivo rates the cell at 80% or more remaining capacity after 1,600 charge cycles
- Durability: IP64 dust and splash resistance, MIL-STD-810H rating
- Connectivity: 4G VoLTE — vivo’s own listing does not mention 5G, and the UNISOC T7225 is a 4G-generation chip
- Other: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 199g, 8.19mm thick
₹13,999 for a 4G phone in 2026 is the problem
vivo’s own claims for the battery are specific — up to 18 hours of online video, 47 hours of music and 28 hours of calls on a charge — and a 5,500mAh cell driving an HD+ LCD should genuinely last. But the price is where this gets difficult to defend. Jio and Airtel have spent three years building out 5G across Indian cities, and phones with 5G modems, 1080p displays and better silicon start well below ₹13,999 today. A buyer spending this much is being asked to accept an HD+ panel, 64GB of storage, a single 8MP camera and no 5G at all, on a phone they will likely keep for three or four years.
The honest version of the T5e’s case is that it is a durability-and-endurance phone for someone who genuinely does not use mobile data heavily. At ₹10,999 that would be an easy recommendation. At ₹13,999 it needs a discount before it makes sense against its own 5G competition, including phones in vivo’s own T series.
Software support
vivo has not published a specific OS and security update commitment for the T5e. Android 16 out of the box is a good starting point, but on a phone likely to be kept for years, the absence of a stated update window is worth factoring into the purchase.
