In this article, we compare the Huawei Y7 2019 and the vivo Y11 and see who is the better pic for under PHP 7K.
 |
| Comparo time |
The Huawei Y7 and the vivo Y11 are priced similarly at PHP 6,990 and PHP 6,490 respectively.
Inside the Huawei Y7 is a 14nm Snapdragon 450 processor, Adreno 506, GPU, 4GB RAM, 64GB of storage, and 4,000mAh battery while the vivo Y11 has the 12nm Snapdragon 439 processor, Adreno 505 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage and 4,230mAh battery.
With similar prices and similar specs, we wanted to see which is the better pick. Let's find out.
Build Quality/Design
 |
| Rear side |
Both smartphones are built similarly where the front is made of glass, the frame is made of high-quality polycarbonate and the back panel is made of glasstic.
What makes the Huawei Y7 standout is its slimmer profile and the curve of the back glasstic panel is deeper than the y7's super shallow curve.
At 8.1 mm, the Huawei Y7 is significantly slimmer than the vivo Y11's 8.92 mm which also translates to a lighter 168 gram Huawei Y7 package over the vivo's 190.5g. These numbers may look small, but it adds to the better hand holding feel of the Huawei Y7.
These small factors make the Y7 so much easier, much lighter, and more pleasant to hold in the hand even after an extended time. In fact, the Y11 feels sharp in hand.
Both smartphones are fingerprint magnets are slippery to hold so we recommend getting a case for either phone.
The Huawei Y7 and vivo Y11 have slim bezels top and side bezels with a top-notch that houses the front-facing camera. Both have a thicker bottom bezel that you get used after a while. Above the notch and camera is the earpiece.
What makes the Huawei Y7 standout is its slimmer profile and the curve of the back glasstic panel is deeper than the y7's super shallow curve.
At 8.1 mm, the Huawei Y7 is significantly slimmer than the vivo Y11's 8.92 mm which also translates to a lighter 168 gram Huawei Y7 package over the vivo's 190.5g. These numbers may look small, but it adds to the better hand holding feel of the Huawei Y7.
These small factors make the Y7 so much easier, much lighter, and more pleasant to hold in the hand even after an extended time. In fact, the Y11 feels sharp in hand.
Both smartphones are fingerprint magnets are slippery to hold so we recommend getting a case for either phone.
The Huawei Y7 and vivo Y11 have slim bezels top and side bezels with a top-notch that houses the front-facing camera. Both have a thicker bottom bezel that you get used after a while. Above the notch and camera is the earpiece.
 |
| Top and bottom side |
On top of the vivo is a smooth surface while the Huawei Y7 has the headphone jack and the microphone port while at the bottom the Huawei Y7 has two sets of speaker grills and the micro-USB port. Only one speaker set has audio output. While the vivo Y11 has one set of speaker grills, micro-USB port, a microphone port, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
 |
| Left and right side |
On the left side of both phones are the SIM tray while at the right side of each phone are the volume rocker and power button.
Multimedia Experience
 |
| Netflix capable |
The Huawei Y7 has a 6.26-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1520 x 720 at 269 ppi while the vivo Y11 has a 6.35-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1544 x 720 at 278 ppi. On paper the Y11 has a slightly larger display.
Both displays from both phones produce vibrant colored images with crisp textures and text that is expected from a 720p display. At Maximum brightness, both are barely bright enough to be readable under direct sunlight.
When watching streaming services like Netflix, the Huawei Y7's display better recreated the scene's colors and brightness. On the same Netflix scene, the vivo Y11's reproduction of the scene is noticeably darker.
The Y7 and Y11's display support 10-points of multi-touch and both perform well. Our taps and gestures are registered quickly and accurately even when 10 fingers are touching the display at the same time.
Both phones have a single bottom-firing speaker at the bottom. The Huawei has two sets of speaker grills at the bottom but only one set has output. Both have 3.5 headphone jacks.
The Huawei Y7's sound quality is airy with a shallow sound signature. Clarity and Separation isn't its best feature. At maximum volume distortion is obvious and we recommend lowering the volume to 70 percent for the best sound quality.
While the vivo Y11's speakers produce sound with the same shallow sound signature but without the airiness and the distortion on the Y7. This makes the audio of Y11's speaker's clearer but similarly shallow in sound.
We recommend using the included 3.5mm jack headphones or use your own Bluetooth headphones for both phones for the best sound quality.
For calls and audio recording, the Y7 wins because of its 2 microphones set up compared to the single microphone on the vivo Y11. This results in a clearer and well-separated sound from the Y7 over the Y11.
Cameras
 |
| Rear cameras |
At the back of Huawei Y7 is a 13MP f/1.8 + 2MP f/2.4 rear dual cameras while the vivo Y11 has a 13MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 rear dual cameras. Both the second cameras at the back are depth sensors.
 |
| Camera UI |
In the camera app of the Huawei Y7's rear cameras have multiple modes like the Photo, Beauty, Video, Aperture (bokeh), Pro, Panorama, HDR mode, Good Food Mode and Document scan modes. While vivo Y11 has modes like Photo, Video, Pano, Photo, and Pro mode.
The Huawei Y7's Pro Mode allows for controls of ISO (100-6400), Shutter Speed (1/4000 to 8 seconds), EV (+- 12), White balance and AF While the vivo Y11's Pro mode allows for controls for ISO (50-3200), Shutter Speed (1/12000 to 16 seconds), White Balance, EV (+-2) and AF.
For affordable smartphones, both have robust Pro modes.
Rear Camera Samples
 |
| Huawei Y7 rear camera daylight |
 |
| vivo Y11 rear camera daylight |
In daylight, both the Huawei Y7 and vivo Y11's main rear camera produces sharp, vibrant, and contrasty images. The big difference is the white balance accuracy. The Huawei Y7's image is truer to life than the warmer tint of the vivo Y11.
 |
| Huawei Y7 rear camera indoors |
 |
| vivo Y11 rear camera indoors |
While in indoor situations, the vivo Y11 was able to accurately reproduce the lighting situation in the scene but at the cost of the less discernable detail in the shadow areas. The Huawei Y7 was able to brighten up the scene while keeping the highlights (bright areas) under control. This makes the Huawei Y7's image to be the more pleasing image.
 |
| Huawei Y7 rear camera low light |
 |
| vivo Y11 rear camera low light |
In low light, both rear cameras were able to produce sharp images with minimal noise but only the Huawei Y7 was able to accurately reproduce the colors of subjects in the frame. The vivo Y11's colors have become warmer than in real life.
Overall, the rear-facing cameras of the Huawei Y7 and vivo Y11 are nearly identical in sharpness and detail but they differ greatly in rendering color.
The Huawei was able to accurately reproduce the color while the vivo Y11 consistently has colorcast to warmer tones.
The Huawei was able to accurately reproduce the color while the vivo Y11 consistently has colorcast to warmer tones.
 |
| Selfie camera |
In front of Huawei Y7 is the 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera that is on the notch on top of the display while vivo Y11 has an 8MP f/1.8 selfie camera on the notch as well.
Camera modes for the Huawei Y7's selfie cameras include Photo, Video, Beauty, and Panorama while the vivo Y11 has Photo, Video, AI Beauty, and Pano.
Both have Face Beautification features but the vivo has only one modifiable stat of beauty level from 0 to 100 while the Huawei Y7 has controls for Beautification (AI, 1-6) and Skin tones (1-100).
Selfie Camera Samples
 |
| Huawei Y7 selfie daylight |
 |
| vivo Y11 selfie daylight |
In daylight, both the Huawei Y7 and vivo Y11 produce good selfies. Both images are sharp with plenty of detail but it is clear that the Huawei Y7 has the wider field of view and has a shallower depth of field which gives it a natural subtle bokeh background while the vivo Y11 has a narrow field of view and the subject and the background are always in focus.
 |
| Huawei Y7 selfie indoors |
 |
| vivo Y11 selfie indoors |
In indoors, the vivo Y11 struggled with exposing the scene with strong light sources. The subject was darker than the background while the Huawei Y7 was able to control the bright background while correctly exposing the subject and the rest of the scene. Both images are sharp with plenty of detail but the Huawei got the colors right.
 |
| Huawei Y7 selfie low light |
 |
| vivo Y11 selfie low light |
In low light, both struggled with the lack of a light source but the vivo Y11 has noticeably more noise and grain which resulted in softer detail while the Huawei was able to maintain more sharpness and detail despite the lack of the light source.
 |
| Huawei Y7 selfie low light with flash |
 |
| vivo Y11 selfie low light with flash |
Both have on-screen flash but only the Huawei Y7 has an actual front-facing LED flash. The vivo's on-screen flash was able to illuminate the whole face of the subject while the Huawei's on-screen flash with LED flash combo was able to illuminate the subject's face and body. It is only in this situation where the vivo has better color and cleaner (less noise) than the Huawei Y7.
The Huawei Y7's rear cameras can record up to 1080p 30fps video while the front-facing camera can record up to 720p 30fps. On the other hand, the vivo Y11 can record 1080p 30fps with both the rear and front-facing cameras.
Both smartphones can take decently sharp footage in daylight and indoors but struggle in low light. Footages from both cameras are shakey too. Otherwise, for the price, both video recordings are decent for the price.
Performance
 |
| Performance tests |
Inside the Huawei Y7 is a 14nm 1.8GHz Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor, Adreno 506, 4GB RAM, and 64GB of internal storage while the vivo Y11 has a 12nm 1.95GHz Snapdragon 439 octa-core processor, Adreno 505, 3GB RAM, and 32GB of storage.
4GB RAM and 64GB storage for Y7!
In the AnTuTu benchmark, the vivo Y11 scored 98908 which is slightly higher than Huawei Y7's 91266. If we look at the breakdown, both phones performed similarly but in the GPU tests, the Huawei Y7 scored higher than the Y11.
 |
| Geekbench scores |
In Geekbench, the Huawei Y7 scored 145 in single-core tests and 802 in multi-core tests while the vivo Y11 scored 172 in single-core tests and 788 in multi-core tests. This means that the vivo Y11 performs slightly better in single-core focuses tasks while the Huawei Y11 scores slightly better in multi-core focuses tasks.
For gaming, the two can run games like the Call of Duty: Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, NBA 2K2020, at the lowest graphics quality but at medium to high frame rate settings.
In Call of Duty, the Vivo Y11 achieves high frame rates at a low graphics setting by having rag-doll, depth of field, bloom, and anti-aliasing are turned off.
Huawei and vivo have their own version of Game mode where users can have uninterrupted and optimized gameplay.
After an extended play session, both phones were slightly warmer than before playing the game but maintained that temperature throughout. In short, neither of the phones got uncomfortably hot.
For connectivity, both phones connect via WiFi, 4G LTE, and Bluetooth. Both phones also support OTG out of the box. Calls, SMSs, WiFi, and Bluetooth connections are consistent, reliable, and stable as long as the phone is within range of other devices or the cellular tower.
The GPS of both phones is good where the GPS quickly and accurately detects the phone's location especially when connected with LTE.
The Huawei Y7 has a large 4,000mAh battery that charges through micro-USB with an included 5V2A 10W charger while vivo Y11 has a larger 5,000 mAh battery that also charges via micro-USB with a 10W charger.
In real-world use, the Huawei Y7 lasts for 6 hours of on-screen time while the vivo Y11 lasts for over 7 hours of on-screen time. Both come with 10W chargers and it takes around 120 minutes to charge the Huawei Y7's 4,000mAh battery while it takes over 150 minutes to charge the 5,000mAh battery.
Both phones are able to last users the whole day but the vivo will last longer while the Huawei will charge faster.
 |
| Android skins |
Both phones are running on Android. The Huawei Y7 has Android 8.1 Oreo-based EMUI 8.2 while the vivo Y11 is running on Android 9.0 Pie-based FunTouchOS 9.1 Both skins have modern UI design elements that may both easier to the eyes and easier to navigate through.
Even though vivo is based on Android 9, Huawei Y7's Android 8.1-based OS is optimized to the point that speed and responsiveness are nearly identical between the two smartphones.
 |
| Huawei AppGallery |
Both phones have Google services and Google Play access. You also have access to the Huawei Mobile Services and the AppGallery.
Huawei's AppGallery has become the third-largest app ecosystem in the world and has Local apps like PayMaya, Snapchat, Shopee, TikTok, Shareit, Viu, SSS Mobile, eCebuana, Lazada, Spotify, Netflix, PayPal, Adobe Lightroom, Discord, Telegram, Grab, McDonald's and much more.
Aside from the Google Play Store, Huawei's App Gallery has become the third-largest app ecosystem in the world. These now include banking and financial apps like G-Cash, video streaming apps like Viu, food delivery services like Food Panda, communication like Viber, and thousands more.
Huawei Y7 advantages - Lighter and slimmer body, color-accurate display, larger RAM and storage capacity, better camera performance
vivo Y11 advantages - Slightly larger screen, arger battery capacity, Android 9.0 Pie, slightly better raw performance
In the end, both phones are even. It will now depend on customers which is more important to them.
Even though the Huawei Y7 has a slightly less powerful SoC, the Huawei Y7 has more RAM, internal storage and has better performing cameras than the vivo Y11.
But we cannot deny that the vivo Y11 performed better in benchmarks, has a larger battery and it is running on a newer version of Android while having a slightly more affordable price.
It is worth taking note that the larger storage and RAM capacity of the Huawei Y7 adds a lot more value for money given that it gives you less reason to purchase expandable storage and with the better performing cameras, you won't have to worry about deleting memories in picture and video form.
Personally, we would be okay with slightly lesser raw power with larger storage and better cameras. It is more practical in general.
We find more value with the Huawei Y7 over the vivo Y11.
What about you? Do you agree with us?
Huawei Y7 vs vivo Y11 Specs Comparison
| Device | Huawei Y7 | vivo Y11 |
| Display | 6.26-inch 2.5D curved IPS screen w/ HD+ 1520 x 720 resolution at 269 ppi | 6.35-inch 2.5D curved TFT LCD (IPS) screen w/ HD+ 1544 x 720 resolution at 268 ppi |
| CPU |
1.8GHz 14nm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor
|
1.95GHz 12nm Snapdragon 439 octa-core processor
|
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Adreno 505 |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB |
| ROM | 64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB (dedicated) | 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB (dedicated) |
| Back Camera | 13MP f/1.8 + 2MP f/2.4 + LED flash | 13MP f/2.2 w/ PDAF + 2MP f/2.4 w/ LED flash |
| Selfie Camera | 8MP f/2.0 w/ selfie toning flash | 8MP f/1.8 |
| Battery |
4,000mAh
|
5,000mAh |
| OS | Android 8.1 Oreo w/ EMUI 8.2 |
Android 9.0 Pie w/ Funtouch OS 9.1
|
| Connectivity |
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
|
WiFi, 700MHz 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, FM Radio, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDuo, dual SIM
|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic |
Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
|
| Others |
Face unlock, Colors: midnight black, aurora purple
|
Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, Colors: Skyline Blue
|
| Dimensions | 158.92 x 76.91 x 8.1 mm | 159.43 x 76.77 x 8.92 mm |
| Weight |
168 g
|
190.5 g |
| Price | PHP 6,990 | PHP 6,490 |
Verdict
 |
| Bright and crisp displays |
Even though the Huawei Y7 has a slightly less powerful SoC, the Huawei Y7 has more RAM, internal storage and has better performing cameras than the vivo Y11.
But we cannot deny that the vivo Y11 performed better in benchmarks, has a larger battery and it is running on a newer version of Android while having a slightly more affordable price.
It is worth taking note that the larger storage and RAM capacity of the Huawei Y7 adds a lot more value for money given that it gives you less reason to purchase expandable storage and with the better performing cameras, you won't have to worry about deleting memories in picture and video form.
Personally, we would be okay with slightly lesser raw power with larger storage and better cameras. It is more practical in general.
We find more value with the Huawei Y7 over the vivo Y11.
What about you? Do you agree with us?
