Vivo revives S Series in India with ₹39,999 S2 premium mid-range phone

Vivo has brought back its S Series in India with the S2, priced from ₹39,999. The phone targets style-led premium mid-range buyers with a curved 6.83-inch AMOLED display, 7,050mAh battery and slim design, though its processor and camera setup face stronger competition at the price point.

— Source publishedWed, 16 Sept, 2026, 15:00 IST·First seen Wed, 16 Sept, 2026, 15:07 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Vivo has revived its S Series in India with the S2, a premium mid-range smartphone starting at ₹39,999. The device targets style-focused consumers with a curved

Key facts

  • Vivo S2 price starts at ₹39,999
  • Vivo S1 launched in India in 2019 below ₹20,000
  • 6.83-inch AMOLED display
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 3,000 nits peak brightness
  • 50MP rear camera
  • 32MP front camera
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB and 256GB storage options
  • 7,050mAh battery
  • 44W charging
  • 3 years of Android updates
  • 5 years of security updates

Why this matters

Vivo’s return to the premium mid-range creates potential partnership opportunities around retail execution, financing and lifestyle-led marketing, but differentiation gaps make ecosystem or channel advantages especially important.

What to watch

  • Effective street price after launch offers and whether it falls below ₹35,000 within the first quarter.
  • Independent benchmark, gaming, thermal and camera-review comparisons versus similarly priced OnePlus, iQOO, Nothing, Samsung and Xiaomi devices.
  • Initial availability across large-format mobile retail chains versus online marketplaces.
  • Vivo's subsequent S Series launch cadence, indicating whether S2 is a one-off experiment or a restored sub-brand.
  • Retailer feedback on conversion rates among V Series upgraders and possible cannibalization of Vivo's own portfolio.
  • Festival-season inventory clearance, discount depth and color/storage SKU expansion.
  • Deploy exchange bonuses, no-cost EMI and bank offers to pull the effective purchase price below the ₹40,000 threshold.
  • Prioritize offline demo-led distribution, emphasizing slimness, curved display and battery life rather than raw specifications.
  • Seed lifestyle creators and camera reviewers to establish a distinct S Series identity separate from Vivo V and X models.
  • Monitor early review criticism on processor performance, thermals and camera quality; respond with software updates or promotional bundles rather than immediate list-price cuts.
  • Competitors are likely to counter with festival discounts, storage upgrades or launch-timed price reductions in the ₹30,000-₹45,000 range.

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