JOIN USVivo X80 Pro review: Top-notch camera-centric phone
Vivo earlier in the month launched the company's new premium phone X80 Pro series in India.
It comes in one configuration 12GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 79,999. I have been using it for a little over a week and here're my thoughts on Vivo X80 Pro.
Design
The new X80 Pro carries forward the legacy of the X70 Pro series with a remarkable premium build quality. The successor features a matte finish with fluorite AG coating. It is best the fingerprint smudge-repellent I have seen on any phone. It doesn't matter how sweaty your fingers get, the shell never gets stained.
However, the massive camera capsule at the top, which features a glossy glass panel needs to be cleaned often to get clearer photos.
It also features a metallic rail around the edges and I have to say, the phone is a bit heavy (219g). The frame on the right and left sides is curvy, whereas the top and the bottom have flat.
The phone offers a really good hand grip to hold on it and also when travelling in mass transport such as the metro, the device's weight gives a sense of assurance that the phone is in the pant pocket without any panic having to check on it multiple times during the trip.
Talking of anxiety, the X80 Pro comes with an IP68 rating, meaning the device can sustain underwater for close to 1.5 metres (around five feet) for up to 30 minutes. So, the owners need to panic if the Vivo phone accidentally falls into a swimming pool or gets water splashed on it or gets caught in the rain.
However, I don't recommend users push their luck by deliberately testing the durability of the device by drenching it during heavy rains or taking it for a dip in the swimming pool.
When the device gets wet (unintentionally), ensure it is cleaned of water with a dry cloth before plugging it to charge the phone.
It sports a 6.78-inch Quad HD+ (3200×1440p) E5 10-bit AMOLED LTPO screen. It supports variable 1-120Hz refresh rate, and 300Hz touch sampling rate.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 shield and the company has a pre-applied display guard. This way, the company has ensured the front panel is well protected from scratches by a pen or keys in the pant pocket. Overall, Vivo has done a good job ensuring the phone serves the owner long.
As far as the display quality is concerned, it AMOLED is top-notch and had a delightful time watching documentaries. The screen panel is bright and colours are accurately reproduced.
Another notable aspect of the X80 Pro is a big in-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It took just a couple of seconds to register my thumb impression.
Also, it is really quick in terms of accurately recognising the finger impression and unlocking the phone screen. The stereo speakers are exceptionally good at delivering crisp audio output even when the volume is put to the max.
Furthermore, the buttons-- volume rockers and power key- offer tactile touch feel and are sturdy enough to last longer.
Performance
Vivo X80 Pro is powered by a 4nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (1 x 3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 + 2.40 GHz Cortex-A710 x 3 + 1.70 GHz Cortex-A510 x 4) octa-core chipset, which can offer peak CPU speed of 3.0GHz. It is backed by Adreno 730 GPU, a dedicated V1+ chip for photography, Android 12-based Funtouch OS 12, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB (UFS 3.1) storage (cannot be expanded).
During the entire review period, the device aced all tasks be it day-to-day chores such as opening an app, operating the camera and other stuff. Also, while gaming too, the device performed exceptionally good without any signs of lag-ness or over-heating issues.
Also, Vivo has assured to offer three years of Android OS support and an additional year of security software support on par with Google Pixel phones. This is a win-win situation, as the device will be able to serve longer to the customer and also build strong loyalty towards the brands as well.
It houses a 4,700mAh battery with 80W fast charging. With normal usage, it offers a full's day battery life. And, as advertised, it was able to finish the charging process from zero to 100 per cent capacity in under 40 minutes.
IT also supports 50W wireless fast charging too. With this, users will be able to fully power up the phone from zero to 100 per cent under one hour.
Furthermore, users can also spare their phone to reverse charge their friend's phone wirelessly. Users have to place the compatible phone back-side facing on the Vivo phone's rear side, but with slower 10W wireless reverse charging speed.
Photography
The new Vivo X80 Pro also boasts quad-camera module-- main 50MP camera (1/1.3-inch Samsung GNV sensor, f/1.57, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) + 48MP ultra-wide camera (IMX598 sensor, f/2.2) + 12MP 50mm 2X portrait camera (IMX663 sensor, f/1.85, gimbal) + 8MP periscope camera, OIS, 5x optical zoom, f/3.4 aperture, 60x super zoom, Laser autofocus, Zeiss T* coating, ZEISS optics) with LED flash.
The new Vivo phone is a camera powerhouse. It excels in all departments be it naturally sunny conditions or in the twilight environment or in pitch darkness.
As you can see in the sample photos, the X80 Pro's camera capture very details. Yes, the colours are a bit warmer than usual, and the picture quality is amazing to the eyes.
Also, the ultra-wide-angle shots came really good with the vast area of the agricultural land with the Nandi hill range in the background making such a wonderful scenic photo.
I am also impressed with the 5X zoom; the close-up shot of the main Nandi hill has true colours of the rocks and the green cover on and around the hill has been captured with a lot of details. However, beyond 10X, the pictures begin to show noises. It can zoom up to 60X.
In the night mode, the X80 Pro aces with absorbing almost every photon coming from light poles placed far away from the point of capture and excel in producing near-accurate colours of coconuts and leaves of the tall trees in the pitch-black sky of the night in the background.
Even the portrait images come good with clear edge detection around the subject and the background.
Thanks to gyro-EIS (Electric Image Stabilisation), the device was able to deliver high-quality video recording. It supports up to 8K, 4K at 30/60fps (frames per second), and 1080p at 30/60fps.
On the front, it features 32MP (f/2.5) snapper. Here too, the Vivo phone does a good job of getting selfies with a glowing face. Yes, it comes with all the superficial filters and editing tools to further enhance the skin colour tone, smoothen acne scars and users can even adjust jaw bone structure, eye size, nose, lips and more.
Final thoughts
Vivo's new X80 Pro is a true premium phone in every sense, more so with the build quality and photography hardware that make it a compelling buy.
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