Vivo phones are hugely underrated. The brand has been silently churning out one revolutionary item just after yet another more than the final couple of years and but, not so several people today look to care adequate, the way they care about a new OnePlus phone for instance.
The fantastic divide is possibly more visible this year, than ever just before, with each Vivo and OnePlus launching close to identical item lines – Vivo X60 series, OnePlus 9 series – at about the very same time, with significant emphasis on photography. OnePlus has tied up with Hasselblad although Vivo has secured the rights to ZEISS branding, to reiterate their commitment to the complete endeavor.
Whether or not, all this translates into true-globe achievement is anything that only time will inform, but I guess the point that I am attempting to make right here is that, the Vivo X60 series phones deserve as considerably focus as the OnePlus 9 series, even a small bit more, if I may well add. Here is why that is.
A camera technique that is a marvelous feat of engineering
Vivo took everybody by surprise final year with its gimbal-totting X50 Pro. The X60 Pro builds on that strong foundation with a second-generation version intended to supply – at least in theory – even greater stabilization. To be clear, a gimbal does not make it an action camera.
Having the camera lens propped on a “micro” gimbal offers a phone like the X60 Pro 5-axis of stabilization whereas normal optical image stabilization or OIS offers you 3 levels. You can truly see the camera module moving about – in the opposite path – as you move the phone about. Think of it as a souped-up OIS, so your videos for instance, will have much less jitters even for the duration of tilt and roll. It does not even so imply you can begin recording GoPro-style footage straight off your fancy new Vivo phone (think me I attempted, physics just does not work that way).
There are a couple of more factors that limit the X60 Pro from getting an out-and-out action camera. For one, the X60 Pro presents no stabilization at 4K@60fps. Even at 4K@30fps, the phone lets you only use normal stabilization. The gimbal mode – or ultra-steady mode – is offered only at 1080p (@30 or @60fps). Vivo pairs this mode with electronic image stabilization and a clever on-screen animation adding a fair bit of extras that – when they do kick in – improve the general knowledge.
While it is good that the key camera is finding all the essential bells and whistles, there is no such stabilization on the ultra-wide-angle so you are stuck with a narrower field of view – although employing ultra-steady mode – which is a bummer. To go all in, you will have to invest more, and get the X60 Pro Plus which appears like the holy grail for adventure photographers at this point of time – the X60 Pro Plus also has a more strong ultra-wide-angle camera.
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Lastly, none of the X60 series phones have any sort of ingress protection, which come to feel of it, also does not bode effectively for a item in this class.
Luckily, the X60 Pro is not a one-trick pony. Vivo is employing the very same 48MP Sony IMX598 sensor from final year but it has paired it with a more quickly f/1.48 lens (f/1.6 in the X50 Pro). There are two more 13MP cameras, one with an f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens (120-degree FOV) and yet another with f/2.46 50mm portrait lens for 2x optical zoom. Eagle-eyed readers will be speedy to point out that there is no periscope-style telephoto right here like the X50 Pro – this is yet another issue that is exclusive to the Pro Plus model this year.
Vivo has added two other “groundbreaking” functions to the X60 Pro, each borrowed from specialist cameras. One is motion, such as eye autofocus, a technologies that we’ve currently observed in the brand’s more spending budget-oriented V20 and V20 Pro phones. The other is pixel shift, a technologies that makes it possible for the sensor to automatically take several shots, choose the greatest one and use information from the other people to enhance detail and colour. Spoiler alert, this is yet another location exactly where the phone’s gimbal technique comes into play.
So, that is the X60 Pro “core” camera hardware. But just before we dig into the final results, it is critical to address the elephant in the area – ZEISS. The iconic German lens maker has a fabled history of partnerships, in particular with Nokia. This is the initially time it is collaborating with Vivo.
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The aim is to add the ZEISS-look to photographs with significant concentrate on sharpness, correct colour and bokeh – there is also a devoted “ZEISS Biotar Portrait” filter in the X60 Pro which functions surprisingly effectively (the X60 Pro Plus gets you a couple of added chops such as ZEISS T Coating to reduce ghosting in photographs brought on due to lens flare). All mentioned and carried out, it is normally advisable to take all this with a pinch of salt and if at all, the cameras truly turn out to be fantastic, that “co-engineered with ZEISS” branding then becomes an icing on the cake.
So, are the cameras any fantastic?
Well, mainly yes.
I have been specifically impressed with the phone’s key 48MP camera (that shoots 12MP photographs by default). Aside from a couple of colour inaccuracies right here and there, the X60 Pro’s key camera can go neck and neck with the S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro and that is saying a lot about what Vivo has been in a position to pull off right here. Even more so in low light. The level of detail may well not be impressive – in low light – but the X60 Pro produces some of the brightest and pleasing evening mode shots I have observed at this value. Even some of the more costly phones are prone to goof-ups right here and there.
During the day, when lots of light is offered, the X60 Pro’s key camera captures lots of detail with warm, punchy – if a small oversaturated – colours and wide dynamic variety. Photos taken beneath artificial light also keep a sense of consistency which is once more, a significant deal. At its value, the X60 Pro is a no-brainer when it comes to nevertheless photography. More importantly, the camera is enjoyable to use without the need of getting gimmicky or something. It is rapid, fluid, and quickly the most versatile when it comes to pro-grade handle. That key camera can also generate some of the most organic blur in close-up shots – generating the devoted portrait camera look inferior considering that it can’t capture so considerably detail.
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The ultra-wide-angle camera requires fantastic shots frequently, with Vivo’s AI holding up quite effectively in distortion correction. The dynamic variety is not as wide, the level of detail not as considerably as that key camera although. But I truly like that there is no variation when it comes to colour science when switching involving the two lenses – that switching also requires spot nearly immediately without the need of any noticeable stutter. The shutter does slow down beneath difficult and low light but not to the extent of getting an situation so to say. The ultra-wide-angle camera is also capable of shooting macros. Aside from a couple of concentrate hunting circumstances, I have had no complaints vis-à-vis this implementation. The high quality of close-up shots is also correct there with the greatest in the enterprise.
Portraits shot with the devoted camera are a hit or miss affair but that is frequently the case with most phones. In Vivo’s defence, the high quality is serviceable.
Video recording also holds up effectively, as it really should with all the hardware, but audio pickup demands work.
How’s the X60 Pro as a phone?
Pretty fantastic.
The design and style, even although it has been carried forward from final year, stands out from something and almost everything in the smartphone space even today. The X60 Pro was currently a looker. It was so sleek. If something, Vivo has created the X60 Pro even sleeker regardless of all the added hardware. Vivo phones have normally been fantastic-seeking. They’ve been so original, not anything that is attempting to be yet another Samsung Galaxy. And but, they’ve been so underappreciated in their time. The irony.
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Like the X50 Pro, the X60 Pro also has a glass back with a soft matte finish which feels truly, truly fantastic in the hands. The complete issue is also incredibly ergonomic. It sticks to your palm and stays there no matter how you are employing it. But even more importantly, this is a phone that you can hold for hours without the need of straining your hands, a rarity in today’s smartphones. I do not thoughts the camera bump as well, it is incredibly distinct and eye-catching, but if I have been to nitpick, the energy button and volume rocker are a tad as well sharp – but that was anticipated thinking of the phone’s razer thin profile. They are good and tactile although, incredibly premium.
Colour-smart you get a decision of black and blue. The black version I have for assessment appears like it belongs in a boardroom. It’s incredibly sharp and but, understated, the sort of issue that merely melts into the background. The blue version is a wee bit louder but not tacky.
The screen size remains the very same at 6.56-inch, so does the panel-kind which is AMOLED, and resolution which is 1080p+. But the refresh price has been bumped up from 90Hz to 120Hz and what a globe of distinction that tends to make. Everything feels smoother, more quickly, and more responsive. Vivo has also carried out effectively with optimization. Variable refresh price is supported.
As for the screen high quality itself, it gets a lot vibrant, shows deep saturated colours (not akin to the Galaxy S21 Ultra although), and has great viewing angles. I am not specifically fond of the way that screen curves although, it is a small as well intense for my liking. But clearly, Vivo was going for a sense of immersion and the X60 Pro achieves that while the punch-hole reduce out in the centre could have carried out with a smaller sized border.
The X60 Pro is also finding a bump in processing energy with its new flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor. The leading-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 is nevertheless reserved for the Pro Plus, but I think the SD870 is a incredibly intelligent decision. With it, Vivo can supply higher-finish efficiency at reasonably more economical costs. The larger draw even so is the heat management. For a device so thin and light, and made to be employed so extensively, I have been quite impressed with the X60 Pro’s thermals. It does get warm when pushed, which appears fair, but not as soon as did it turn toasty – that is wonderful.
Vivo has also place in ample RAM (12GB) and adequate storage (256GB) leaving adequate headroom for future. The X60 Pro is also the initially phone – that I can feel of – that supports virtual RAM, a idea that Computer customers will be familiar with. Software inside is Android 11-based Funtouch OS 11.1. Think of it as stock Android on steroids with way as well several possibilities to customize. Whether or not that is beneficial, is subjective. The bloatware circumstance has hit the ceiling, and the reality that you cannot uninstall several pre-installed apps is just, not cool Vivo.
The phone’s weakest hyperlink is its typical battery life. The 4,200mAh battery inside the X60 Pro just does not suffice for a complete day’s worth of usage. Remember, all that camera wizardry chugs a lot of juice. And you would most unquestionably want to game a lot on this phone as well. Fast charging is capped at 33W and although it is rapid, it is certainly not greatest-in-class.
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One more issue:
For a phone at its value point, the X60 Pro is lacking on some fundamentals – these that we frequently take for granted. There is no official IP rating right here and in contrast to OnePlus (from the previous), Vivo does not openly claim its phone can survive accidental splashes or rain. The screen is curvy but it does not get the greatest protection. The selfie camera, although it is fantastic, for some odd purpose cannot shoot 4K videos. There are no stereo speakers and the mono speaker right here is tinny and just does not justify the value. There is no headphone jack (and only the Pro Plus gets you a DAC). The haptics are not that fantastic either.
Should you obtain the Vivo X60 Pro?
The X50 Pro was possibly one of the most underrated phones of 2020. Some of the factors that it could do back then, are nevertheless unheard of even today. But although the X50 Pro had the element of surprise (backed by a surprisingly fantastic item) attached to it, the X60 Pro delves deeper into refining some of its marquee functions which is a fantastic issue truly. In the method, Vivo has created some other improvement as well, but there are also regions exactly where it has taken a couple of methods back – and these are the sort of factors that separate a fantastic item from a fantastic item. The X60 Pro is a fantastic item – but it could have been fantastic.
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So, what does this imply?
Well, for starters, it is higher time that Vivo phones are offered more credit simply because some of the factors that the brand has carried out more than the final couple of years – feel the NEX item line – have been merely, incredibly original and incredibly thrilling. It has been laying a lot of groundwork in regions like photography as well and the X60 series is quickly the pinnacle of its investigation and engineering. We speak a lot about the Samsung Galaxy and iPhone, even the Google Pixel, when we speak about smartphone cameras, but here’s a brand that is carrying out factors its personal way and carrying out these factors rather correct I daresay. And with each and every launch, Vivo is only raising the bar.
As for the X60 Pro, it is at the middle of all this action and although it is not the greatest phone that Vivo tends to make today, it is definitely the most bang for your buck regardless of some of its gruelling shortcomings. If this does not convince you to take Vivo seriously, effectively, practically nothing will.
Pros: Premium look and design and style, Beautiful show, Fast efficiency, Excellent cameras
Cons: No IP rating, No stereo speakers, Average battery life