Vivo has reported its latest flagship phone, the X80 Pro, and its most notable new hardware feature is a larger in-display fingerprint sensor.
The active area is far more significant than the tiny sensors found on most Android phones, suggesting it’s easier to unlock the phone without glancing at the screen to align your thumb.
The scanner has several benefits beyond just being physically larger. You can record each fingertip with a single press on the screen instead of having to raise and press it several times as with conventional phones.
It performs very quickly, even if your hands or the screen are wet. The more extensive surface area also indicates you can set the phone up to require two concurrent fingerprints for an extra layer of authentication.
The “3D Ultrasonic Large Fingerprint Sensor” technology comes from Qualcomm, which reaches its “3D Sonic Max” and has touted its inclusion in a current phone from Vivo’s gaming-focused sub-brand iQOO. However, the X80 Pro symbolizes the most mainstream deployment of this technology so far.
As a company, Vivo has accomplished more than any other to popularize in-display fingerprint sensors, presenting the world’s first execution on a shipping phone in 2018. In addition, Vivo has demonstrated larger scanning surface areas in “Apex” concept phones, including a “full-display” version in its 2019 model. Still, the X80 Pro is one of the first commercial devices to ship with a larger module than the tip of your thumb.
Vivo is also increasingly comprehended for its camera prowess these days, and it’s a significant focus with the X80 Pro. The Zeiss-branded camera hardware (concluded with trademark T* coating on the lenses) is similar to what we witnessed with last year’s X70 Pro Plus, though Vivo hasn’t declared a Plus version of the X80 Pro yet. There’s a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto, a 48-megapixel ultrawide, and an 8-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto, all accommodated in a gigantic camera bump. One distinction is that the 2x lens now employs Vivo’s gimbal-style optical stabilization.
Vivo is also operating a new custom imaging chip called the V1 Plus. Like Oppo’s MariSilicon X chip introduced this year, the V1 Plus’ hardware is designed to handle image processing under challenging situations like night-time video capture. Another processing-intensive use case on the X80 Pro is a “cinematic video bokeh” mode designed to mimic the oval bokeh seen in scenes with shallow depth of field shot on Zeiss anamorphic lenses. Vivo says the chip also allows for reduced power consumption.
The X80 Pro’s other specs are typical of a 2022 flagship Android phone. There’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The screen is a 6.78-inch 1440p curved OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The battery is 4,700mAh and chargers at up to 80W with a cable or 50W wirelessly through Vivo’s proprietary FlashCharge system.
We don’t have pricing or regional release information for the X80 Pro yet. However, it’s likely to hit Vivo’s typical India, Europe, and East Asia markets.
Vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd. dressed Vivo in its logo. It is a Chinese multinational technology company headquartered in Dongguan, Guangdong, that designs and develops smartphones, smartphone accessories, software, and online services. In addition, the company develops software for its phones, disseminated through its V-Appstore, with iManager included in their proprietary, Android-based operational system, Funtouch OS in Global, Origin OS in Mainland China, and India. Vivo is an independent company that generates its products. It holds 10,000 employees, with research and development centers in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Nanjing, Jiangsu.
In the 1st quarter of 2015, Vivo was categorized among the top 10 smartphone makers, reaching a global market share of 2.7%.
Since its founding in 2009, Vivo has extended to over 100 countries globally. International expansion was initiated in 2014 when the company documented the Thailand market. After that, Vivo fast followed up with launches in India, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
In 2017, Vivo joined the smartphone market in Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Brunei, Macau, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, and Nepal.[6][7][8][9] In June 2017, it entered the Pakistan smartphone market, and the Vivo brand is currently experiencing rapid growth and popularity in the country.
In October 2020, Vivo announced that it would also begin to sell its products in Europe.
On 17 December 2020, Vivo and Zeiss announced a long-term strategic partnership to promote and develop breakthrough innovations in mobile imaging technology jointly. As a result, the first “Vivo Zeiss co-engineered imaging system” will be featured in the Vivo X60 series. As part of the collaboration agreement, Vivo and Zeiss will establish the Vivo Zeiss Imaging Lab, a joint R&D program to innovate mobile imaging technology for Vivo’s flagship smartphones.
In April 2021, three pallets of Vivo phones caught fire at Hong Kong International Airport, prompting a ban on air freight of Vivo phones through Hong Kong.
In October 2015, Vivo became the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) under a two-year deal starting in the 2016 season. In July 2017, the contract was extended until 2022. However, in response to the 2020 border skirmishes between India and China, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was criticized in India for allowing a Chinese company to be the league’s title sponsor. As a result, Vivo and BCCI agreed to suspend the deal for the 2020 season, with a clause to resume it next season.
In June 2017, Vivo reached a sponsorship deal with FIFA to become the official smartphone brand of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. The company also signed an agreement with UEFA as an official partner of the UEFA Euro 2020 and UEFA Euro 2024 and became a title sponsor of India’s Pro Kabaddi.
Vivo has a sponsorship deal with the NBA in China, with Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry. In addition, he endorses the brand in China and the Philippines.