09 Oct
Blog

Vivo X70 Pro+ Review: Lives Up to The Spec Sheet’s Promise

The Vivo X70 Pro + is taken out of the pocket.

Vivo X70 Pro + Review: Keeps Promise, But Just Try To Find It

RRP $ 1,060.00

“The impressive Vivo X70 Pro + delivers what its monster data sheet promises with a unique gimbal video camera and a beautiful screen. It's a shame you can't find it in your local store. "

advantages

  • Nice 120Hz AMOLED screen

  • Impressive gimbal stabilization for videos

  • Versatile camera zoom functions

  • Fastest processor available

disadvantage

  • Big and heavy

  • Software has yet to be polished

  • You have to work to find one

If you're a spec lover and happiest when you compare your smartphone to your friends', this is the Vivo X70 Pro + will be a phone that you will absolutely love. From monster camera specs to notable brand partnerships and even bespoke chips, the X70 Pro + seems to define what most consider a flagship smartphone.

However, it is not a good idea to buy a phone based on what it says on the spec sheet. Does everything Vivo advertise on the X70 Pro + actually make it a good smartphone?

draft

The back of the X70 Pro + is made of glass with, according to Vivo, a fluorite treatment. This means that it doesn't feel like glass at all, but takes on a nice matte finish with a pleasant, subtle texture that increases its grip. It doesn't get covered in fingerprints or smudges, but my phone has collected a few scratch marks after just a week of use, suggesting that it may not wear out very well over time.

The Vivo X70 Pro +.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

This is a huge phone in your hand. With a thickness of just under 9 mm and 213 grams, it is not for everyone who wants to use their mobile phone with one hand very often or who wants to slip it into their pocket without being noticed. The tapered sides aren't too sharp so holding it for long periods isn't tiring, but you will notice the weight. In terms of size and proportions, it is right at the top with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The rear camera module is a large rectangle, just without the design flair of the S21 Ultra's similarly huge module, and it sits next to a reflective section that I assume will help the rear camera take selfies. It's more funhouse mirror than anything else, however, and Vivo has pounded its branding right in the middle for maximum distraction. Don't expect to use it for anything other than the basic intake composition.

The Vivo X70 Pro + held in the hand.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's not a conventionally pretty phone – there are too many rectangles on the back for that – but the matte glass surface gives it a stealthy style, and everything feels incredibly valuable and well made. It's a shame there is no other color than black, and the overall size and weight can put some people off.

screen

Let's do the numbers first. The AMOLED screen is 6.78 inches tall with a maximum resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels and a switchable refresh rate of either 60 Hz or 120 Hz. This gives it a pixel density of 517 ppi, plus a peak brightness of 1500 nits and HDR10 + support and is able to display a billion colors.

The screen of the Vivo X70 Pro +.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

You'll have to manually enable the full resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, but once you do that and set the brightness to maximum, the X70 Pro + 's screen is stunning. The menus just slide by as you scroll through them and the video looks amazing. The yellow of the Porsche 718 Cayman in this Carfection video at 2160p simply pops off the screen, paired with deep blacks and wonderful details.

The same qualities are shown in the bright, colorful music video for Jo Yuris Glassy, ​​which also brings out the excellent stereo speakers of the X70 Pro +. There is tons of volume and it has a nice tone and balance. The bass isn't strong, but that's to be expected given the size of the speakers.

Video playback on the Vivo X70 Pro +.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I had no problem viewing in sunlight due to the high brightness, but the curved sides caused a few problems when wiping. Swiping words that start with the letter P requires precise finger placement as it is too easy to turn on the back gesture or select the letter O instead. This type of inaccuracy isn't unique to the X70 Pro +, but it's more noticeable here than other curved screens, suggesting the software needs tweaking. I certainly won't let that bother me when the rest of the screen and audio on the X70 Pro + is so wonderful.

camera

Ready spec fans? The main camera of the X70 Pro + has 50 megapixels, optical image stabilization (OIS) and an aperture of f / 1.6 and is supported by a 48 MP ultrawide camera with gimbal-controlled OIS, a 12 MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and a 5x optical 8 MP zoom complements the periscope camera. The latter two also have OIS. The cameras are covered with glass and partner Zeiss provided a special coating to minimize lens flair and create more natural colors. It's all controlled by Vivo's own V1 imaging chip, which is separate from Qualcomm's main processor.

Taking photos with the Vivo X70 Pro +.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

That is the hardware that is covered, but there are also more software modes than you will realistically ever need. There are four bokeh modes developed by Zeiss, the night mode, a pro mode, A.I. Scene optimization, an automatic macro mode, a color optimization setting developed by Zeiss, a super moon mode, 8K video recording, an eerie horizontal stabilization setting, filters, a comprehensive editing suite and much more.

The unusual gimbal really works and cannot be compared to any other smartphone

All of this makes the X70 Pro + lots of creative fun, but many of the features are relatively niche. Few people have an 8K TV to enjoy, for example, 8K videos recorded on the phone, but not everything falls into this category. The unusual gimbal really works and cannot be compared to any other smartphone. It stabilizes the video to the point where you wonder if it is actually playing. The only downside might be that you're limited to 1080p, but it doesn't matter if the results are this impressive.

Take a look at the Vivo X70 Pro Plus camera gimbal when it is used for video 🎥

It's pretty amazing stuff!

Complete my review this week. # vivoX70Series # vivoX70Pro # vivoX70proplus pic.twitter.com/QL1J85bsLh

– Andy Boxall (@AndyBoxall) October 7, 2021

Taking pictures with the X70 Pro + shows that it is extremely capable. The two optical zoom cameras give it incredible versatility, the massive main sensor – a Samsung ISOCELL GN1 – adds lots of natural bokeh, and the HDR is very effective. Negative? Because of the large sensor, it is not a fan of focusing on nearby objects when macro mode is not active, and in some situations it oversaturates the color levels. It's also a little inconsistent, and will generally benefit from Vivo tweaking the software further, since photos aren't always very natural or representative of what you see on screen or in real life.

Vivo did a big deal with Zeiss' bokeh modes, so how are they? You are dramatic. There are four in total, each of which gives a different look to the background blur based on Zeiss camera lenses. Brighter and noticeably more blurred (in a positive sense) than standard portrait shots, the photos still suffer from edge detection problems, which are often more noticeable in the artificially improved images from Zeiss. But if you play around long enough, you can take some very nice selfies using the mirrored area on the back of the phone.

The X70 Pro + 's camera is impressive. It keeps the promise that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra couldn't quite deliver on, and the sheer range of features and modes makes it a strong alternative to the excellent Galaxy S21 Ultra, although the final images still need some tweaking before the results are correct can use the S21-Ultra.

Software and performance

Android 11 is installed with FunTouchOS 12 from Vivo. It's similar to Oppos ColorOS in that it looks very different on a Pixel phone than Android, with more customized icons and menus and lots of apps preinstalled. and his own way of doing things. It's been reliable, it's fast, and once you've spent time getting the look and style right, it's pretty too.

The game is played on the Vivo X70 Pro +.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It still has its frustrations, however. The always-on screen is a good example. You turn it on, but by default the always-on display is only shown for a short time before it fades out. In order for it to actually stay as you asked, you need to delve further into the settings. Even then, you find that not all display options show notifications. It's inevitably a battery-saving thing, but it's very annoying. It's something that you can find everywhere, e.g. B. the screen resolution, which is set to a lower number of pixels by default.

All of my usual apps are installed for some reason with the exception of the Amazon Shopping app, and notifications can be interacted with on the lock screen, but I've found Google Discover crashing and sometimes throwing me back to the home screen. FunTouchOS 12 adds attractive and very useful widgets. I especially like the weather widget with its scrollable daily forecast and the Apple Music widget. First released on the X70 range, I felt more at home with FunTouchOS 12 than any version before it, which is great news.

It seems like I haven't mentioned some numbers in a while, so let's change that. Inside there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ processor with a 5G modem and either 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB of storage space. There's Bluetooth 5.2 with AptX Adaptive for audio and NFC for Google Pay. The fingerprint sensor under the screen is very fast, but is usually beaten by the even faster face unlock system.

Given the processor inside, it's no surprise that the X70 Pro Plus doesn't have any performance issues. I've played Genshin Impact and Asphalt 9: Legends and it both shrugged, even with the settings all enabled in the phone's game mode.

battery

I used the X70 Pro + for a week with the default settings, which means a resolution of 2400 x 1080 and the refresh rate that changes automatically. It lasted two full days on a single charge without any problems. Enable full resolution and increase the refresh rate to 120Hz, then add an hour of games and other general uses and the battery was around 20% by the end of the day.

The bottom of the Vivo X70 Pro +.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The top of the Vivo X70 Pro +.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The camera module of the Vivo X70 Pro +.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Charging takes place via a wired 55 watt charger, which is included, as well as wireless charging with up to 50 W. In 20 minutes, the 4,500 mAh battery was charged by about 60% and in about 50 minutes it reached a capacity of 100%.

Price and availability

Don't look for the Vivo X70 Pro + in any US store as it will likely never get an official release. However, you can import one. It will be available in China, India, Taiwan, and several other regions beginning October 12, before arriving later in the Middle East and parts of the Asia-Pacific region. We hope that there will also be an introduction in Europe and the UK.

Calculate about $ 1,060 for the 12GB / 256GB version. If you are planning to import it is advisable to ensure that the phone is the “global” version as the Chinese version runs the OriginOS software available only for China and not FunTouchOS.

Our opinion

The Vivo X70 Pro + is the best Vivo phone I've used so far. It's well made and durable, and it has a beautiful screen, feature-rich camera, performance, and for the first time ever software that I can live with on a daily basis without being annoyed or frustrated. It's not perfect, but FunTouchOS 12 can now hold its own alongside Oppos ColorOS and Realme’s RealmeOS.

The gimbal camera remains unique and the stabilization works very well which gives the phone a real edge. The other features sometimes border on the gimmicky, but the two optical zoom levels don't, which makes the X70 Pro Plus's camera very versatile and fun, while its overall ability to really keep up with the pace is a few software updates away from the best camera phones out there.

Is it more than a mega data sheet? Yes, the specs make for a great phone and camera experience, but there is still room for improvement in the photos and software. At this point, I'd normally be ready to recommend the phone, but I can't do this as the X70 Pro + hasn't gotten a wider version yet, so you really need to work on getting one in the US It's a shame there it has the potential to be a game changer for Vivo in regions where the brand is not well known.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes sir. The Vivo X70 Pro + is an immensely capable smartphone, but it's hard to come by in the US or UK, so we recommend the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max instead, assuming you want a big screen and a great one Camera. Both deliver this and have a lot of power and ability.

How long it will take?

Made of metal and glass, the Vivo X70 Pro + is quite heavy, so we recommend putting it in a case for protection, and a surprisingly beautiful one comes with it. The phone also has an IP68 water resistance rating, so it can last up to 30 minutes underwater to a depth of about 1.5 meters.

Vivo’s software update policy applies to the X70 Pro + for three years, including major system releases and security patches. The spec of the phone is high and the Snapdragon 888+ processor is the fastest available right now. It lasts three years with no problems.

Should you buy it?

No. It's good, but if you live in the US, the Vivo X70 Pro + is a hassle to import, so your best bet is to buy a flagship phone that is available locally. However, the phone is very impressive and it is certainly the best Vivo phone I've used. So if you are happy to import or buy one where you live you won't be disappointed.

Editor's recommendations



27 Mar
Blog

LG V60 ThinQ Dual Screen Review: Flagship Spec, Meh Features

lg-v60-thinq

LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen Test: Not quite a flagship

"The LG ThinQ V60 5G has a massive battery and a unique dual-screen case, but poor software and mediocre design hold it back."

  • Dual screen case can be useful

  • Excellent performance

  • Long battery life

  • Reasonable price

  • Frustrating software

  • Camera is far from the best

  • Slow fingerprint sensor

The LG V50 ThinQ brought a number of innovations to the company's smartphone line. It was the first LG phone to support standard 5G bands and the first LG phone to join the folding phone trend, albeit with an accessory that added a second display instead of a foldable OLED screen. Now LG wants to repeat the trick.

Just a problem. The phone on which it is built – the LG V50 ThinQ – was average at best.

That doesn't mean that the new LG V60 ThinQ is a bad phone. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 8 GB RAM and Android 10, the device has a lot to offer. However, given the price of $ 800 or $ 900 with the dual-screen accessory, it's hard for him to stand out from the many outstanding flagship phones you can buy today.

Design and ports

The LG V50 offered an iterative design update compared to the 2018 LG V40. So you would expect the newer LG V60 to modernize things a bit. Fortunately, it does.

While the V50 had a notch that was almost as big as that of the iPhone X, the V60 swapped things for a smaller semi-circular section. This makes the huge display look even bigger. While a hole cutout like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series would make the phone look even more modern, the small cutout of the V60 is acceptable.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

The phone has two design modes depending on whether you are using the dual screen case or not. Without the case, the phone looks and feels relatively slim, especially for a device of this size. The camera module on the back isn't flush like the V50, but it doesn't protrude as far as the latest iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy models.

Below is a USB-C port and a headphone jack. The volume rocker and a special Google Assistant button are on the left. The power switch is on the right.

However, add the display case and it's a completely different ball game. The LG V60 is not small at first and the case is bulky. However, the advantage is the second display and the protection of your phone in the event of a fall.

The phone with a connected dual screen is actually thinner than "real" foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Fold. With the case, the LG V60 sits at 0.59 inches thick, while the Galaxy Fold has a bulky 0.66 inches thick when closed. This is surprising and a point for LG.

Placing the device in your pocket is easy. All you have to do is slide it in from the top and make sure the USB-C connector is inserted into the phone connector. You must then use the supplied magnetic USB-C adapter or wireless charging to charge the phone. On the front of the case you'll see a small monochrome display that shows information such as the time, battery life and notifications. It is a practical addition.

The LG V60 is available in two colors – Classy Blue and Classy White. They both look good, but I'm a fan of Classy White's slightly pearlescent look.

Display quality

While the LG V60 ThinQ 5G has an OLED display, the resolution is 1,080p – a step back from the 1,440p screen of the V50 ThinQ. Combine this with the fact that the refresh rate is only 60 Hz and you have a very mediocre viewing experience, at least compared to other modern flagships.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

Maybe mediocre is not the right word. The colors on the display were still bright and vivid, and thanks to the fact that it is an OLED display, the black levels were still deep and dark. We could see the display easily even in bright sunlight. It is an excellent representation in many ways. However, the competition has brought the display quality to a new level, so the LG V60 ThinQ feels left behind.

You will also see an optical fingerprint sensor on the display – another slight disappointment. Although the sensor was accurate, it reacted somewhat slowly. I can't help but assume that an ultrasonic sensor would have performed better. This phone has no face recognition. Therefore, a fast fingerprint sensor is important.

The dual screen case

The most interesting feature of the LG V60 ThinQ is of course the dual screen case. It's not a "real" foldable phone like the Galaxy Fold or Motorola Razr. While these phones offer a single foldable display, the dual screen accessory offers a second display of the same size and resolution.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

The dual screen can be useful, especially when multitasking and playing. With multitasking, the second display makes it easier to watch videos on one side and record them on the other. By using the LG Game Pad with compatible games, mobile gaming becomes even more intense.

On the other hand, the extra bulk is a serious problem. If you are used to a big phone and use your phone for high productivity, the case is absolutely worth the extra batter. But if you see it more as a gimmick, you can safely skip buying a game.

You can also turn the case on and off if you want. It is easy to add or remove the case. You can just keep it at home. Or you can leave it at home for everyday use, but bring it with you for trips of several days. This increases the versatility that a "real" folding phone cannot offer. You also have additional accessories that allow you to keep an overview.

performance

The LG V60 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor as well as 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. There is also a microSD card reader so you can expand the built-in memory if necessary.

In daily use, the V60 ThinQ is relatively fast even with heavy multitasking. This is expected from a Snapdragon 865-equipped phone. It did well in benchmarks, although there aren't many Snapdragon 865 smartphones to compare with. Here are the benchmark results we've achieved.

  • Geekbench 5 CPU: 920 single-core, 3410 multi-core
  • AnTuTu 3DBench: 548.375
  • 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme Volcano: 6,542

The phone continued to perform well during mobile gaming. I played a few rounds of Fortnite and Asphalt 9 on the phone with good results. However, this is what I would expect from any flagship phone, so LG doesn't earn any bonus points here.

software

The LG V60 ThinQ 5G has Android 10 with the LG skin over it. At first glance, the software looks good. But the more I used it, the more bloatware I found, and much of it can't be easily removed.

Part of the bloatware is common for Android skins – like a gallery app when most people are likely to use Google Photos. Other unnecessary software is less common and includes preinstalled games like Modern Combat 5 and Sniper Fury, which are thankfully removed. Some apps are installed by the network operator. McAfee recommended by T-Mobile. It all adds up to too many apps and is frustrating. Even worse, many of the apps can only be "deactivated" so that they still take up space.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

Other aspects of the software could also use work. It has long been known that LG's skin apps are reordered, and that still happens here. After we decided to sort apps alphabetically, we installed some new apps – and they were placed at the bottom of the list instead of in alphabetical order. Also, the phone kept telling me to learn how to use gestures.

In a word, LG's software can be described as annoying. At a time when even Samsung is trying to downsize its Android skins, LG would do well to follow suit.

Photo and video quality

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

LG updated the camera array for the V60. The end result is a triple lens system with a 64 megapixel 1: 1.8 main sensor, a 13 megapixel 1: 1.9 ultrawide lens and a 0.3 megapixel time-of-flight lens that captures depth information.

It is somewhat disappointing to see the lack of a telephoto lens. Most flagship phones offer this feature, and some, like Samsung's S20 range, offer zoom features that range from great to class-leading. In defense of LG, the fact that the main sensor has 64 megapixels allows the phone to take lossless pictures with 2x zoom. This is just as easy in the camera app as in phones with telephoto lenses. With the digital zoom, the phone can deliver photos with up to 10 times the resolution.

In general, photos taken in good light are detailed, but the camera struggled with low-light conditions, which will be disappointing in 2020 when iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4 are great for shooting in low-light conditions.

The most interesting thing about the camera of the V60 is the fact that thanks to the Snapdragon 865 chipset it can record 8K videos. However, this takes up space (362 MB per minute). Despite the high resolution, the video did not look as good as the one recorded on the iPhone thanks to the iPhone's improved stabilization and image processing.

The front-facing camera has a size of 10 megapixels and is fine for most applications. The camera struggled again in low light, and in portrait mode it had some problems with edge detection and hair. This is not a big disadvantage, but something to consider when other manufacturers put millions in their camera software.

Great battery life

The best thing about the LG V60 ThinQ is the battery. The device is powered by a huge 5,000 mAh battery. That's a lot of juice, even for a phone with a 1440p 120Hz display. When you consider that the display comes with 1080p and 60 Hz, the phone easily lasts a day of heavy use, with a solid 40 percent remaining.

As expected, the dual display accessories drained the battery considerably, and I found that the phone still contains a lot of petrol even after the second display has been used for a long time.

To really put the battery to the test, I set it up so that a 1080p video is continuously streamed over WiFi, with the display at full brightness. It took almost 13 hours. It is an excellent result.

Price, availability and warranty information

The LG V60 ThinQ costs $ 800 without the dual display accessory or $ 900 with the accessory. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, it was only available from AT&T and T-Mobile, and there is still no word on an unlocked version of the phone.

The V60 comes with a one-year warranty. If you register the device with LG, you will receive a second year free of charge. The limited warranty covers manufacturer defects, so you are unlikely to discover them in the second year of use.

Our opinion

The LG V60 ThinQ is a solid phone that is disappointed by a frustrating software experience and so-so functions. From the camera quality to the design to the display, the LG V60 ThinQ stands short of its competition.

However, if you're just looking for a flagship phone and don't want to pay more than $ 1,000 for the Samsung Galaxy S20, consider the LG V60 ThinQ.

Are there alternatives?

If you want a Snapdragon 865-equipped phone in the price range below $ 800, this is the way to go – but only because it's the only option. If you can wait a bit, it is worth doing so as OnePlus 8 is likely to offer a better viewing and software experience and is likely to support 5G.

If you don't mind spending a little more money, consider the Samsung Galaxy S20, which offers a more modern design and better camera, but still supports 5G.

How long it will take?

If you choose the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, you should expect a lifespan of at least two years, which you can extend to three or four years. The device has a glass facade, so we recommend buying a housing. It also has an IP68 water resistance. Although we don't recommend letting it swim, it should survive accidental falls in the pool or bath.

LG doesn't have the best track record of software updates. Although the phone comes with Android 10, the latest version of Android, you shouldn't expect timely updates in the future. For this reason, the phone may lose relevance earlier than expected.

Should you buy one?

No. We only recommend buying this phone if you like the idea of ​​the dual display case. Otherwise, the features are not convincing enough to warrant the purchase of this device.

Editor's recommendations