Vivo X70 Pro+ Review: Lives Up to The Spec Sheet’s Promise
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
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Nice 120Hz AMOLED screen
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Impressive gimbal stabilization for videos
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Versatile camera zoom functions
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Fastest processor available
disadvantage
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Big and heavy
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Software has yet to be polished
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
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.
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