The price point of Rs 50,000 is a threshold of sorts in the smartphone world. Cross that and it’s a zone dominated largely by Apple and Samsung with the occasional Android flagship thrown in the mix. Vivo’s new flagships, the X80 Pro and X80, are taking a shot in this premium segment. The Vivo X80 Pro at Rs 79,999 is the pricier of the two with an advanced camera set up. The X80 also boasts the Zeiss camera association but is Rs 25,000 cheaper.
Do the Vivo models have what it takes to be a flagship challenger? More importantly, will consumers be willing to dish out over Rs 54,999 for a Vivo smartphone?
Every inch premium
The premium experience starts from the retail box. This is a throwback to the time when pricey phones came with a jewel box type retail package and multiple components. At a time when brands like Apple and Samsung have switched to minimal packaging and bundled accessories, Vivo packs this box with a matching back case, an 80W charging brick and earbuds. The device comes in two colours. We checked out the more sedate Cosmic Black but it’s the cool Urban Blue that caught our fancy. The device exudes a premium vibe with a curved front and back glass panel and aluminium frame.
Binge-proof
The curved display will remind you of OnePlus flagships from the last couple of years. The
camera module dominates the rear of the device. This is reminiscent of Zeiss co-branded
smartphone cams like the Nokia Lumia 1020 from the 2010s. The matte finish on the back
repels fingerprints but is a tad slippery. The 6.78-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+
resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels) might seem under par at a time when some of its rivals sport
QHD+ displays but the 120Hz refresh rate keeps things quite vibrant. This is a gorgeous
display that is totally binge proof. Despite this large display and the 206 gm heft, the Vivo device
doesn’t feel unwieldy. It’s just 8.33 mm thin.
Flagship cam
The Vivo X80 delivers on its key promise – rear camera performance. Straight off the bat, this is
one of the best mobile shooters under Rs 60,000. It might miss out on some of the top-of-the-
line features of its pricier sibling like gimbal stabilisation but it is still a versatile shooter. The
X80 combines three lenses – 50MP primary cam, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP telephoto
lens (2x zoom). There’s a whole bunch of video capture modes; videos are sharp but it’s the
low-light photography that impressed us. Portrait images are also up there with flagship
shooters. Vivo has worked with Zeiss to co-develop the camera module. The 32MP selfie
shooter can get mildly aggressive on beautification even if you disable the beauty mode. Just
what you need to mask those dark circles after a frenetic weekend.
Power rush
The Vivo X80 is one of the first devices in India to be powered by a MediaTek
Dimensity 9000 processor. We checked out the 12GB/256GB variant; there’s also a 8GB/128GB option. The device has all the firepower you need to multi-task or game. The X80 notched up an impressive score of 4232 on our Geekbench (multi-core) benchmark test. The 4500 mAh battery keeps this device chugging along; an 80W FlashCharge charger is in the box and can take your device from 0 to 100 percent in just over 40 minutes.
The Vivo X80 is a great addition to the sub Rs 60,000 price segment. We’re not big fans of
the Funtouch OS and the bloatware in the device but that’s one of our few grouses in a device
that fires on multiple cylinders. It looks premium and boasts a versatile camera that will
keep photo fiends engaged as they keep discovering new use-case scenarios.
The Vivo X80 Rs 54,999 (8GB/128GB) / Rs 59,999 (12GB/256GB) and comes in Cosmic
Black and Urban Blue.
