vivo’s partnership with ZEISS Optics bore yet another stunning handset with a powerful camera system. The vivo X70 5G is the brand’s latest flagship, boasting a 40MP main camera with ZEISS T* Coating and the Ultra Sensing Gimbal to produce impressive photos.
Aside from its photography capabilities, the X70 also has a stunning design with a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC at the helm and a 4400mAh battery with a rapid 44W fast charging at its side.
But just how good is it for its asking price of Php 34,999? How well does it perform in real life and is it worth our money? Well, we finally completed our full review of the vivo X70 5G, and we have answers to those questions. Let’s dive in.
Design and Display
vivo has spared no effort in crafting the vivo X70 5G. Using an industrial design process called Fluorite AG, vivo has created a crystallized surface with an eye-catching finish that looks surreal.
The resulting design is like powdered glass. The texture looks and feels luxurious and with a soft touch that feels like velvet. It’s nothing like anything I have seen on a phone before. Our review unit is in Cosmic Black and it has a very deep black color. It’s not only gorgeous, but it easily repels fingerprints as well.
The X70 has a sleek form factor and a contoured back that allow it to comfortably rest in your hand. It is slim and light, with a thickness of 7.55mm and weighing only 181 grams. The frame is made of metal that gives it a solid feel.
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At the front, you have the spacious 6.56-inch Super AMOLED Display with a sharp 2376 x 1080 resolution and a small punch hole selfie camera, protected by a pre-installed screen protector. vivo proudly declares it Samsung-made, which in itself should tell you what to expect — great viewing angles, deep blacks, and punchy, oversaturated colors.
The screen is flat with narrow bezels. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, which keeps things smooth, and HDR10+ support that makes supported videos pop.
The refresh rate is set to Smart Switch by default. On this mode, the phone decides the appropriate refresh rate for whatever it is you’re doing — a lower refresh rate for viewing photos or reading a web page, and faster for videos and games. I do suggest setting it to 120Hz because why not, but do expect a hit on battery life.
At the back, the vivo X70 5G has a vertical rear camera layout. It has a thick camera bump, likely to accommodate the large sensors and the Ultra Sensing Gimbal 3.0 technology. Don’t worry about scratching the cameras when placed down on a table because the included case has a thick lip around where the camera is supposed to be, offering ample protection.
On the right side, you have the volume rocker and the power button within easy reach of your fingers. There’s nothing on the left side. At the top, there’s a second mic and the IR blaster. And at the bottom, you have the dual SIM tray, a microphone, a USB-C port, and a mono speaker.
Performance and Battery
The vivo X70 is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G chipset clocked at 3.0GHz. Our review unit has 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It runs on Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 11. It’s also equipped with a 4400mAh battery with 44W fast charging.
The phone is fast and responsive with zero lags. Apps and games are load and open quickly. And thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, animations are butter smooth. Overall, it has a great user experience.
I’d like to point out that should you need more RAM (not that 12GB is lacking), the X70 has an Extended RAM feature baked into the Funtouch OS which adds 4GB RAM using the phone’s memory.
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When it comes to gaming, the Dimensity 1200 is quite capable. Genshin Impact’s graphics setting defaults to Medium. You can set it higher with a frame rate of 60 without affecting gameplay negatively. Continous gaming under those conditions does make the phone warm (but nothing serious), so take it into consideration.
Here are the benchmark scores:
- AnTuTu – 681,549
CPU – 175,565
GPU – 241,089
MEM – 127,675
UX – 137,220 - Geekbench – 869 (Single-core); 2788 (Multi-core)
- 3D Mark – 4107 (Wild Life); 1277 (Wild Life Extreme)
The handset comes with a modest 4400mAh battery, which isn’t the biggest (but about right for most flagships). It will last a day with moderate usage with enough left in the tank for the evening.
As for charging, the 44W fast charger can fill up the battery to 100% in just under an hour. On our test, it was around 55 minutes. Of course, charging from about 40% to 50% will be quicker, reaching full in half an hour.
Cameras
The vivo X70 5G has a 40MP main camera backed by a custom Sony IMX766V sensor and an f/1.89 lens. The secondary cameras include a 12MP telephoto with up to 2x optical zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide with a 116-degree field of view.
The main camera has a gimbal OIS branded as the Ultra-Sensing Gimbal Stabilization. Now in its third iteration, it provides better stability compared to the previous generation.
You can see it in action when shooting in low light or when you’re in motion while taking a quick shot. Another instance is when you are shooting a video and start walking or moving. You can see how smooth the movements look, easily keeping the video steady.
The X70’s camera lenses also have ZEISS T* coating, which works to reduce stray lights, ghosting effects, and other image artifacts for cleaner photos with much better colors.
Photo quality looks really good with a lot of detail and pleasant colors. The phone also does a good job in low light and night shooting. For best results, use a tripod or place it on a steady surface.
Check out our camera samples below.
Final Thoughts
For Php 34,999, you can’t go wrong with the vivo X70 5G. It’s a beautiful phone with a lot to offer. Photography enthusiasts will enjoy its cameras, while phone videographers will love the gimbal OIS, which does a great job of eliminating camera movement.
The handset soars with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. The SoC is not as powerful as the Snapdragon 888 found on more expensive flagships, but it’s more than enough for an excellent experience, even in games.
One thing I feel holds the X70 back is the mono speaker. It is a missed opportunity, in my opinion. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means (sound quality is still good) but stereo speakers would’ve placed it over the top.
So, should you buy this phone? I’d say yes. It’s a gorgeous device that does a lot of things that exceeded my expectations. And more so if you are into smartphone photography and videography.
Price and Availability
vivo X70 5G: Php 34,999
The vivo X70 5G is priced at Php 34,999. It is now available in vivo concept stores and kiosks nationwide.
vivo X70 5G specs
| Display | 6.56-inch Super AMOLED Display, 2376 x 1080, 120Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+ |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G, 3GHz Octa-core |
| RAM | 12GB RAM |
| Storage | 256GB Storage, UFS 3.1 |
| Rear Cameras | 40MP Main 12MP Ultra-wide 12MP Telephoto ZEISS Optics, ZEISS T* Coating, Ultra Sensing Gimbal Video up to 4K@60fps |
| Front Camera | 32MP Selfie Camera |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 Dual Band, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, IR Blaster |
| Others | In-display Fingerprint Scanner, Hi-Res Audio |
| OS | Funtouch OS 12, Android 11 |
| Battery | 4400mAh Battery, 44W Flash Charge |
