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vivo X80 Pro 5G: Powerful ZEISS cameras and no compromises

vivo recently launched its latest flagship, the vivo X80 Pro, in the Philippines. Just like vivo’s past X-series phones, the X80 Pro puts a heavy focus on imaging. It pushes the bar in photography with powerful cameras co-developed with renowned optics maker, ZEISS.

As a flagship phone, the X80 Pro is as good as any, offering the best in terms of photography and performance. That being said, let’s take a look at what makes it a compelling choice and possibly one of the best phones of the year.

vivo X80 Pro Review

vivo’s ZEISS cameras and more

vivo and ZEISS came together with the goal of developing breakthrough innovations in mobile imaging technology, with the former bringing in its know-how in smartphone development and the latter its expertise in imaging.

The partnership culminated in its first-ever innovation, the vivo X60 series, which showcased ZEISS optics, paired with an innovative design and top-notch internals.

vivo X80 Pro Review

They raised the bar even further with their latest flagship, the X80 Pro, which featured vivo and ZEISS’s co-engineered imaging system, bringing together a custom 50MP Ultra-Sensing GNV sensor with ZEISS T* Coating covered lens, along with vivo’s gimbal stabilization technology and V1+ chip to create one of the most innovative camera experiences in the Philippine market to date.

Optics aside, the X80 Pro also boasts a flagship feature set, which includes top-end specifications including a 120Hz WQHD+ AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, and an 80W wired and 50W wireless fast charging.

Professional Photography

The X80 Pro takes “Professional Photography” to heart, engraving the words on the top frame with good reason. It features powerful camera hardware that offers pro-level tools built to enhance your smartphone photography experience.

vivo X80 Pro Review

As mentioned, the main camera is powered by a custom 50MP Ultra-Sensing GNV sensor, paired with vivo’s tried-and-tested sensor-shift optical image stabilization. The sensor measures a large 1/1.3-inches, allowing more light to come in. It sits alongside a 48MP ultra-wide, a 12MP telephoto with up to 2x zoom, and an 8MP periscope with up to 5x optical zoom. In front, there’s a 32MP camera for selfies.

The cameras are supported by vivo’s second-gen V1+ custom ISP chip, which works to enhance night video denoising and HDR performance for both photos and videos. The camera lenses, on the other hand, are covered with ZEISS T* Coating, which reduces reflections and improves light transmission while eliminating the undesirable effects of stray light resulting in clearer photos with more detail and true-to-life colors.

The results more than speak for themselves. Photos look crisp with good detail and natural-looking colors. The dynamic range is wide with good exposure. The phone also does a good job in low light and night shooting, as well. Moreover, the gimbal works wonders in keeping images sharp and steady.

Selfie photos are clean too with good detail and colors. Here, images are pleasant and look natural with good skin tones.

As for video, the smartphone adds the new Zeiss Cinematic Video mode. The feature can accurately reproduce the look and feel of ZEISS Anamorphic film lenses and creates unique oval flares in videos and photos in film-standard 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

Check out the camera samples below.

Eye-catching Phone, Excellent Features

The X80 Pro is a beautiful phone. It’s well put together, boasting a 3D curved display, an aluminum frame, and a sleek design. The flagship flaunts vivo’s Flourite AG Glass, which is as gorgeous as ever. It’s silky soft and smooth to the touch. And as an added bonus, it’s fingerprint-proof as well.

The X80 Pro is quite large, even by today’s standards. It measures 164.57x 75.30x 9.10mm with a weight of 219 g. Fortunately, it’s not unwieldy and easy to manage, thanks to its curves and ergonomic shape. Although, it’s likely you’ll still need two hands to handle it most of the time.

vivo X80 Pro Review

At the back, the cameras are set on a huge island that takes up more than a third of the rear panel, putting the focus on its highlight feature. Three of the cameras are grouped together on a circular area, while the periscope camera sits near the edge.

As for specifications, the X80 Pro backs up its flagship status with impressive internal specifications. Under the hood, you have the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 doing the heavy lifting, paired with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. There’s no expansion card slot here, but the storage space should be enough for most people.

vivo X80 Pro Review

As for connectivity, the smartphone has 5G, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, and an IR blaster. It also has USB 2.0 Type-C port. And for audio, we are finally getting stereo speakers, which sound great by the way. It also comes with support for Hi-Fi, thanks to the built-in CS43131 DAC.

To further expand the flagship experience, the X80 Pro has an X-Axis Linear Motor for haptic feedback. It adds dimension to the overall handling of the phone. Taps and actions come with subtle vibrations throughout the device.

Flagship Experience

The X80 Pro’s vivo V1 chip not only works on photos and videos but contributes to overall performance as well. Paired with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, a 120Hz AMOLED display, the X-axis Linear Motor, and the stereo speakers, you get a satisfying flagship experience.

Performance-wise, the device powers through anything. It can run any app and game without breaking a sweat. Navigating the phone is also very smooth, thanks to the high refresh rate.

vivo X80 Pro Review
vivo X80 Pro with the faux leather case

And it’s even better for gamers. Graphics-heavy games run without issues. And thanks to the smooth and large display, great sound from the speakers, and rapid fast wired charging, the gaming experience is one of the best on the market. It also has an Ultra Game Mode which offers a laundry list of optimizations and enhancements that further improve the gaming experience.

Moreover, the X80 Pro also has an Ultra Large Liquid Cooling Vapor Chamber that keeps temperatures well under control. During the review, I didn’t experience any issue with heat.

Superb Display

The X80 Pro has a spacious 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 3200 x 1440 resolution and a sharp 517 PPI pixel density. It’s rated A+ by DisplayMate, the highest performance score one can get on their tests.

The display boasts a third-gen LTPO panel that sets the refresh rate up to 120Hz depending on what’s on the screen. Its peak brightness tops at a blinding 1500 nits. It also supports HDR10+.

vivo X80 Pro Review

There’s a small punch hole at the top center of the display for the selfie camera. And above it, camouflaged on the top bezel is the earpiece / second speaker.

The X80 Pro’s display is gorgeous with deep blacks and punchy colors. I particularly enjoyed streaming videos, especially on Netflix thanks to the L1 Widevine certification and HDR10 HEVC codec support. But like other curved displays, it’s prone to slight discolorations at the sides when you look at it straight on. It’s a non-factor, though, as you’ll soon forget it while using the phone.

Also Read: vivo X80, X80 Pro now available through installment plans via credit card and Home Credit

Under the display sits Qualcomm’s new 3D Ultrasonic Large Fingerprint Sensor. The fingerprint sensor occupies a large display area, making it easier to touch. It also comes with an extra privacy and app encryption security feature where you can use two fingers at the same time for verification. The fingerprint sensor is surprisingly instant. It’s lightning-fast, faster than most I’ve tried so far.

Allday Battery Life with 80W Fast Charging

What’s the point of having a powerful phone if it can’t last a day? Thankfully, X80 Pro comes with a 4700mAh battery that provides a full day of juice with moderate to heavy usage. I understand that what you get in terms of battery life varies from person to person, but I’m confident you’ll get the same results. It’s even possible to get a bit more if you’re a light user.

If you run out of power, the X80 Pro has 80W wired fast charging, which can charge the phone to full in under an hour. It took just 35 minutes to get to 100 percent. And if you have wireless chargers around, it also supports speedy 50W wireless fast charging.

So, should you buy it?

The big question: Should you buy it? The easy answer is yes. Whether your focus is on photography or you want the best possible feature set, the vivo X80 Pro is a good pick.

The cameras really impress, living up to the “Professional Photography” inscribed on the phone. Not only that, but the X80 Pro is also an unapologetic and defiant flagship. It has no compromises on design, quality, or performance, and can easily hold its own against the iPhones and the Galaxies.

Moreover, you’re getting two devices with the X80 Pro — a great camera for when you need the best possible one on hand, and a powerful phone that can run through any app or game.

vivo X80 Pro Review

The vivo X80 Pro is now available in the Philippines at a price of P59,999. The vivo X80 with a MediaTek Dimensity 9000, a 50MP triple camera setup, and a 120Hz AMOLED display is also available for P45,999.

Vivo has also set up the vivo Philippines Imaging Academy for budding photographers who want to take their craft to the next level. It is headline by Michael Halsband, Issa Barte, Peter Van Agtmael, E-Jay Zhang, and Raul Romo.

vivo X80 Pro specs

  • Display: 6.78-inch 3D WQHD LTPO3 AMOLED, 3200 x 1440, 120Hz refresh rate
  • CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • RAM: 12GB RAM
  • Storage: 256GB Storage, UFS 3.1
  • Rear Cameras: 50MP main camera, GNV Sensor; 48MP ultra-wide, Sony IMX598; 12MP depth, Sony IMX663; 8MP telephoto, 5x optical zoom; Laser AF
  • Front Camera: 32MP selfie camera
  • Network: 5G, 4G LTE
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 dual-band, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, IR Port
  • Others: In-display Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, USB-C, Stereo Speakers, IP68, Hi-Res audio,
  • OS: Funtouch OS 12, Android 12.0
  • Battery: 4700mAh battery, 80W Wired FlashCharge, 50W Wireless FlashCharge

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

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