The vivo X80 Pro puts a heavy focus on imaging with a powerful 50MP camera co-developed with renowned optics brand ZEISS.
It’s not only one of the best camera phones in the market right now, its also a very capable flagship featuring top notch specs that includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the vivo V1+ chip, a 120Hz WQHD AMOLED display, and an 80W wired fast charging.
Everything checks out in the camera department, but is it enough to warrant your attention, let alone your hard earned cash? Let’s find out.
Design and Display
The X80 Pro is well put together, boasting a 3D curved display, an aluminum frame, and a sleek design. It features vivo’s Flourite AG Glass, which feels very premium with a silky soft touch. As an added bonus, it’s fingerprint-proof as well.
The phone is huge, even by today’s standards, measuring 164.57 x 75.30 x 9.10mm with a weight of 219 g. Fortunately, it’s not unwieldy thanks to its ergonomic design, but its very likely that you’ll need two hands to operate it.
The vivo X80 Pro features a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 3200 x 1440 resolution and a sharp 517 PPI pixel density. As displays go, this one is rated A+ by DisplayMate, the highest performance score one can get on their tests.
The screen also boasts a third-gen LTPO panel that can set the refresh rate dynamically up to 120Hz, and would change accordingly depending on what’s on the screen. Its peak brightness is also top notch, peaking at a blinding 1500 nits.
The X80 Pro’s display is gorgeous with deep blacks and punchy colors. For those who enjoy streaming videos, especially on Netflix, will be happy to know that the phone has L1 Widevine certification and HDR10 HEVC codec support.
Like most curved displays, this one is also prone to slight discolorations at the sides when you look at it straight on. It’s a non-factor, though, as you’ll soon notice its there once you get used to it.
From the front, you’ll notice that the display has a small punch hole at the top center for the selfie camera. And above it, camouflaged on the top bezel is the earpiece that also functions as a second speaker.
Under the display sits Qualcomm’s 3D Ultrasonic Large Fingerprint Sensor. The fingerprint sensor itself occupies a much larger area. Considering the size of the display, this makes it considerably easier to touch when you’re unlocking the device. 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 itself is surprisingly instant. It’s lightning-fast, impressively faster than most I’ve tried so far.
Performance and Battery
The X80 Pro pairs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU with the vivo V1 chip, 12GB RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It runs on Funtouch OS 12 on top of Android 12.
Seeing as this is a flagship, I’m disappointed that it came with some bloatware which is a combination of third party apps and vivo’s own apps. Its not a deal breaker or anything, because you can always just uninstall or hide the unwanted apps.
Overall performance is great. The device easily runs any app and game without breaking a sweat. Navigating the phone is also a very smooth and satisfying flagship experience, which is further enhanced by the X-axis Linear Motor for haptic feedback.
Gaming is even better. 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 on a level above others. Moreover, temperatures are well under control, thanks to its Ultra Large Liquid Cooling Vapor Chamber.
As for the battery, X80 Pro is equipped with a 4700mAh capacity that can last a day with moderate to heavy usage. Battery life, of course, varies from person to person, but its easy to get the same results with sensible usage, perhaps even more if you’re a light user.
Also Read: narzo 50 Pro 5G review: narzo’s first phone as a standalone brand is a winner
The X80 Pro’s 80W wired fast charging can top up the battery to full in under an hour. It takes 35 minutes to get to 100 percent. It also supports wireless charging with a speedy 50W speed.
Cameras
The X80 Pro takes “Professional Photography” to heart with good reason. The phone is equipped with powerful camera hardware that offers pro-level tools that level up the photography experience.
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 which allows 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 helps reduce 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 are 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. Images look pleasant with natural 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.
Final Thoughts
So, the big question: Is it good enough for your hard-earned cash? My answer is yes. The vivo X80 Pro offers a package that combines great cameras and powerful internals for all your needs.
The partnership with ZEISS pays off in a big way with class leading cameras. And when it comes to performance, there are no compromises as the device easily holds its own against the iPhones and the Galaxies in the market.
Price and Availability
The vivo X80 Pro is available in offline and online stores in the Philippines with a price of P59,999. Also available is the vivo X80, which features a MediaTek Dimensity 9000, a 50MP triple camera setup, and a 120Hz AMOLED display for P45,999.
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
