Vivo recognizes the significance of lenses. This emphasis on lens enhancements takes center stage in their latest flagship models, the Vivo X100 and Vivo X100 Pro. Initially introduced in China on November 13th, these smartphones are now making their international debut, showcasing impressive 6.78-inch 120Hz OLED screens to complement their advanced lens technology.
The X100 will be available in Southeast Asian markets, including India and Indonesia, and the higher-tier X100 Pro will also be available in European markets. And no surprise — the US isn’t getting either of the devices.
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Similar to its predecessor, the X90 Pro, the X100 Pro boasts a remarkable 50-megapixel main camera with a one-inch-type sensor, a substantial size for a smartphone. Vivo emphasizes its meticulous tuning through “Optical Precision Calibration” to ensure consistent sharpness and quality in the captured images. The telephoto camera on the X100 Pro sees an improvement with a 4.3x optical magnification, a notable upgrade from the 2x magnification on the previous model. Zeiss’ APO designation is introduced for the telephoto lens, indicating a design aimed at reducing chromatic aberration. Additionally, the camera features a floating lens element (not literally floating) that facilitates close-up photography with the telephoto lens.
The X100 has a more pedestrian 50-megapixel 1/1.49-inch-type main camera sensor, as well as a 64-megapixel 3x optical telephoto. There’s no floating element here, but Zeiss coatings have been applied to lenses on both devices. Both phones have 50-megapixel ultrawide cameras as well as a secondary imaging chip, but the X100’s is an older V2 while the Pro gets the newest V3, enabling 4K cinematic portrait video.
Both the X100 and X100 Pro share the powerful foundation of MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300 flagship chipset. Unlike many other flagship series that tend to offer a smaller screen in the “lesser” model, Vivo breaks the mold by equipping both with the same impressive 6.78-inch OLED panel boasting a 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, both models come with the added benefit of an IP68 rating, ensuring protection against dust and water. The key distinctions lie in the camera specifications highlighted earlier.
Vivo’s X90 Pro displayed considerable potential during my camera assessment earlier this year when pitted against the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The company remains committed to the strategy of using a large image sensor, offering advantages such as improved baseline noise performance and more natural bokeh. However, despite these merits,
Samsung still outperformed in most scenarios, leveraging its philosophy of more pixels for better results and adept computational processing. It’s encouraging to witness Vivo emphasizing lens quality, though my tests revealed some lens aberrations that detracted from the quality of certain images. Nonetheless, it seems that a rematch between the upcoming X100 Pro and the seemingly imminent Galaxy S24 Ultra might be on the horizon.