Smartphone math is tough. There always seems to be some sacrifice when you make that purchase decision, choosing one over the others. Amid the ongoing battles about who can offer the latest hardware and software, some brands choose to focus on something very specific, aiming to help you make that tough decision by telling you, “These are exactly what you are getting with this phone.” That is what vivo’s X60 Pro seems to be doing.
The hyper-focus on the camera tells you that this is a smartphone that specialises in photography and filming. But that’s not to say that the rest of the hardware is not equally magnificent, because they are, according to a media release.
The closest to DSLR-quality photos and videos possible on a phone
British Tech reviewer Arun Maini, famed for his smartphone reviews on his YouTube channel ‘Mrwhosetheboss’ where he has nearly 7 million subscribers, said “For as long as I can remember, this is the closest a phone has gotten to taking photos that look DSLR-like.”
An authoritative journalist on smartphone tech, Arun’s opinion comes as no surprise, given vivo’s much-hyped collaboration with camera lens maker ZEISS, a global leader in optics and optoelectronics and a pioneer in the field of professional and mobile imaging.
The Gimbal Stabilization 2.0 utilises the latest VIS 5-axis video stabilisation technology, allowing users to take photos without having to think about steady hands. The stabilisation tech takes care of this. The result is very visible.
While other leading brands achieved stabilisation through post-fixing by software, vivo’s use of physical stabilisation tech helping the digital processing produces distinct results. It is possible to keep a subject in the frame when zooming in 10x or more, something that makes the zoom feature really useful.
The focus is quite fast through all of its lenses. The primary camera packs 48 megapixel with Sony IMX 598 sensor to improve light sensitivity. The light intake and signal-to-noise ratio are improved, making the picture quality better in night scenes. With more light intake, the shutter time can be shortened to better capture moments of movement.
While the images are impressive and easily compete against any other flagship device on the market, where vivo truly stuns is in the ultrawide image quality. It has probably the best sharpness through an ultrawide lens and noise is nearly non-existent.
What’s more, the 48MP Ultra-wide Gimbal Camera is also excellent in the dark. It probably performs better than most ultrawide in the market and the results are truly stunning.
All the bells and whistles
The X60 Pro has all the other bells and whistles you would expect. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor, along with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB storage for improved efficiency and cater to high storage needs. Also, a 4200 mAh battery coupled with 33W flash charge technology gives you a decent and optimized battery life when using the smartphone.
The 6.56-inch edge-to-edge AMOLED display will be a sign of relief for those who want the benefits of the modern big screen phone, but also want to have a compact size that is more easy to grip, and certainly more comfortable to carry around in the pocket.
Coupled with its super crisp 120Hz display (and 240Hz touch response rate), the phone looks simply amazing.
The phone’s Funtouch OS comes with quite a unique blend of animation options. The very satisfying and easily controllable options include, for example, setting up animation for ambient light on the edge of the screen. The on-screen fingerprint icon has 6 different icons that you can set, and 8 different animations to go along with it. While these sounds gimmicky on paper, they are really fun, and can be very useful in real day to day usage.
The camera system on the X60 Pro is really the crown jewel for the phone. But even if you are not in the market for the best camera system, the X60 Pro works just as well as a high-performing flagship, with the added benefits of an awesome camera system.