VIVO X60

VIVO X60

Many of Vivo's smartphones, especially those released in recent years, have been premium, flagship-level devices. Some have also pioneered the introduction of emerging technology to cell phones. Vivo was responsible for the first phone with an in-display fingerprint reader, the first pop-up camera, and also the first phone with optical image stabilization. Last year, I reviewed the Vivo X50 Pro (review), which was the first phone to feature gimbal technology on the primary camera sensor. Despite having excellent cameras, the X50 Pro lacked the internals of a flagship handset, and the asking price of Rs 50k didn't help matters. Now, it seems that Vivo is taking a different approach. Enter the Vivo X60 series, which currently includes three smartphones: the Vivo X60, X60 Pro, and X60 Pro Plus. In this review, I'll concentrate on the Pro model, which retains the Gimbal camera from the previous iteration and is also the first phone in India to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor. Will the handset, which costs Rs 49,990, assists Vivo in achieving the high-end flagship formula? Let's dig a little deeper.

VERDICT

My top pick for the sexiest phones in 2021 is the Vivo X60 Pro. It has the looks, the feel in the side, the construction materials, and an overall luxury swagger. With the X60 Pro, Vivo's prowess in providing capable optical hardware is on display, and it has the results to prove it. The X60 Pro is also at the very top of the smartphone pedestal in terms of performance and display, though you can find the phone heating up from time to time under heavy GPU load. The battery life, on the other hand, is poor, and the software, though improved, still contains bloatware. However, the lack of stereo speakers, an IP ranking, and wireless charging may be deal-breakers.

DESIGN AND DISPLAY

It's obvious only by keeping the handset that the Vivo X60 Pro is following in the footsteps of its predecessor as the slickest phone on the market. The Frosted-matte AG Glass used in the phone is pleasant to the touch and also acts as a fingerprint deterrent. The gradient finish complements the back of the frame and suits the frame's sloping rails. The large Gimbal lens and its accompanying camera housing protrude slightly from the chassis, which is otherwise extremely small. In fact, with a thickness of 7.59mm, the X60 Pro may be the thinnest smartphone in its class.

    

The device's elegant appearance is complemented by its remarkably light in-hand feel, weighing just 177g. While I did get nicked by a couple of coins in my pocket, the glass back appears to be very robust. Vivo should have included a transparent silicone case in the package, but at the very least you get a charging cable and a pair of wired earphones. Despite its slimness and curved front and back panels, I'm always impressed with how well-built the unit feels. The device's volume rocker and power buttons are on the side, while the single speaker grille, USB-C port, and dual-SIM slot are on the bottom.

 

The device's front features a virtually bezel-less display with curved sides that blend into the thin frame. The selfie shooter is housed in a punch-hole that travels to the center and has a very limited surface area. The screen is a decent 6.5 inches diagonally, which works well with the narrow design for one-handed operation. FHD+ (2,376 x 1,080) resolution is provided by an AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. I've been impressed by Vivo's displays in some of its previous flagship smartphones, and the X60 Pro is no exception. The panel has a peak brightness of 800 nits, so outdoor viewing is not a concern.

     

                                              

CAMERA

I had written a review of the Vivo X50 Pro's Gimbal camera and addressed its advantages for improving smartphone photography. The primary sensor is the same 48MP Sony IMX598 this time, but it's built on a "Double-Ball Suspension Mount" for up to 300 percent more stability. The sensore also has the largest aperture I've seen to date, at f/1.48. Aside from that, Vivo has collaborated with Zeiss, a Swiss optics firm, to co-engineer the lenses for the X60 series. Zeiss' inputs, according to Vivo, corrected many edge distortions in landscape images, suppressed flaring and ghosting in indoor shots, and created a 'Vortex'-like blur effect in portrait shots.The primary shooter is throwing around a lot of technical jargon, but it all comes down to how much the new Gimbal Synchronization 2.0's reliability helps in the photography department.

To be frank, the Vivo X60 Pro takes fantastic daylight photos with excellent colour accuracy. Focusing is fast, and you can see the gimbal mechanism physically correcting the lens' location when you shine a light on the primary camera. It's pretty awesome to be able to take reasonably detailed shots while shaking the screen, so fast-moving objects won't be a concern. Automatic AI scene detection boosts colour tones based on what I'm shooting, but I tend to turn it off most of the time. There's always the Pro mode, which gives you access to a range of manual adjustments, like the Gimbal Radar, for improved stability awareness.

The other two lenses are a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 120-degree field of view that can also be used for macro photography, and a 2X telephoto lens with the same 13MP resolution. Since none of these lenses has Gimbal support or OIS, it was anticipated that some detailing would be lacking. Despite this, the ultra-wide camera manages to capture some stunning images with minimal edge warping. The macro shots are also very good, though the colours can be a little too bright at times. The transition between lenses is normal, and the colour temperature is often preserved.

Behind the scenes, there's a lot of night photography wizardry going on, and the results are mostly positive. In reality, the X60 Pro performs admirably in almost every kind of dim lighting, whether indoors or out. The gimbal aids in maintaining sharpness in low-light shots for optimum clarity and concentration. The highlights are noticeable, and there isn't a lot of oversharpening in the shots. In severe low-light situations, however, graininess and noise become more noticeable. I have noticed a greenish tint dominating shots with a single source of illumination in some cases. In this case, the Night mode does not add a lot of extra info.

The phone can take incredibly informative 4K videos at 60 frames per second, and the footage is very smooth thanks to the 5-axis Gimbal stabilisation. Aside from that, there's the ultra-stable shooting mode, which only works in 1080p but produces incredibly smooth videos even in low light. A capable 32MP selfie camera on the front captures some of the best selfies in the Android world. There is almost no facial smoothing, and I'm very impressed with how well the skin tones fit.

PERFORMANCE AND SOFTWARE

Though Qualcomm's flagship 5nm chipset is the Snapdragon 888, the Snapdragon 870 that powers the X60 Pro is just a notch below. The latter still packs a punch and provides incremental improvements over the Snapdragon 865 chipset from last year. I've got a couple of benchmark numbers that should put any doubts about the 870's processing power to rest. The Vivo X60 Pro earned a total score of 636,019 on Antutu, and 1,031 and 2,998 on Geekbench's single-core and multi-core measures, respectively. Samsung's Exynos 2100 (a 5nm chipset and a competitor to the Snapdragon 888) on the Galaxy S21 Ultra (review) scored 646,482 on Antutu.

In terms of any performance requirements you might have for your computer, the X60 Pro will not disappoint. The phone is capable of doing almost any task without breaking a sweat. While doing some heavy mobile gaming, I did notice the phone getting unreasonably hot from time to time. It's not like it has any bearing on in-game results, but it's something to keep in mind. The computer gained nearly 9 degrees in temperature and lost 5% battery life while running Antutu, a 5-minute benchmark.

BATTERY

The Vivo X60 Pro's battery life isn't particularly impressive, which is understandable considering the device's ultra-thin chassis. The unit comes with a 4,200mAh battery that can last for up to a day when used responsibly. I found that my phone will die on me more often than not before the end of the day, so keep that in mind. The screen was on for around 5-6 hours, which is slightly longer than normal in today's flagship market. The computer does not allow wireless charging, but it does support wired 33W FlashCharge. It takes about 70-80 minutes to charge the phone from 0 to 100%. There are a couple of tech tricks up the sleeve to help you get more battery life out of your phone.

FINAL CONCLUSION

The Vivo X60 Pro, without a doubt, has the best design of all the flagship devices I've reviewed so far this year. It has a very premium feel to it in the side, while still being designed to last. Apart from the unusual heating of the system during some heavy-ended graphics-based use, there is little to complain about in terms of efficiency. The cameras are also exceptional, particularly when compared to some of the competing devices' low-light capabilities. Aside from that, the X60 Pro's outstanding monitor meets industry expectations and includes all of the features you might like. Is it possible that the haptics might have been better?

The X60 Pro is priced at Rs 49,990, putting it in direct competition with the OnePlus 9. (review). There are a lot of similarities between the two phones. The only difference between the two displays is the location of the punch-hole monitor. The Snapdragon 888 chipset gives OnePlus an edge, but the camera department is where it falls short. I'll also award the X60 Pro design points simply because it's a pleasure to carry. Neither phone comes with flagship features including an IP rating or wireless charging. The OnePlus 9 does, however, have stereo speakers, which the X60 Pro does not. The OnePlus 9 also has a better battery, thanks to its quicker 65W charging.