After a very attractive X80 Pro, Vivo returns with the X90 Pro. But there is a twist. In order not to inflate the price, the brand did not choose the best smartphone from its Chinese catalog. It opts for a premium “intermediate” proposal with a beautiful configuration at a lower price than that of the X80 Pro. What are the changes? Here are all the explanations.
In 2022, Vivo hit hard on the high end. The X80 Pro, Western version of the Chinese X80 Pro+, is one of our 10 favorite smartphones of the last year. Vivo had made no concessions on this phone: very good power, excellent screen, beautiful design, neat photo part, good battery life, ultra-fast charging. There were practically no faults in this phone, apart from a slight tendency to overheat when it was really used and a rather high price all the same: 1299 euros.
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And despite the excellence of its proposal, Vivo has been criticized by its consumers for this very ambitious price. At 1299 euros, the same price as Oppo’s Find X5 Pro, the phone happened to be more expensive than Apple’s excellent iPhone 13 Pro Max. When you are the challenger, offering a higher price than the high-end market leader is risky. In 2023, the brand has therefore decided not to repeat. Certainly, Vivo returns to the high-end market with a new “X”. But the brand also wants to be more reasonable while still aiming for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Vivo X90 Pro arrives in France at 1199 euros
So here is the X90 Pro. But, unlike its predecessor, it is not a European version of the X90 Pro+, but a “standard” X90 Pro. If the difference in the name is “subtle”, the difference on the technical sheet is considerable, since some concessions have been made to lower the price in an economic context which is not really conducive to this. The X90 Pro will be offered from March 7, 2023 at 1199 euros (recommended retail price), i.e. 100 euros less than the X80 Pro. And this without cutting back on internal storage (256 GB) and RAM (12 GB).
So what are the changes? First at the level of the screen. If the size remains the same, the definition is a little lowered. It was Quad HD before. It is now between Quad HD and Full HD: 1260 pixels wide and 2800 pixels high. The resolution obviously drops, reaching 453 pixels per inch. It’s still very good. The screen is curved. It is protected by Schott Xsensation Up glass. In the punch, you find the same 32-megapixel selfie sensor as that of the X80 Pro. The contours remain in aluminum and the back in vegan leather.
Vivo ditches 5x periscopic telephoto lens and gimbal
The photo module is still gargantuan, but becomes circular. In this module, you will find three photo sensors, and no longer four, and a laser autofocus. The main sensor is a Sony IXM989, a 50-megapixel model that measures one inch. It’s a huge sensor with each pixel measuring 1.6 microns. It is equipped, among other things, with an optical stabilizer. But it’s not a gimbal. This is one of the rather sad changes. But Vivo claims that the new stabilizer performs just as well. We will confirm it, or not, in our tests.
We also find an ultra wide-angle sensor, which goes to 12 megapixels instead of 48, and a portrait sensor (focal length equivalent to 50 mm) offering a 2x optical zoom. It goes to 50 megapixels instead of 12. The periscopic telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom is therefore abandoned. It is kept on the X90 Pro+ only. This is one of the biggest concessions made by Vivo. On the other hand, the brand retains its partnership with Zeiss for the coating of the lenses and the colorimetry of the shots. Many modes have been created or improved with the German optician. Finally, it is Gorilla 6 glass that protects the photo module.
No Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Vivo X90 Pro
Let’s go inside the phone with a first big change: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is not replaced by its successor (which you find in the X90 Pro+), but by its direct competitor, the Dimensity 9200. to this change. But this new SoC could be more balanced than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which, for the moment, is overpowered, but also prolix to generate heat. We noticed it with the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23+ (our tests will be online soon) and the Vivo IQOO 11. The Dimensity could therefore offer a nice power while being less power-hungry. Plus, it’s cheaper.
Let’s finish this overview of the changes with the battery. This has been reinforced. Not by much, of course, but still. It goes from 4700 mAh to 4870 mAh. It is compatible with fast charging up to 120 watts wired (it’s better than the X80 Pro) and up to 50 watts wireless (unchanged). There is also a Bluetooth update, which goes to version 5.3. Audio sampling goes from 32 to 24 bits. In use, the difference should not be noticeable. For the rest no change: ultrasonic fingerprint reader, dual stereo speaker, IP68 waterproof chassis, AMOLED screen (here latest generation).
Our first impressions of the product are good. The product is visually high-end and the grip is qualitative, even if the product is, like its predecessor, a bit heavy. We have started our technical tests. Our full test will be online on March 7, the day of the official launch of the phone.
