© Provided by CNET Sareena Dayaram / CNETVivo's latest flagship series follows the company's biggest Android competitor. The Chinese phone maker unveiled the new X90 and X90 Pro on Friday, just days after Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 . Notable features of the Vivo X90 Pro are its 120W charger and 1-inch Sony IMX 989 primary camera sensor.
I had the opportunity to use the Vivo X90 Pro for about a week. Among other things, I tested the camera, battery life and performance. The camera offers a variety of versatile shots with good clarity day and night. Photos have good depth of field.
However, some photos weren't as bright as I would have liked, which was a surprise given the phone's 1-inch sensor. Larger sensors are designed to let in more light and thus produce brighter and sharper images. However, as we know from the Sony Xperia Pro-I and Xiaomi 12S Ultra , a 1-inch camera sensor is not really 1-inch. But the dimensions are bigger for a phone camera.
As much as Vivo hyped up the camera, my favorite feature is fast charging thanks to the included 120W charger. I love the convenience of being able to fully charge my phone in half an hour. The included fast charger sets this phone apart from phones from Samsung and Apple, both of which have stopped including chargers in their phone boxes. Besides offering a built-in charger, Vivo is very efficient when it comes to reviving dead batteries.
Apart from the camera and battery, the Vivo X90 Pro has all the key features of a high-end 2023 flagship. There is a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen, a triple camera setup with two 50MP cameras, a large battery and a 120MP. sniper 12 TW charging Xiaomi's Pro also has 120 W fast charging. it's my favorite feature on this phone, even though it's a 200 MP camera.
© Provided by CNET The Vivo X90 Pro has an app drawer. Sarina Dayaram/CNETIt is worth noting that the Vivo X90 Pro is powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 9200 chip, which is different from Samsung's latest Galaxy S23 series, which is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 . It also has an IP64 water and dust resistance rating, which means it's completely protected from dust, but only from splashing water. I don't want to wear this device in the rain or near the pool. Note that this is a lower rating than the IP68 rating of Samsung phones that can withstand submersion in water.
Pricing information is not currently available, but an international release of the X90 series is expected in parts of Europe and Asia. No US release planned. For reference, last year's Vivo X80 Pro cost £1,199 (that's about $1,460, AU$2,085) and the new Galaxy S23 Plus is £1,049.
© Provided by CNET Sareena Dayaram / CNETVivo X90 Pro has a strange design at the back
For a 2023 phone, the X90 Pro's design looks natural from scratch. The rectangular screen has rounded edges and a hole in the middle where the selfie camera is placed. However, if you flip it over, you'll see a strip that runs narrowly across the width of the casing (underneath the camera module).
No, it's not a camera strap like the Google Pixel 7 strap, it's just a flat strap that says "Xtreme Imagination" on the back of the phone. Frankly, it's an odd choice that ruins the overall thin design of the phone. Above this awkward band is a circular camera drum containing three lenses. There's also bold Vivo branding on the bottom, which I don't really like, but I can see why it's there.
The Vivo X90 Pro camera has a Zeiss lens
With this phone as a pocket-sized professional photography kit, Vivo expands its camera partnership with Zeiss, a 176-year-old company owned by pioneers in optical photography. There are three cameras on the X90 Pro: a 50MP main camera, a 50MP portrait camera and a 12MP wide-angle lens. Vivo even has the famous Zeiss T-Star coating on the lenses. The only other phones sold with paint are in the Sony Xperia range.
The photos on the phone look decent. I love how portraits are done with a dramatic bokeh effect. However, as I said, due to the sensor size, some images turned out darker than I expected. You can see the camera in action below.
Notice the dramatic bokeh in this selfie of mine. Unlike some phones that have softer bokeh, it's hard to see what's in the background. Sarina Dayaram/CNET
© Provided by CNETVivo X90 Pro battery
The X90 Pro has a 4780mAh battery that can be charged using the included 120W charger or the 50W wireless charger (sold separately). Vivo claims that the X90 Pro can be fully charged in 29 minutes, and I can confirm that this is true based on the two times I charged the device with the battery (in balanced mode). This beats the charging time of the potentially more expensive Galaxy S23 Ultra , which achieved a 91% charge in 30 minutes for its slightly larger battery.
The Vivo X90 offers two charging modes, the quick charge mentioned above and the balanced mode, which Vivo says is the default and ideal for everyday charging. The company says that the fast mode charges the phone to 50% in 8 minutes and 10 seconds. This is a feature I save for critical situations when I need to charge my dead phone as quickly as possible.
In my experience, the battery lasts a long time and doesn't drain easily. I ran our standard CNET battery life test streaming live video, making video calls, browsing social media, playing mobile games, and listening to music on YouTube for 45 minutes at 50% brightness. During this period, the battery capacity increased from 96% to 87%, indicating that the battery life is good.
Vivo X90 Pro processor comes from MediaTek
Vivo has replaced the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor that powered last year's Vivo X80 series with TSMC's MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip. In comparison, the Galaxy S23 is powered by a customized version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the same chip that Vivo introduced in its flagship Vivo X90 Pro Plus phone.
The Dimensity 9200 is said to offer more efficient power consumption and faster processing. It is backed by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. In my experience, whether I'm streaming YouTube videos, chatting on video calls or playing mobile games, the X90 Pro runs smoothly and smoothly. You can see how it compares to the iPhone 14 and some Galaxy S23 models in our performance test below.
What has Vivo changed with the X90 Pro?
Vivo changed the feature set of the Vivo X80 Pro last year. In addition to swapping the chip from Qualcomm to Mediatek, Vivo ditched the ultrasonic fingerprint reader, the telephoto camera and lowered the screen resolution. The under-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader (3D Sonic Max), which has a larger active area and requires only one touch to install, sets the X80 Pro apart from a number of Android flagships, so it's a disappointment to look at . The X90 Pro has an in-display fingerprint reader that works quite well.
Should you buy the Vivo X90 Pro?
Vivo X90 Pro is a solid Android phone. you can't go wrong with its reliable camera, fast performance and super-fast charging. But since there is no international market price yet, it is hard to say if it is a good price value. Vivo X90 Pro really competes with Galaxy S23. It charges faster than most, if not all, of its Android competitors and also includes a built-in charging brick that's missing from the Galaxy S23 series. But the Galaxy S23 series has a higher IP rating and a telephoto camera that the Vivo X90 Pro lacks. It really depends on your personal needs.
How we tested the phone
Every phone tested by the CNET test team has actually been used in the real world. We tested the functions of the phone, played games, took pictures. We tested the screen to see if it's bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construction to see how it will hold up and whether it has an IP water resistance rating. We pushed CPU performance to the limit with both standard benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, as well as our anecdotal feedback while navigating interfaces, recording HD videos, and playing graphics-intensive games at high refresh rates.
All cameras have been tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We tested special features like night mode and portrait mode, and compared our results with competing phones at the same price. We also tested the battery life by using it every day and running a series of battery drain tests. We are looking at additional features like 5G support, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speed, foldable screen and other features that can be useful. And of course, we evaluate all of this to get an idea of whether the phone is really good value, regardless of the price.
