Every year I will try to review Vivo devices in the X series because I love their photography capabilities. Since starting the collaboration with Zeiss, the photographic capabilities of Vivo devices have increased further. This time I also had the opportunity to test the Vivo X90 Pro, which is a better version of the X90 equipped with a 1-inch camera sensor and powered by the same MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip.
If last year we named the Vivo X80 Pro as our third best flagship device behind the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, can the Vivo X90 Pro remain on the list of the best devices in 2023? In this article, I include the initial opinion of use after about a day of using this device.
Specifications
Vivo X90
6.78″ AMOLED screen, 120Hz
1260 x 2800 pixels
HDR10+
Mediatek Dimensity 9200 processor (4nm)
1 X 3.05 GHz Cortex X2 chip
3 X 2.5 GHz Cortex A710
4 X 1.8 GHz Cortex A510
Arm Immortalis-G715 Graphics Chip
RAM 8/12 GB RAM LPDDR5 Quad
LPDDR5X for 12/512 GB model only
8GB Virtual RAM
Internal Storage 256/512 GB UFS 4.0
Primary Camera 50 MP, 1″, f/1.75, OIS (Wide Angle)
50 MP, f/1.6, OIS (Telephoto, 2x Optical Zoom)
12 MP, f/2.0 (Ultra-Wide Angle)
4K 60p, Zeiss T*
Front Camera 32 Megapixel f/2.45
4K 30p
4870 mAh battery
120W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM Nano /5G
NFC Yes
Infrared Yes
Waterproof IP68
Fingerprint Scan System under the screen
Sale Price Starts at RM3188*
*From Chinese Yuan
Screen
This device uses a 6.78 AMOLED screen with FHD+ resolution, supports 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ display. This large size is very satisfactory for enjoying video content, gaming and multi-tasking but with the curved screen design it is a bit distracting. In a brief test, around one day – HDR videos played no problem on YouTube and Netflix because it's a quality flagship screen with vivid colors, clear details and very bright brightness levels.
As for the screen design, the bezels on all four sides look thin, providing an immersive user experience, especially if you want to watch videos. The large screen is good for enjoying multimedia, but one issue for me is the low position of the optical fingerprint scanner under the screen making it difficult to unlock the device. Plus with the device being heavy at the top due to the giant camera bump, the device almost falls if unlocking the device with this method.
Fortunately there is a face scan system for unlocking because after a few hours of day, I use this system instead of the fingerprint scanner. The X90 Pro's facial scanning system is incredibly fast. It works best in bright situations only so far because there is no infrared emitter for use in pitch black situations.
Design
The design of the X90 Pro is more or less the same as the previous X80 Pro. What sets it apart is that there is no longer a large square camera bump but is replaced by a round camera bump that is not only gigantic in size but also thick. It's also off center, making the device look asymmetrical. I would have preferred if the camera bump was placed balanced in the middle like it is done on Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Huawei Mate 50 Pro.
To remind users of this device to focus on photography, there is a shiny strip below the camera with Xtreme Imagination text and a prominent blue Zeiss logo. The back panel on the reviewed unit also has a textured surface like the body of a real digital camera. It reminds me of the body of the Oppo Find N2 which also has a panel with the same material.
Due to this camera hump, the X90 Pro is unstable when placed on a flat table surface. Even if a silicone frame is provided, it still doesn't solve this issue and the curved screen is still at risk of scratches and cracks if dropped. This makes me more comfortable using the device without a protective frame because the leather-like finish on the back provides a more reassuring grip than a smooth silicone frame.
Both the power button and the volume button are on the right side and they are nice buttons to press. Its position is ergonomic and easily accessible even with one-handed use. The metal build makes the device feel more premium.
Above is the infrared sensor for the remote control, below is the SIM card slot, speaker grill and USB-C port. This device supports 5G and can also use eSIM, but it is not sure yet which telco can provide eSIM support on this device. For audio, it uses a stereo speaker system with its own audio mode without Dolby Atmos support that we usually see on competing devices. The SIM tray does not have a slot for a micro SD card which also disappears as does the 3.5mm audio jack.
The device also feels sturdy and nice in the hand. Vivo also maintains the IP68 protection as last year, making this device complete in terms of all the features and functions of a flagship device. It seems that there is a potential that this device may be listed in the list of the best flagship devices of 2023.
Interface And User Experience
I'll be honest, last year I complained about Funtouch OS 12 using a different layout of settings than native Android, a strange grid arrangement of app icons and strange widgets. On Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13, the same thing still happens. But this time I can forgive because Vivo tried their best to make Funtouch OS look like the original Android 13 with many features included. For example, the customization feature of the device's color theme according to the background image, security features and more.
Funtouch OS 13 is packed with many other interesting features and functions such as unique gesture control, Smart Motion, Ultra Game Mode, Jovi Home as an alternative to Google Discover, virtual RAM up to 8GB which is activated by default, and Dynamic Effect to make the device screen more interactive when receiving notification.
Like most devices from Chinese manufacturers, the Vivo X90 Pro also has a device manager app to monitor device security, storage issues, battery health and boot mode. Fat applications are also loaded on this device which is annoying because the 256GB storage is actually not big when it is filled with applications that I don't use. Thankfully it can be removed and some can also be turned off.
The Dimensity 9200 chip on this device is very powerful, but still can't match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 yet. Even so, as far as this short period of use is concerned, the device works very smoothly and quickly without any lag issues at all.
Because I transferred data and apps from the old device to the X90 Pro, some of the apps I opened took a little longer to launch until they were updated via the Play Store or reinstalled. To avoid this issue I recommend not using cable for data transfer but use Google cloud backup.
Unlike the Vivo X90 that we gave an opinion earlier yesterday, the X90 Pro has no problem installing the Netflix application through the Play Store. So this issue may not be caused by the Dimensity chip, but may be because the Funtouch OS 13 we are using is not yet the general version that will be sold later.
Bench mark
I compared the capabilities of the Vivo X90 Pro with the iQOO 11 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. All three devices are powered by flagship-class processing chips, so Dimensity 9200 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs A16 Bionic – which one is more powerful and powerful?
Geekbench 5
Vivo X90 Pro – 1376/4262
iQOO 11 5G – 1457/4702
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 1875/5469
Antutu 3D
Vivo X90 Pro – 1,195,548
iQOO 11 5G – 1,248,937
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 974,941
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
Vivo X90 – 3732
iQOO 11 5G – 3763
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 3373
Camera
X90 Pro uses a camera with a 1-inch sensor developed by Xiaomi in collaboration with Leica and Sony which is 50MP IMX989. This sensor is paired with a 50MP telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom as well as a 12MP ultra-wide angle sensor and a 32MP selfie camera. Vivo V2's ISP chip is also included to post-process every photo taken by the user.
The camera application has some interesting features such as the Zeiss Landsc mode. & Archit., High Resolution 50MP, Night Pano, Astro, AI Group Photo, Zeiss Natural Color, portrait mode with various Zeiss bokeh profiles. Here are some sample photos that were taken on the first day.
What's In The Box
Here is what was included in the box we received.
1x Vivo X90 Pro
1x Translucent silicone frame.
1x 120W three-pin charger.
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x SIM Pin.
1x Manual.
Conclusion
Although the Vivo X90 Pro seems to have the potential to compete with last year's X80 Pro, I still can't give a final verdict because a lot of testing needs to be done. For example, high graphics performance, camera performance if used for a long time, battery life and more. But for a photography device, the X90 Pro may go beyond the "extreme imagination" I imagine.
When this article was written, Vivo has not yet announced when the X90 Pro device will be launched in Malaysia officially. With many competitors this year also focusing on photography, we have to wait for the official sales price later to determine if this is a candidate for the best flagship device in 2023.
Pro
A beautiful screen comparable to a flagship device.
The Dimensity 9200 chip proves powerful.
Support 120W fast charging.
Zeiss camera with robust portrait mode.
IP68 waterproof.
Cons
The curved screen is still annoying.
The fingerprint scanner is quite low.
The camera bump is too big.
