Building on the success of the X90 Pro, launched in the first half of 2023, Vivo continues to impress with the all-new X100 Pro. This sleekly designed smartphone not only boasts a refined profile but also houses a formidable camera setup, showcasing the company’s commitment to pushing technological boundaries. Furthermore, the comprehensive suite of ZEISS offerings goes beyond the ordinary, empowering users to capture images with unparalleled depth and artistic flair.
Sleek Profile
Building on its success with the X90 Pro, Vivo maintains a consistent design ethos in its latest iteration. Departing from the conventional, bulky forms of contemporary smartphones, the X100 Pro boasts a sleek and curvaceous design that evokes memories of the Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge and 9 Edge, exemplars of ergonomic design from yesteryears. The front features a 6.78-inch curved display, with the power button and volume controls on the right, and the charging port at the bottom. The rear showcases a prominent, raised circular camera module proudly adorned with ZEISS branding, a company with a century-long legacy in lens manufacturing for photographers.
Upon initial handling, I experienced a slight apprehension about dropping the device, but I gradually acclimated to its feel. Despite its slender profile, the phone’s slightly taller stature posed a challenge in reaching the top of the display with one hand, prompting a preference for dual-handed use. While not marketed as a rugged phone, Vivo adds a practical touch with an IP68 certification, ensuring the device can withstand submersion in fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a maximum depth of 1.5 meters.
Stunning Display
Complementing the overall design is a striking 6.78-inch AMOLED display that seamlessly extends to the edges, delivering a truly immersive content consumption experience. The default selection of 2800×1260 (super definition) resolution ensures crystal-clear content visibility. Users also have the flexibility to switch to 2400x1080p (high definition) resolution, a practical choice for conserving battery life. In line with premium smartphone standards, the Vivo X100 Pro boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, and the Smart Switch feature dynamically adjusts the screen refresh rate based on the specific app or content, contributing to efficient battery management.
Sunlight legibility is commendable, offering a satisfactory viewing experience in varying lighting conditions. The display itself is vibrant, presenting bright and vivid colors, coupled with a responsive touch interface that elevates gaming and binge-watching into delightful experiences. There are no complaints regarding the display, as it delivers exceptional brightness, vibrant colors, and responsive touch functionality.
Top-notch photography
A detailed examination of the Vivo X100 Pro unveils the proclamation of ‘Professional Photography’ prominently displayed on the top panel, while ‘Xtreme Imagination’ graces the area just below the camera module on the rear. Far from mere ornate expressions, these declarations accurately reflect Vivo’s commendable achievement in elevating mobile photography with this device.
The rear camera setup comprises a 50MP ZEISS primary camera with an impressive f1.75 aperture, a 50MP ultrawide camera boasting an f/2.0 aperture, and a 50MP Zeiss APO Floating telephoto camera featuring an F/2.5 aperture. The innovative ZEISS APO Floating camera mechanism allows the lens to dynamically shift forward and backward, facilitating precise focusing on subjects at varying distances. Additionally, the inclusion of ZEISS T* coating significantly reduces lens reflectance, enhancing overall image quality.
But what do all these numbers and fancy terms translate to? Well, a stunning smartphone camera that one is likely to experiment with and frame unique shots.
Most importantly, users need not worry about the specific function of each lens or where to access it, as the intuitive user interface offers a plethora of modes and settings to explore. The default photo mode captures stunning images, and even wide-angle shots impress with no distortion at the edges. Transitioning from the photo mode to the ultra-wide mode is seamless, and the optical zoom extends up to 4.3x, with digital zoom reaching up to 100x. Surprisingly, even at higher digital zoom levels, the captured shots remain sharp and crisp.
The onboard zoom lens excels in delivering noise-free and sharp images, particularly in low-light conditions, where many camera-centric smartphones struggle. Whether indoors with minimal lighting or outdoors under streetlights, the colours appear accurate with no discernible noise, contributing to a consistently impressive photographic experience.
Unlike most phones, where you have to physically get closer to the subject to capture a macro shot, with this device, I could simply zoom in to capture some stunning macro shots. Activating this mode was straightforward; a flower icon appeared at the top, allowing me to toggle into the macro mode seamlessly.
Colour preferences vary among individuals; some prefer the natural results of an iPhone, while others lean towards the vibrant tones of a Samsung. Vivo recognizes this diversity and provides users with the option to choose between Vivid, Textured, and Natural colour profiles, catering to individual colour preferences and enhancing the customization experience.
Diverging from the norm observed in most phones, which typically allow adjustments to background depth, this particular device comes equipped with an array of ZEISS features, offering a rich assortment of focal lengths and styles. The portrait mode supports professional focal lengths, including 24mm (1x), 35mm (1.5x), 50mm (2.2x), 85mm (3.7x), and 100mm (4.3x), each tailored for specific types of shots. For instance, the 24mm is ideal for travel themes and landscapes, the 35mm for portraits and environmental photography, the 50mm for a combination of half-body portraits, the 80mm for portrait photography, and the 100mm for capturing intricate facial features.
Beyond the focal lengths, the device introduces ZEISS Style portraits, including Distagon, B-Speed, Biotar, Planar, and Sonnar, each contributing to distinctive background blur effects. Additionally, there are ZEISS Cine-flare and Cinematic options, providing users with an extensive range of creative choices, all complemented by standard styles and beautification features.
While many flagship smartphones are primarily focused on capturing impressive moon shots, the Vivo X100 Pro distinguishes itself by excelling not only in lunar photography but also in capturing breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. Unfortunately, my testing was limited by Delhi’s chilly winter and pollution, preventing me from fully exploring its potential in this regard.
Adding to its versatility, the device introduces some noteworthy features, such as the Food mode, catering to food influencers or bloggers seeking to enhance their culinary captures. Another standout addition is the Astro Mode, featuring an AR Planetarium and Handheld Astro mode, catering to enthusiasts fascinated by celestial bodies. In the AR Planetarium, when the camera is aimed at the sky, it overlays stars and constellations, easily captured with a press of the shutter button. Moreover, mounting the phone on a tripod and directing it toward a clear sky with minimal light pollution allows for the captivating capture of the beautiful night sky in Handheld Astro mode.
On the videography front, the Vivo X100 Pro stands out by capturing videos in impressive 8k resolution at 30fps. The voice enhancer setting proves valuable, particularly when a Bluetooth mic is not available. This feature performs exceptionally well in outdoor settings, such as amidst nature, where it effectively captures ambient sounds, even picking up the chirping of birds while recording a video. Additionally, the phone boasts a cinematic mode designed for professional-grade videography.
The 32MP front camera delivers clear and vibrant shots, although it naturally falls short when compared to the quality of shots captured by the rear camera.
Reflecting on the overall stunning camera performance of this phone, I find myself wishing I had it during my recent holiday to Japan, where the clear skies and beautiful skyline would have provided an ideal canvas for this device to showcase its photographic prowess.
Power Packed
Vivo opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset instead of the latest Qualcomm flagship Snapdragon processor for the X100 Pro. Our review unit was equipped with 16GB of RAM and boasted a spacious 512GB of internal storage. Running on FunTouch OS 14 based on Android 14, the user interface appeared clean, with apps neatly organized in the app tray. Whether engaged in extended periods of photography, videography, gaming, or other tasks, the device handled everything smoothly, exhibiting no signs of lag. To effectively manage heat, Vivo incorporated a vapour chamber cooling system into the design.
Supporting all this high-performance capability is a robust 5,400 mAh battery. In my experience with heavy usage involving extensive camera usage, social media engagement, web browsing, gaming, emails, video calls, and more, the battery just managed to last through a full day. By dinner time, a full charge had dwindled to 15 percent. For those with longer days, carrying the bundled charger is advisable. The included fast charger ensures that the phone can be fully charged in just a little over 30 minutes, providing a quick and convenient solution for maintaining optimal battery levels.
Verdict
The Vivo X100 Pro impresses with its emphasis on camera excellence, robust performance, and innovative features. It emerges as a compelling contender in the smartphone arena, and caters to photography enthusiasts and multimedia creators, offering a comprehensive package that stands out in the competitive smartphone landscape.
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Source: www.businesstoday.in
