Heena Sharma Blog

  It hasn't been long since Vivo launched its X60 series (review) that placed the Chinese smartphone maker at a fine spot in the cluttered smartphone market in India. And Vivo did not take long to launch its X70 series , yet again in collaboration with lens major Zeiss. The X70 series is geared towards content creators as imaging remains a focus here, not just that, the new series also features Vivo’s V1 imaging chip, which the company claims took almost two years to develop. That said, Vivo’s X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ had already set the bar so high for rivals and now with a new iteration in the X series, it remains to be seen if Vivo lives up to the expectation. I took the X70 Pro+ for a spin—from photography to gaming, I put the phone to a stiff test to see what’s on offer. I’ll talk about everything this phone has to offer in this review: Vivo X70 Pro+: Design and build quality Vivo X70 Pro+ The very first thing one notices in the X70 Pro+ is the rear camera module that...

  Smartphone brand Vivo on Monday announced the launch of VIVO Y53s with 64MP rear camera and a 5,000mAh battery for Rs 19,490 in India. Available in two colours -- Deep Sea Blue and Fantastic Rainbow -- the device can be purchased across online platforms and partner retail stores from August 9. The 8GB+128GB storage (expandable upto 1TB) device offers 3GB extended RAM where users can download their favourite apps and run them all seamlessly. "With this launch, we continue to add new devices to our portfolio across various price points to meet our customer's expectations and provide them with unmatched immersive and premium experience," said Nipun Marya, Director- Brand Strategy, Vivo India. Y53s sports 16.71cm (6.58-inch) FHD+ display, a 64MP triple camera along with powerful 5000mAh battery. It also offers 18W fast charging capabilities. Read More

  Vivo’s spin-off brand iQOO continues to make strides in the gaming smartphone segment with the launch of the iQOO 3 5G. Priced Rs 19,990, the smartphone is packed with features and specifications not common in the midrange segment. For starters, it is the first smartphone in India powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G 5G mobile processor. Moreover, it packs a fullHD resolution screen of 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate, a 64-megapixel based triple rear camera array, and a big capacity battery supported by 55W fast charger. The iQOO 3 5G seems to be a solid midrange smartphone. Is it? Let’s find out iQOO Z3 5G : Design It is easy to find a smartphone in the midrange segment packed with top-of-the-line specifications, but the search gets difficult if you throw in the thin and lightweight design requirement. Thankfully, the iQOO 3 5G does not compromise on the design front. It has a thin profile (8.5mm) and lightweight (185.5g) build. The phone comes in ‘Cyber Blu...

  India’s premium smartphone market has bolstered with offerings from brands that were not there in the competition until last year. Among many other things, imaging yet again taking the centre stage and each of the new offering in the segment has something novel to offer. Of the many new entrants in the segment, Vivo seems to a promising one, thanks to its recent partnership with German lens maker Zeiss. One of the first products to come from this partnership is the Vivo X60 Pro , a camera-first premium smartphone with Zeiss optics. Vivo calls the X60 Pro "camera in a phone". Is the phone all about its cameras, or does it utility goes beyond imaging? Let us find out: Design and display Vivo X60 Pro The Vivo X60 Pro looks premium, and its visual appeal is second to none, considering the bulky and heavy smartphones of the present time. It takes design cue from its predecessor, the Vivo X50 Pro, but sheds some weight and dimensions to look even better and feel right in...

  Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Thursday launched its flagship Vivo X60 series of smartphones, co-engineered with optics and opto-electronics major Zeiss. The X60 series consists of the X60, X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ and runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 series 5G Mobile Platform. A successor to the Vivo X50 Pro, the X60 Pro has brought several upgrades to the cameras, processor, and Vivo's gimbal stabilisation. We used the X60 Pro for about two weeks; here are our initial impressions: Design and display Vivo X60 Pro The X60 Pro has a 6.56-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and full HD+ resolution. The display and the rear panel have Gorilla glass 6 protection. The rear panel has AG glass with a frosted finish and anti-fingerprint coating to prevent fingerprints and smudges. The camera module on the back has a dual-step design, similar to what the Vivo X50 Pro also had. The first layer has a flash while the second has all three cameras. Read More

  Vivo on Monday launched the Vivo Y51A in India at Rs 17,990. The smartphone boasts 48-megapixel based triple camera set-up on the back, 5,000 mAh battery with 18W fast charge and reverse wired charging support, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor. The Vivo Y51A sports a 6.58-inch screen of fullHD+ (2408×1080) resolution. It comes with side fingerprint sensor for screen unlock. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 6-series processor, the Y51A is the first Vivo smartphone to boot Android 11 operating system based Funtouch OS 11 user interface. Imaging is covered by a triple camera array on the back, featuring a 48MP primary sensor with Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) technology for ultra-stable video. The other two cameras are an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens and 2MP macro lens. On the front, the smartphone has 16MP camera for selfies. It also has super night camera capabilities for both front and rear for low light photography. Read More

  Vivo today expanded it’s Y series portfolio with the launch of Y51 in India. Priced at Rs 17,990 (8GB+128GB), the Y51 features a 6.58-inch Halo FullView Display with FHD+ (2408×1080) resolution. It will be available in two colour options — Titanium Sapphire and Crystal Symphony.   The vivo Y51 has a 5000mAh battery bundled with 18W Fast charge technology. For imaging, it has a 48MP AI-powered triple rear camera set-up with inbuilt multiple shooting modes. Vivo also announced a new variant of the Y30 with a RAM upgrade, now available in 6+128GB. The quad camera at the rear offers a 13MP Main Camera, 8MP Super Wide-Angle Camera, 2MP Super-Macro Camera and 2MP Bokeh Camera. The phone comes with a 6.47 inch iView display and offers a 90.7% screen to body ratio and packs a massive 5,000mAh battery for seamless smartphone experience. Priced at Rs 14,990, it is powered by the MediaTek helio P35 processor. Read More

  China’s Vivo on Wednesday launched in India the Vivo V20 Pro under its V-series smartphones. Priced at Rs 29,990, the 5G smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G mobile platform. It ships with a 4,000mAh battery supported by 33W fast charger. The Vivo V20 Pro will be available in sunset melody and midnight jazz colours, starting today on online and offline retailers, besides Vivo's official website. The Vivo V20 Pro features a dual front camera system. Named ‘Eye Autofocus’, the dual front camera set-up has a 44-megapixel primary camera and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The phone’s key highlights are Android 11 operating system, dual selfie camera, a 64-megapixel based triple camera array on the rear, and 5G ready Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC. Read More

Vivo on Thursday launched in India its Vivo X50 series smartphones along with its first true wireless stereo earphones the Vivo TWS Neo . The X50 series come with two smartphones, the Vivo X50 and the Vivo X50 Pro. Both the smartphones are similar to each other in terms of design and specifications, but have different set of optics for imaging. Take a look at phones’ pricing, sale details, specifications, and more The X50 Pro will be available in 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage variant, priced at Rs 49,990. The X50 will be available in 128GB and 256GB internal storage variants, both with 8GB RAM, priced at Rs 34,990 and Rs 37,990, respectively. These are true wireless stereo earphones. They have a customised 14.2mm audio driver unit. According to the company, the TWS Neo has a low latency rate of up to 88ms and DeepX stereo sound effect. It features an artificial intelligence-based noise cancelling for phone calls. The earphones are powered by Qualcomm’s 4th-Generation T...

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo is set to launch in India the Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro on Thursday at 12 noon. Aimed at photography enthusiasts, the phones are being promoted as imaging-centric devices with enhanced low-light imaging capabilities. “Welcome a revolutionary camera setup on a smartphone that will change the face of photography! The Vivo X50 series is made to redefine and break boundaries. Broaden your perspective and explore new stories with Gimbal Camera System and Superb Night Mode,” company said in a statement. The Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro feature 6.56-inch fullHD+ (2376A-1080 pixels) screen of 90Hz refresh rate. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, the smartphones would come in sole 8GB RAM variant with an option to choose from 128GB and 256GB internal storage models. Both the smartphones boots Android 10 operating system-based Fun Touch OS 10 user interface. Read More

Vivo X50 series smartphones are coming to India on July 16, announced the Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Monday. Vivo is promoting the upcoming smartphone line-up as a camera-centric series with enhanced low-light imaging capabilities. Launched in China last month, the Vivo X50 series include three smartphones -- the Vivo X50, Vivo X50 Pro, and Vivo X50 Pro+. In India, however, only the Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro models would be launched. "Block your calendar, #vivoX50Series is launching on 16th July, 2020 at 12PM. #StayTuned Uncover the future of smartphone pro - photography," the company said in a tweet. The Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro feature 6.56-inch fullHD+ (2376A-1080 pixels) screen of 90Hz refresh rate. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, the smartphones would come in sole 8GB RAM variant with an option to choose from 128GB and 256GB internal storage models. Both the smartphones boots Android 10 operating system-based Fun Touch OS 10 user inte...

Vivo is known for its camera-centric smartphones. Over the years, the Chinese smartphone maker has made strides in other smartphone categories but imaging remains one of its key core strengths in its smartphones. Continuing the legacy is the Vivo V19 , which the company recently launched in India to expand its V-series line-up. On paper, the Vivo V19 seems to be a premium camera-centric smartphone with something in store for everyone. But is it? Let’s find out: Vivo V19 price in India The Vivo V19 comes in 128GB and 256GB internal storage variants, both with 8 GB of RAM, priced at Rs 27,999 and Rs 31,990, respectively. Vivo V19 specifications round-up The Vivo V19 has a 6.44-inch super AMOLED display with a punch hole for selfie camera. It boasts a 3D glass curved back with a gradient design that looks premium. The phone comes in two colours -- Mystic Silver and Piano Black (Business Standard reviewed the Mystic Silver unit). Overall, the phone is lightweight and has goo...

Chinese smartphone brand iQOO on Friday cut the price of its flagship smartphone, the iQOO 3 . Launched earlier this year, the smartphone comes in three RAM and storage configurations: 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB. The 8GB RAM variant with 128GB and 256GB internal storage configurations was launched at Rs 38,990 and Rs 41,990, respectively. The 12GB RAM variant, one with 5G network support, was launched at Rs 46,990. Now, after the price cut, the – 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB will be available at Rs 34,990, Rs 37,990 and Rs 44,990, respectively. “In cognizance of the difficult circumstance we are all going through due to the global health pandemic, we understand that affordability will be a key concern for consumers going forward. In order to continue with our proposition of offering best-in-class features with 5G capabilities at an affordable price point, we have decided to refresh our pricing, making the iQOO the most cost-effective 5G enabled device in Indi...

Chinese electronics behemoth BBK Group's smartphone brand iQOO is said to be working on its new 5G gaming device, the iQOO Neo 3 5G. According to a post on micro-blogging platform Weibo, the device will debut in China on April 23. Some of the tech bloggers were invited to a game which revealed the April 23 launch date for the iQOO Neo3, GizmoChina reported. Recently, the company's Product General Manager Shuji Niao Shu had said on Weibo that the company had incorporated a new 3 + 2 strategy in an upcoming iQOO phone. The device is expected to feature a 6.6-inch LCD display of a fullHD+ resolution. It will boast a screen of 144Hz refresh rate and sport a punch-hole for the selfie camera. Read More

Chinese smartphone maker iQoo has debuted in the highly competitive India market with a 5G smartphone geared towards gamers and performance-hungry users. It appears to be capable of taking on any rival with its features and high-end specifications. And all seems good on paper. But the question is whether the ‘5G phone’ tag is just a marketing gimmick, or there is more to it. We used the device for a few days and tried to find the answer. Here's what we observed: Design and display iQoo 3 5G smartphone iQoo has kept the design language simple. Now that is an aberration, since this is a gaming smartphone. What's really catchy, however, is the rear-camera module, a glance at which is enough to give you a ‘premium phone’ feel. Read More

iQOO - a new smartphone brand from China - is set to enter the Indian market with the launch of its 5G phone next month, and will compete in the burgeoning premium category. iQOO is a sub-brand of Vivo in China but will operate in India as a separate entity. With this, the BBK Group now has five brands -- OnePlus, Vivo, OPPO, Realme and iQOO -- in India. "We have very bold plans for India. Our first device, which will be launched next month, will feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, is 5G-enabled and has a new battery technology. The device will be best-in-class premium segment and will be competitively priced," iQOO India Director-Marketing Gagan Arora told PTI. He added that the company aims to sell about one million devices over the next one year. "We see extreme potential in the premium segment smartphone market in India and have deep-dived to understand the gap that the consumers face in this segment. We understand very closely that there is an i...

After launching a few good smartphones in the mid-range segment, Chinese brand Vivo seems to have shifted its focus to starting range with the Vivo U20 , which features Snapdragon 675 SoC, full-HD+ display, and 5,000mAh battery. Among the best options in the just-above-Rs 10,000 price range at present are Realme's Realme 5, Redmi's Note 8, and a few others. Business Standard takes a look at how the Vivo U20 fares on key smartphone parameters: Design and display Vivo U20 smartphone, Vivo U20 smartphone review, vivo Its 6.53-inch display and 193g weight make the Vivo U20 slightly bulky and a bit difficult to hold for easy use. The plastic panel at the back has a glossy finish and attracts fingerprints. But its curvy frame gives it a sleek look. On the back, there is a triple-camera set-up and fingerprint sensor just above the middle. The power and volume buttons, too, are well within reach. It's a bit surprising that Vivo has gone for a Micro-USB port on the ...

The economic slowdown may have clipped sales of cars and biscuits in 2019, but smartphones bucked the trend as urban and rural users continued to buy, and even upgrade to, expensive handsets - a trend likely to pick up pace in the coming year. The growth in smartphone adoption was further fuelled by the government's push to position the country as a global hub for manufacturing and coax Apple and other leading brands to produce and export more phones from India. Experts say that phone shipment is expected to see high single-digit to double-digit growth in India as smartphones aiding everything from shopping to banking to social media and, yes, perfect selfies! Counterpoint Research Associate Director Tarun Pathak expects India's smartphone market to grow by 9 per cent this year, and in double digits (by 12-14 per cent) in 2020. By 2022, over 700 million people are expected to have a smartphone in India, and over a billion devices will be sold over the next four-f...

Refreshing its V series in India, Chinese handset maker Vivo on Monday launched its Vivo V17 smartphone in India with a quad-camera set up for Rs 22,990. The smartphone houses a 32MP front camera which is placed into the "iView" display with E3 super AMOLED screen. "V17 is the latest addition to our flagship V series which has been phenomenal for Vivo's success in the Indian market. Centered on innovation and customer-first philosophy, Vivo's V series has introduced quite a few industry-first features and we continue to bring the best for our customers at best price points," Nipun Marya, Director of Brand Strategy, Vivo India, said in a statement. The smartphone packs 8GB RAM+128GB storage and will be available in Midnight Ocean and Glacier Ice colors. It will be available starting December 17 on Vivo India E-store, Amazon India, Flipkart, Paytm mall, Tatacliq, and Bajaj Finserv EMI Store, and across all partner retail stores. Read More

The camera-backed midrange smartphone space had never been so interesting. On Realme has spiced up the game with the launch of the Realme XT (review), which has a whopping 64-megapixel camera, Vivo’s new offering in the Z-series, with a 48-megapixel camera, has only added to delight and confusion. Design Gradients have become common these days, but the Z1x, thankfully, is an exception. It reflects various shades of the same colour. We had the Phantom Purple variant and the colour scheme looked fine. Its glossy finish made it shine but also attracted fingerprints and smudges. Vivo Z1x The frame is polycarbonate; a glass back would have been better. The panel is flat, making the phone easy to hold. Even though single-handed operation is a bit difficult, the phone still fits in the hand easily. The volume and power buttons are on the right, and a dedicated button for Google Assistant and dual nano-SIM card tray is on the left. All the buttons are within reach of your fingers...