Vivo X80 Pro review

An introduction

The plus sign may have disappeared from the name, but don't let that fool you - the Vivo X80 Pro is the spiritual successor to the X70 Pro +.  The bottom line is that this is the company's ultimate camera phone, and we're developing hardware and software in the imaging department, in addition to what was already a very capable setup.

The X80 Pro is a versatile flagship that definitely has a high chip set and a high quality display as well as some extra battery capacity this year, all in a great looking body.  More importantly, it's beyond the X70 Pro + - now across Europe.

Vivo phones are rarely useful to us because there is a big difference between the version sold in China and the version sold in overseas markets - and here it is.  Android's proprietary software layer is one of them (originally in China, Fintech elsewhere), but this year there are also two different chip sets - one Dimensity 9000, the other Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.  They vary by region.  Well, we're looking at the global variant of the X80 Pro with the Snapdragon / Funtouch combo.

Hopefully this distinction is clear, let's explain what's new.  The main camera uses a special sensor for Samsung, though based on the previous generation's familiar 1 / 1.3 "sensor.  That's extra stability. Now it's discontinued - the phone can make better use of it anyway.

In true first-class fashion, the X80 Pro's OLED display includes QHD resolution and supports variable refresh rates up to 120Hz (but less than 1Hz).  It also bends slowly, for better or worse.  Below that is a new development, the massive ultrasonic fingerprint reader, the same one we already saw (and liked) on the iQOO 9 Pro earlier this year.  We got a slight but still welcome increase in battery capacity to 4700mAh (above 4500mAh) and an increase in charging capacity up to 80W (66W on older models).

And so it seems, at least in terms of specs.

vivo X80 Pro specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.6x75.3x9.1mm, 215g; Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
• Display: 6.78" LTPO3 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak), 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 517ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.40 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.70 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 730.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 12, Funtouch 12 (Global).
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.6, 1/1.3", PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 48 MP, f/2.2, 114˚, 1/2.0", AF; Telephoto: 12 MP, f/1.9, 50mm, 1/2.93", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, 2x optical zoom, gimbal OIS; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/3.4, 1/4.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4700mAh; Fast charging 80W, 100% in 38 min (advertised), Fast wireless charging 50W, 100% in 50 min (advertised), Reverse charging.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; Infrared port.

Vivo X80 Pro Unboxing

X80 Pro offerings follow the well-established traditions of previous Vivo premium phones.  The phone comes in a large square box made of thick cardboard.  It's a different shade of Gray Navy than the strict name—last year's models leaned a little more toward Gray, it's blue.  The bright blue Zeiss badge remains the same bright blue Zeiss badge.  Unlike smaller (and mostly no-content) boxes of other flagships, the X80 Pro package is about a centimeter thinner than last year's models, so it should help with logistics.

Inside, the phone is located face down on the left side of the tray, but now you can see everything - above the X70 Pro+ there was another layer of cardboard with a window hole for the camera and an island only.  There's no denying that you're missing the X80 Pro's camera island, so perhaps it was really unnecessary to say more about it with its packaging panels.

There are two extra chests under the drawer with the accessories, one of which is a good deal.  The 80W charger promises faster charging, which we appreciate, but we keep changing USB-A-to-C connections in 2022, and that's the case here.  Although it's hard to complain about the good pair of earbuds you find in the box.

We also welcome a faux leather case with thick plastic parts for the top and bottom of the phone (also the corners).  It probably won't provide much protection for the camera array, but it seems impossible to keep it safe and maintain any good looking icon.  And it's made to look like the Vivo X80 Pro.