Skip to main content

Vivo X Fold set for launch on April 11

Vivo teased its first foldable phone, the Vivo X Fold a few days ago,, and now we have the launch date as well. The company released a video teaser to confirm the launch event which will take place on April 11. In the teaser, the Vivo X Fold can be seen with a notebook-style foldable display similar to the Galaxy Z Fold and Oppo Find N. While the complete design is yet to be revealed, leaked schematics suggest that the phone will feature a curved outer display with a centered hole-punch camera.

The Vivo X Fold sports a big rectangular housing that holds a circular camera module and a few cutouts for the LED flash and microphones. The camera system has been seen showcasing a similar design in a couple of leaks, thus there could be something solid here.

Vivo X fold schematic design.
Digital Chat Station

Like every foldable phone, the Vivo X Fold is expected to pack top-of-the-line specs. According to the tipster Digital Chat Station, the foldable device will be powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. For those unaware, it is an octa-core chipset based on a 4nm manufacturing process and clocked at 3 GHz. It could be offered in two configurations, with the top model getting up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.

The Vivo X Fold is tipped to feature a quad rear camera setup including a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens, an 8-megapixel periscope lens with 5x zoom, and a 12-megapixel portrait lens. As far as the displays are concerned, the phone may get a 6.5-inch OLED cover screen and an 8-inch OLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate on the inside.

The Vivo X Fold may pack a 4,600 mAh battery with support for 80W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. It is said to be launching in three color options — crimson, orange, and blue.

Ayush Chourasia
Ayush works as an independent tech journalist. He has been writing since 2018 and has worked with publications like India…
The camera will help you forgive the Vivo X80 Pro’s ugliness
The Vivo X80 Pro seen from the back, resting against a flower pot.

The Vivo X80 Pro is not the best-looking phone you can buy. It’s a bit dull to look at, especially in the black color of our review device, and the busy, messy camera module looks unfinished and confused. But inside the module is what is shaping up to be a really strong phone camera.

Looks are subjective and many will ignore them to have a great camera, but another far worse obstacle presents itself to anyone wanting to try the Vivo X80 Pro — availability. The question then becomes, is it really worth the effort to get one?
Camera
That ugly (sorry Vivo, but it is) camera module contains a custom-made 50-megapixel Samsung GNV sensor, a 48MP Sony IMX598 wide-angle camera, a 12MP IMX663 camera for portrait shots, and an 8MP telephoto camera. It’s all controlled using Vivo’s new V1+ imaging sensor and the company’s innovative gimbal stabilization system, while Zeiss has provided its expertise throughout the camera, including adding its T Star anti-reflective coating to the glass lenses.

Read more
Vivo Watch 2 to launch December 22 in China as company’s first eSIM wearable
Huawei Watch GT 3 on wrist. Source: Huawei official.

Vivo entered the smartwatch market with the Vivo Watch in September 2020. Today, the company released the Vivo Watch 2. The product will likely compete with the Huawei Watch D, which got a China launch just a day later. This is also the first smartwatch from Vivo to gain SMS functionality via an eSIM, or embedded SIM, making it stand out a bit in an otherwise crowded market. The watch's design was revealed ahead of its official launch, so there are no surprises here. It has a 46mm case and two silicone strap options -- black and white. The circular dial has a neat finish, with two tiny buttons on the side. The smartwatch has a 515mAh battery that runs for seven days on just a single charge. The watch is equipped with an OLED display as well. Other common features such as heart rate measurement, GPS tracking, and a step counter are also present. 
Huawei's Watch GT 3 (pictured) and the Watch D would give stiff competition to the Vivo Watch 2. Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Vivo also announced a collaboration with three of China's major telecom operators -- China Telecom, China Unicorn, and China Mobile -- to enable SMS functionality via an eSIM. This means that the Vivo Watch 2 can communicate through SMS without having to be paired with a partner device via Bluetooth, internet, or Wi-Fi, which could make it a game-changing smartwatch.The wearable is currently available on Vivo's China website for pre-order, and 91 mobiles has suggested that there will be two variants of the Watch -- a Bluetooth version and an e-SIM variant, though the site seems to only show three color options for one variant currently. The Bluetooth version would be priced at 1,299 yuan ($206), while the eSIM version could land at a price of 1,699 yuan ($270).

Read more
Vivo’s new Origin OS to launch December 9 with tons of new features
The Vivo X70 Pro+'s screen. Credits: Vivo official.

Vivo has confirmed that it will be launching its Origin operating system on December 9. It is set to replace the Funtouch OS that is currently active on Vivo devices. 

The team at Vivo first announced the creation of a new OS in November on the Vivo Philippines Official Blog. As per the company's initial announcement, "the OS adds a ton of enhancements [that allow] users to relish in an elevated, futuristic experience." 

Read more