Vivo X70 Pro+: Is This the Flagship That Redefines Premium Photography?

Vivo has been aiming for a spot in the high-end market with its X series smartphones for some time now. These premium devices emphasize camera capabilities, yet earlier models have frequently struggled with performance in other aspects despite their high price tag.

The Vivo X50 Pro (Review) showcased an innovative gimbal stabilization but came equipped with a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, which was not ideal for its price point. Vivo addressed this performance issue with the X60 Pro+ (Review), but it lacked features such as an IP rating, wireless charging, and stereo speakers.

With the launch of the X70 Pro+, Vivo appears to have thoroughly researched its offerings. The device is priced at Rs. 79,990 in India, positioning it against competitors like the iPhone 13 (First Impressions), Samsung S21+ (Review), Mi 11 Ultra (Review), and leading variants of other luxury Android devices. Vivo has bridged the gaps left by the X60 Pro+ while enhancing its camera capabilities. After a week of using this smartphone, it’s evident that it could be among the finest options in the flagship category.

Design of the Vivo X70 Pro+

The Vivo X70 Pro+ moves away from the faux leather backing that featured on the X60 Pro+. This new model opts for a matte glass finish along with a sleek metal chassis. It is available solely in Enigma Black, which not only appears upscale but is also relatively slick. The glass back is resistant to fingerprints and smudges, enhancing its durability.

The Vivo X70 Pro+ is crafted with a glass back and a metallic frame

 

Vivo’s attention to detail in the design of the X70 Pro+ is evident. The sides of the frame taper down in width, while the bottom is noticeably thicker and flat, and the top features a glass insert that adds a rounded look. This cohesive design is visually appealing, but the slippery materials may be a concern. Fortunately, the included high-quality faux leather case offers a soft touch and significant grip, although it adds bulk to the device.

Measuring at 8.89mm, the phone feels relatively lightweight at 213g, though it does have a noticeable camera module on the back that protrudes. Adjacent to this prominent camera setup lies a reflective panel that serves as a cosmetic element but can also function as a mirror for taking selfies with the rear camera.

Vivo provides a faux leather case in the packaging, along with Type-C USB earphones and a 3.5mm adapter

 

The X70 Pro+ is equipped with a 6.7-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display featuring curved edges. The Schott Xensation glass covering can attract smudges, but they can be wiped clean easily. This iteration also introduces a stereo speaker configuration, utilizing the earpiece as the second speaker. Additionally, the IP68 rating grants solid dust and water protection.

Specifications and Software of the Vivo X70 Pro+

The Vivo X70 Pro+ is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset, a slight enhancement over the Snapdragon 888 commonly found in many premium Android devices. This processor operates at a clock speed of 3GHz (or 2.999Ghz, to be exact) and features a faster Hexagon 780 AI Engine. It possesses 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, with no option for expansion. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. The smartphone supports several SA and NSA 5G bands, which were absent on the X60 Pro+.

Running on Vivo’s customized Android interface, FunTouch OS, the X70 Pro+ operates on version 12 with Android 11 as its foundation. Although the highly anticipated widget-based Origin OS has yet to launch on Vivo devices in India, the X70 Pro+ includes several of its visually appealing widgets such as a Cleanup & Accelerate function, a Nano music player, various basic stickers (quotes, water tracker, countdown), a featured album, and a weather widget. Additionally, it offers the standard Android widgets for selection.

The Vivo X70 Pro+ utilizes FunTouch OS 12 based on Android 11

 

What distinguishes the FunTouch widgets are their skeuomorphic aesthetics. There are buttons for operating a jukebox-styled music player (with Spotify integration) featuring engaging animations, such as a CD sliding into place. Their fluidity is a marked contrast to traditional clunky Android widgets, and they are highly interactive too. Users can swipe through the album widget to view various photos or transition between hourly and daily forecasts with the weather widget. While these widgets are enjoyable and interactive, there is a noticeable lack of deeper integration compared to what Apple offers with iOS.

Besides the widgets, the overall software experience is smooth without any signs of lag or stuttering. Although the device comes pre-installed with several third-party applications (which are removable), I was pleased to find that there were no unsolicited promotional notifications during the review period.

Performance and Battery of the Vivo X70 Pro+

The Vivo X70 Pro+ boasts a WQHD+ (3200×1440 pixels) display that is extremely sharp and performs well outdoors. It promises to render a billion colors and maintains very realistic color tones. The curved edges facilitate swiping from the sides when navigating the interface and do not distract excessively when consuming media. Furthermore, the display is HDR10+ compliant. Video playback on platforms such as YouTube and Amazon Prime is vibrant and clear; however, Netflix’s HDR certification is still pending, although Vivo has confirmed that it is in the works and will be activated later.

The AMOLED display supports a peak refresh rate of 120Hz, enhancing the fluidity of the software experience and providing a smoother experience while gaming. Vivo’s Ultra Game mode has been revamped with a new interface and offers several gamer-friendly features, including 4D vibration, a voice changer, and Eagle Eye View, which brightens games to enhance visibility in darker environments.

The Vivo X70 Pro+ is equipped with a 6.7-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display with curved edges

 

In playing Call of Duty: Mobile, the gaming experience was nothing short of stellar. Touch sampling was precise with zero lag or stuttering, and game loading times were rapid. Even while playing at Very High graphics settings along with the maximum frame rate (with all effects enabled), the device only exhibited minimal warmth, even during prolonged sessions. The dual speakers created an immersive audio experience, delivering crisp and balanced sound. However, the 4D vibration feature didn’t work with Call of Duty: Mobile, despite it being indicated as supported.

In benchmark tests, the Vivo X70 Pro+ showed slight distinctions when compared to devices using the original Snapdragon 888 processor. It achieved an AnTuTu score of 8,16,115, and scored 1,112 and 3,621 in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. In comparison, the iQoo 7 Legend recorded an AnTuTu score of 8,05,450 (v9.1.2), along with single-core and multi-core scores of 1,130 and 3,668.

Worried about battery performance, I monitored the Vivo X70 Pro+’s 4,500mAh battery due to its large 6.7-inch high-resolution display. Surprisingly, even with the display refresh rate set to 120Hz, I managed over a day and a half of intensive usage. Setting the refresh rate to Auto could potentially extend battery life further. By the day’s end, I was left with around 40 percent power remaining, which is impressive for a premium flagship.

Though the smartphone appears slim, the camera module on the back sticks out noticeably

 

Included in the box is a 55W charger, allowing the phone to charge from empty to full in approximately 55 minutes. The X70 Pro+ also supports wireless charging at 50W when using Vivo’s proprietary charging dock, which will be made available in India at an additional cost.

Cameras of the Vivo X70 Pro+

The Vivo X70 Pro+ includes a quad-camera system on the rear, consisting of a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens featuring 2X optical zoom, and an additional 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 5X optical zoom. The 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera is equipped with a gimbal for various stabilization features this smartphone offers. All of the rear cameras facilitate autofocus and optical image stabilization (OIS). A 32-megapixel front-facing camera handles selfies.

The Vivo X70 Pro+ is equipped with four rear cameras, each featuring autofocus and OIS

 

Moreover, Vivo has integrated a Professional Imaging Chip V1, enhancing capabilities across the board. This chip reportedly aids in frame interpolation, which Vivo claims enhances gameplay smoothness and improves camera performance in terms of brightness and noise reduction. Each camera lens also sports a Zeiss T* coating that, combined with the software, aims to minimize glare and ghosting in low-light images.

Daylight camera samples from the Vivo X70 Pro+. (Tap to view full size)

 

Images captured during the day, both indoors and outside, displayed minimal noise, impressive detail, and a good dynamic range. The sharpness was on point, and the device did not overdo it. However, the ultra-wide-angle photos exhibited noticeable barrel distortion at the edges. When using the Zeiss color mode or not, colors remained true to the scene.

Macro camera samples from the Vivo X70 Pro+. Top: Macro mode, bottom: Auto (Tap to view full size)

 

The ultra-wide-angle lens can also function as a macro camera. The 12-megapixel binned macro images are clear and filled with intricate detail.

Zoom camera samples from the Vivo X70 Pro+. Top to bottom: 0.6X, 1X, 2X, 5X, 60X

 

When zooming into scenes using the telephoto lenses, the images appeared sharp and free from noise, displaying excellent detail up until 5X optical zoom. Beyond that, all the way to 60X digital zoom, the pictures started to exhibit a watercolor effect, and detail diminished progressively. However, photos captured at up to 10X zoom remained usable. Notably, the X70 Pro+ excelled in maintaining consistent color and white balance throughout the zoom capabilities.

Selfie samples taken with the Vivo X70 Pro+. Top: Auto, bottom: Portrait mode (Tap to view full size)

 

The selfie quality was commendable, producing crisp images rich in detail. Edge detection during Portrait mode was impressive, applicable for plants and other subjects captured with the rear camera too. Vivo has incorporated various Style Portrait modes designed to simulate classic Zeiss lens effects (Biotar, Planar, Sonnar, and Distagon) via software. Each mode offers distinct aesthetics and performs well in both daylight and dim environments.

Night mode camera samples from the Vivo X70 Pro+. Top to bottom: 1X, 2X, 5X (Tap to view full size)

 

The camera system’s zoom capabilities held up remarkably well even during dusk, which is impressive. In low light, the X70 Pro+ produced pictures with outstanding clarity at 2X zoom, while some noise appeared at 5X. The night mode successfully alleviated noise concerns and enhanced dynamic range, revealing more details in the darker parts of images. The Zeiss T* coating effectively reduced glare from nearby light sources. I even attempted a 60X photo using Night mode, and was pleasantly surprised by the usability of the results.

Recording videos in daylight with the Vivo X70 Pro+ was effortless, regardless of the chosen resolution and frame rate. HDR videos exhibited remarkable sharpness and dynamic range, though limited to 30 fps. During dusk, scenes illuminated by artificial lighting occasionally flickered, a problem that dissipated when HDR was deactivated. Low-light video quality took a slight hit, yet stabilization remained commendable. I observed a shimmer effect while walking through poorly lit areas. Although I tested out the Super Night mode, I found the outcomes underwhelming and preferred the standard Auto mode results.

Evening camera samples. Top: Vivo X70 Pro+, bottom: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

 

Horizon stabilization is a clever feature that works best in well-lit conditions. When activated, the system switches to the ultra-wide camera (which has the gimbal) to maintain alignment with the horizon, even during a complete rotation of the device while filming. This could prove invaluable, particularly when shooting during moving scenarios such as on a vehicle.

Low-light camera samples: Top: Vivo X70 Pro+ (Night mode), bottom: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Night mode)

 

During my review, I had the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra on hand for comparison, providing insights into what a similarly priced premium smartphone can achieve. Ultimately, I determined that the Vivo X70 Pro+ outperformed most aspects, except for low-light video where the Mi 11 Ultra exhibited superior detail and less noise.

There were a few elements of the camera interface that I found lacking. Primarily, the zoom controls aren’t very user-friendly, making it somewhat challenging to smoothly zoom in and out. The sudden stops during transitions between the telephoto cameras, particularly while filming video, lack fluidity. Additionally, it is not possible to switch from the regular wide camera to the ultra-wide angle when recording video. HDR video capture is limited to 30 fps regardless of selected resolution, and gimbal stabilization is restricted to 1080p at 30 fps.

Conclusion

Vivo has made a strong impression with the X70 Pro+. Featuring unique functionalities like the gimbal camera stabilization and a V1 chip, it has carved out a niche for itself within the high-end smartphone market. Furthermore, the X70 Pro+ has enough improvements to justify an upgrade even for current X60 Pro+ users (Review). While it isn’t without flaws, it is very close to perfection, and the multitude of features (most functioning as intended) leaves little room for criticism.

Although there are numerous alternatives available at this price point from larger manufacturers like Samsung and Apple, none provide the comprehensive versatility in camera capabilities, core specifications, and features that the Vivo X70 Pro+ offers.