vivo X80 series announced: Evolution, not revolution?

vivo announced the X70 series back in September, bringing the upper mid-range X70 and X70 Pro as well as the X70 Pro Plus flagship. We really liked the latter phone, and now vivo is back with new flagships in the form of the X80 and X80 Pro.

The X80 Pro is the higher end model, and vivo is offering the phone with either the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 flagship SoCs. The rest of the phone is identical otherwise, featuring a 6.78-inch QHD+ 120Hz LTPO OLED screen, a 4,700mAh battery, 80W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging.

vivo is also bringing an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor to the table, and it follows the Iqoo 9 series and vivo X Note by offering a much larger scanning area than conventional in-display scanners. In fact, vivo reckons the scanning area is 11 times larger than that of conventional scanners. This also allows for scanning two fingerprints at once.

Previous coverage: vivo X70 Pro Plus review — A true premium flagship experience?

Look at the back and you’ll find a very familiar camera system at first glance, consisting of a 50MP main camera (with OIS), 48MP IMX598 ultrawide camera, a 12MP 2x telephoto lens, and an 8MP 5x periscope shooter. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a few changes here.

For one, the main camera uses a new Isocell GNV sensor, measuring in at 1/1.31-inches (identical to the GN1 sensor used on the X70 Pro Plus). vivo has also shifted the micro-gimbal stabilization system to the 2x telephoto lens instead of keeping it on the ultrawide lens. It’s an interesting move, although we’ll need to spend time with the device to figure out if this is the right decision. Finally, vivo has also implemented a panning shot option, akin to the Pixel 6 line’s Action Pan mode.

Other notable vivo X80 Pro features include a 32MP selfie camera, IP68 rating, vivo’s V1 Plus imaging chip (used for MEMC and noise reduction), dual stereo speakers, NFC, and Origin OS.

vivo X80: What to know?

Looking for something a little cheaper? Then the standard vivo X80 might be up your alley. It packs a flagship-level Dimensity 9000 SoC, but makes a few cutbacks elsewhere. You’ve got a 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED panel (E5), a 4,500mAh battery, and 80W wired charging. vivo reckons you can reach a 100% charge in just 34 minutes. Unfortunately, you don’t get wireless charging or the new fingerprint scanner here, using a conventional in-display sensor instead.

The X80 also packs a 50MP main camera (with OIS), a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 2x 12MP telephoto lens. Interestingly enough, the primary camera is an all-new IMX866 sensor featuring an RGBW color filter for improved low-light performance. It seems like vivo has also swapped out micro-gimbal stabilization for more conventional OIS, but the phone still supports horizon-line stabilization for video recording.

Other notable specs include the V1 Plus imaging chip, dual stereo speakers, NFC, and Origin OS.

vivo X80 series pricing and availability

Unfortunately, the vivo X80 series is a China-only release right now. Nevertheless, you can expect to pay 3699 yuan (~$565) for the 8GB/128GB vivo X80, all the way up to 4,899 yuan (~$748) for the 12GB/512GB variant.

Want the vivo X80 Pro? Then you’ll be paying 5,499 yuan (~$840) for the 8GB/256GB option. The 12GB/256GB model will set you back 5,999 yuan (~$916), while the 12GB/512GB model will retail for 6,699 yuan (~$1,023). The Dimensity 9000 version isn’t available in an 8GB/256GB flavor, but you’ll be paying the same price for the 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB options.

Both phones are available in black, turquoise, and orange colorways, with the orange option coming with a faux leather back. Meanwhile, the black and turquoise options feature a fluorite AG glass back.