Vivo’s journey to the X60 series: Professional camera technology

Smartphone camera technology has evolved to a point where we can comfortably rely on our devices to vividly capture the most important moments in our lives. This was not the case a few years ago. Smartphones have brought about a profound scale of accessibility that has empowered consumers’ lives across every aspect of their daily needs.

Revered by young and fashionable consumers worldwide for its selfie-shooter smartphones, vivo is now readjusting its focus with ZEISS to integrate professional photography with the everyday lifestyle of increasingly tech-savvy users. Having already established a team of expert engineers and accumulated years of R&D efforts towards imaging technology, the time is ripe for vivo to elevate its smartphone lineup to an entirely new level.

To that end, vivo recently released the critically acclaimed vivo X60 series across international markets, following a successful early launch in China. The latest device to carry the torch for vivo’s X series — its line of professional photography flagship smartphones — the vivo X60 boasts an unprecedented imaging system co-engineered with ZEISS. You might be wondering, why have vivo and ZEISS decided to partner up? What is the genesis behind this collaboration?

Professional-grade camera technology for the everyday consumer

High-quality camera and videography equipment used to be reserved for professional creators and photography aficionados. However, the arrival of the mobile era has empowered everyone with the creative ability to capture inspiration anytime and anywhere, allowing them to record the highlights of their lives and share their stories with the world on the go.

In light of this paradigm shift, vivo and ZEISS began communicating regularly and considering a collaboration. These exchanges resulted in mutual respect and recognition; vivo admired ZEISS’s status as a German optic and optoelectronics pioneer, with 175 years of history and unique imaging expertise. ZEISS respected vivo’s technological and innovational prowess in developing computational photography algorithms.

vivo and ZEISS started the global strategic partnership in 2020 to become an authoritative force in mobile imaging. The vivo ZEISS Imaging Lab — a joint R&D program focused on developing breakthrough technologies to spearhead the smartphone photography experience — was established as part of this collaboration. This venture has propelled the industry into another dimension based on the complementary fit between ZEISS’ traditional optical expertise and vivo’s position at the forefront of digital technology.

What Android users love about the X60 series

Decked with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8-series 5G Mobile Platform, an ultra-premium exterior, and a cutting-edge imaging system powered by ZEISS, the vivo X60 series was designed to be the flagship smartphone of the year for all the Android fanatics out there that are photography aficionados and techies; but who isn’t these days?

Upon its release, the X60 series attracted considerable attention from the photography community and international media for its feature-laden cameras. In fact, one reviewer compared the X60 series to a modern DSLR also outfitted with ZEISS optical features, finding that the smartphone poses a threat to traditional cameras. The X60 even managed to outshine the DSLR camera in some aspects; for example, the built-in gimbal stabilized cinematic videos much better than the DSLR, which is especially important considering the on-the-go usage scenarios of smartphone users.

With the ZEISS partnership, vivo now has the proper tools to instill professional photography inside a smartphone. For starters, the ZEISS T* Coating for X60 Pro+ is praised for the ability to reduce glare and lens flare when shooting towards light sources. Reviewers were also impressed by the great composition of images taken due to the absence of oversaturation or overzealous sharpening.

On the imaging software front, the X60 series received raving reviews on the ZEISS Biotar Portrait Style for its ability to render sharp facial texture with a creamy background. The signature rotational bokeh effect generates excellent portrait photos, especially in outdoor settings. What’s more, users loved the ability to drag the focal point around and adjust the bokeh levels with a slider after taking a photo. This user-oriented and innovative feature means that you don’t have to commit to a bokeh level and stick with it. If you change your mind after, you can resave the photo again.

To showcase and put these functions to the test, vivo invited participants to take stunning photos shot on X60 devices by leveraging all the different available modes and the vivo-ZEISS co-engineered imaging system. Enthusiastic participating photographers have even released tutorials, providing tips on how to take DSLR-like photos on a smartphone to millions of users worldwide.

Seeing beyond with ZEISS

The premium flagship smartphone market is rapidly changing on a daily basis. New devices need to bring something special to the table to stand out and meet evolving consumer demands. With the new X60 series, vivo has added ZEISS to the equation and leveled the playing field for good.

“The partnership between vivo and ZEISS is all about mobile imaging,” said Joerg Schmitz, Head of ZEISS Consumer Products. “The breadth of ZEISS’ decades-long expertise with optical technologies and imaging will enable vivo to enhance the imaging performance of its flagship smartphones.”

See also: vivo X60 Pro Plus review

Ranging from unprecedented night photography algorithms for stunning clarity in dark scenarios to embedding a built-in gimbal for professional-grade stabilization on the go, the vivo X series is already known in the Android community for making significant strides in advancing mobile imaging technology. However, this new level of hand-in-hand cooperation with ZEISS will allow the two storied brands to build on each other’s strengths and bilaterally advance the field of mobile photography for smartphone users around the world.