Vivo launched its new flagship smartphones, the X100 and X100 Pro, in China back in November. However, the company has now announced a worldwide release for the devices. The X100 is coming to the Southeast Asian markets, while the X100 Pro will be on sale in Europe. Neither model is set to be launched in the U.S.
X100 Pro cameras
The main camera on the X100 Pro has a 50-megapixel, one-inch sensor. In addition, this camera features “Optical Precision Calibration.” Vivo says that this delivers consistent sharpness and image quality. The phone’s wide-angle and telephoto cameras also have 50-megapixel sensors, though these are smaller than the main camera’s sensor. The telephoto camera now offers 4.3x optical magnification, which is more than double the 2x magnification on the previous model.
Co-engineered with Zeiss
The X100 Pro smartphone is branded as co-engineered with Zeiss and the main camera is Zeiss-branded. The telephoto camera features a Zeiss APO floating design with new Vario-Apo-Sonnar elements. Zeiss uses the APO designation for lenses which have been designed to reduce chromatic aberration. The floating design also delivers improved close focusing. In addition, Zeiss T* coatings have been applied to the lenses.
Photography features
The X100 Pro smartphone features a Zeiss Multifocal Professional Photography mode. Vivo says that this means you can take professional portraits with focal lengths up to 100mm. The 100 Pro’s cameras also offer Zeiss bokeh effects. These include Zeiss B-speed style bokeh as part of the Zeiss Style Portrait package. The new Zeiss B-speed style aims to emulate the look of Zeiss high-speed cinema lenses popular in the mid-1970s.
Other features
This phone also features a 6.78-inch OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The new smartphone is also powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset. The X100 Pro has a V3 secondary imaging chip, which means you can shoot 4K cinematic portrait video. In addition, the X100 Pro is rated at IP 68 for dust and water resistance with an aluminum construction.
What we think
This collaboration between Vivo and Zeiss aims to make the X100 Pro a smartphone that is great for photography. The sample photos shared by the company seem to support this as well. In addition, the large one-inch main camera sensor should deliver low noise and great bokeh. It’s a shame therefore that it looks like the X100 Pro won’t make it to the shelves of retailers in the U.S.
Pricing and availability
Vivo hadn’t released any pricing information for the X100 Pro in Europe at the time of writing. However, the smartphone will cost $7,998 (Hong Kong dollars) in Hong Kong, which is equivalent to €937 or $1,024 U.S. dollars.
Featured image courtesy: Vivo
