Can Vivo X80, X80 Pro Give a Tough Fight to Existing Flagship Phones?

Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80 — launched in India this week — aim to take on some of the most popular premium models in the smartphone market. Vivo's new flagships continue the X-series legacy of offering top-notch camera experiences. That means not only do both Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80 come with Zeiss optics, they also include Sony image sensors. The regular Vivo X80 is also the first phone in the market to come with the recently launched MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC. Meanwhile, the Vivo X80 Pro carries the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip — the top offering from Qualcomm.

On this week's episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora speaks with Senior Reviewers Sheldon Pinto and Aditya Shenoy to discuss the Vivo X80 series and how it sits against the likes of the OnePlus 10 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22, and the iPhone 13.

The Vivo X80 Pro carries a price tag of Rs. 79,999 for the single 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, while the Vivo X80 starts at Rs. 54,999 for the base 8GB + 128GB configuration, and goes up to Rs. 59,999 for the top-end 12GB + 256GB model. Both Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80 will go on sale from May 25.

Vivo X80 Pro First Impressions: A Worthy Upgrade?

If you were to make direct comparisons, the price of the Vivo X80 Pro would seem significantly higher than that of the Vivo X70 Pro that debuted in India at a starting price of Rs. 46,990 for the 8GB + 128GB model. But that's the wrong comparison to make. The pricing of the Vivo X80 Pro is identical with that of the Vivo X70 Pro+, which came in at Rs. 79,990 for the same 12GB + 256GB variant.

This suggests that the Vivo X80 Pro has been introduced in the Indian market as the successor to the Vivo X70 Pro+ — not the Vivo X70 Pro. The vanilla Vivo X80, on the other hand, seems to be the successor to the Vivo X70 Pro. It's confusing, I know, but this is what happens when companies try to simplify naming conventions.

As I said before, Vivo offers a list of camera-focused features on the X80 series to attract those in the market for enhanced mobile photography experiences. The Vivo X80 Pro comes with quad rear cameras that include a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL GNV primary sensor, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide shooter carrying a Sony IMX598 sensor, a 12-megapixel portrait Sony IMX663 sensor, and an 8-megapixel sensor with a periscope-shaped lens.

In contrast, the Vivo X80 carries a triple rear camera setup that houses a 50-megapixel Sony IMX866 RGBW primary sensor, along with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, and a 12-megapixel portrait sensor. Both Vivo X80 Pro and X80 also come with a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front.

Alongside the new hardware, the Vivo X80 phones have a list of software tweaks to deliver a customisable camera experience. The Vivo X80 Pro also retains the company's gimbal technology that is touted to help provide increased exposure and stability.

The Vivo X80 Pro and X80 both come with IP ratings for dust and water resistance. The X80, though, only has an IP53 rating is meant for splash resistance — essentially, you can't dive with the phone in a swimming pool.

Vivo X80 First Impressions: A Promising Premium All-Rounder

Design-wise, the Vivo X80 Pro and X80 both look almost identical, with the periscope lens on the former bringing a minor distinction at the back. The design is also quite similar to that of the Vivo X70 Pro+. We talk more about the design and performance of both Vivo X80 phones on our podcast.

You can listen to the entire discussion by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.

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Disclosure: Vivo sponsored Sheldon Pinto's flights and hotel for the pre-launch event in Dubai.