Vivo X90 Pro Review: Deserves Your Attention

Vivo has consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of smartphone cameras, distinguishing itself among other smartphone brands. The Nex phone, for example, introduced the pop-up selfie camera phone to the market, while the Dual Selfie Cameras became another notable addition. The X series further showcased Vivo’s expertise in camera technology with the Gimbal Stabilization, which significantly improved the stability of rear cameras for running shots, earning widespread acclaim.

In 2023, Vivo continues to build on its legacy with the introduction of the Vivo X90 Pro in India. This latest addition to the X series boasts a remarkable camera module that incorporates Sony’s 1-inch sensor and Zeiss’ exceptional glare-cutting lenses. The partnership between Vivo and Zeiss also facilitates Zeiss’ color calibration technology, not just in the camera, but also in the display. The X90 Pro delivers impressive bokeh for portraiture and features T* coating on the lenses.

However, the X90 Pro is not merely a one-dimensional device; it also features robust internals, a sleek design, and user-friendly features. After using the device in various real-world scenarios, we have tested its performance to provide an accurate review.

With all that said, you may be wondering how the Vivo X90 Pro compares to other premium smartphones such as iPhones and Galaxies. Stay tuned to find out in this review!

Vivo X90 Pro Review: Design and Build Quality

With its sleek and modern design, the Vivo X90 Pro exudes an air of sophistication and refinement that is palpable to the touch. The device is crafted from a harmonious blend of metal and glass, resulting in a truly premium feel. To enhance this already elevated experience, Vivo has thoughtfully layered the glass with a faux leather finish, imparting a satisfyingly tactile sensation when held. The front and back of the device feature a subtle yet artful curvature, while the vegan leather back panel provides an excellent grip that allows for easy handling of the device sans the included silicone case.

The Vivo X90 Pro boasts a stunning 6.7-inch display that occupies much of the phone’s front, and is protected by the highly durable Schott Xensation Up. The phone’s sleek and contemporary design is accentuated by the minimal bezels around the display, resulting in a visually impressive device. With its solid build quality and reassuringly sturdy feel, the Vivo X90 Pro is a device that exudes quality. The power button and volume rocker are intuitively placed on the right edge, providing a satisfying tactile experience.

The phone features an earpiece speaker, an IR sensor, and a noise-canceling microphone situated at the top of the edge while users will spot a secondary speaker, SIM tray slot, primary microphone, and USB-C port at the bottom edge.

The rear of the device is adorned with a distinctive circular camera housing that further adds to the phone’s unique aesthetic appeal. The large round camera housing encases a 50MP primary camera, a 50MP telephoto camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a laser emitter and receiver for autofocus assistance. The camera bump is thick and large, creating a busy and dynamic aesthetic. Additionally, a third microphone is situated within the camera bump. Beyond the camera housing, users can observe the dual-LED flash, the Zeiss logo, and several marketing inscriptions, all adding to the phone’s high-end appeal. A metal band located below the camera spans the width of the device, lending both a visually cohesive and structurally integral feel to the phone’s chassis. The band boasts a glossy finish that perfectly matches the frame’s color, further enhancing the phone’s premium look and feel.

While the phone’s dimensions of 164.1 x 74.5 x 9.3 mm and weight of 214g may be a tad heavier than some would prefer, it more than makes up for it with its IP68 water and dust resistance, capable of withstanding submersion in water up to 1.5 meters deep for half an hour. Overall, the Vivo X90 Pro is a flagship device that exudes premium quality and delivers a superior user experience.

Vivo X90 Pro Review: Display

The Vivo X90 Pro boasts a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that exhibits a stunning resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a pixel density of 395 PPI. The screen is bright and vivid, offering exceptional viewing angles that enhance the user’s visual experience. Furthermore, the display supports a 120Hz refresh rate, utilizing high-frequency 2,160Hz PWM dimming, catering to individuals who are sensitive to PWM pulsations on AMOLED screens.

However, it is essential to note that unlike the X80 Pro’s LTPO3 panel, which delivers a truly dynamic refresh rate, the Vivo X90 Pro’s Smart Switch feature only allows users to toggle between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz. Additionally, Vivo has incorporated a Frame Rate Interpolation feature that boosts 90fps games to 120fps virtually.

In terms of color accuracy, the display offers four color modes – Standard (default), Pro, Bright, and Zeiss Natural Color. In all modes except Zeiss, users can tweak the color temperature to suit their preferences. Zeiss mode offers the highest accuracy among all the color modes. The screen can display HDR10+ content and is equipped with the required Widevine L1 certificate to ensure that you can enjoy HD and HDR content on the go while adhering to copyright protection.

Moreover, the in-display fingerprint scanner is located towards the bottom of the screen, ensuring easy accessibility and delivering fast and accurate results. Overall, the display on the Vivo X90 Pro is one of the best on the market, featuring exceptional color accuracy, brightness, and smoothness, contributing to an immersive visual experience for its users.

Vivo X90 Pro Review: Camera

The camera setup of the Vivo X90 Pro is nothing short of impressive, boasting a triple camera module on the rear of the device. The primary camera is a remarkable 50MP sensor with an f/1.75 aperture and OIS technology. The secondary camera is a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture, and the third camera is an 8MP telephoto lens with an f/3.4 aperture.

While the device lacks a gimbal stabilization system, Vivo has instead incorporated their proprietary optical image stabilization (OIS) technology, which the company assures meets the stringent CIPA Level 4 standards (highest in a smartphone). Thankfully, the primary camera still manages to deliver a seamless experience, free from any shutter lag. Additionally, users can expect advanced features like Dual Pixel PDAF, Laser AF technology, and the cutting-edge V2 chip that promises enhanced low-light performance.

What sets the X90 Pro apart from its competitors is its ability to leverage ZEISS’s T* lens coating. Ghosting is a major issue that can plague smartphone cameras, and the size constraints of these devices make it exceedingly challenging to correct. However, with ZEISS’s expertise in the field, instances of lens flare are almost negligible in photos captured with the X90 Pro. Vivo even provides users with a range of LUTs to add artificial effects, including some inspired by ZEISS lenses, such as an exceptional cinematic option, to satisfy all preferences.

During my travels in Vietnam, I had the opportunity to test the camera features on the new Vivo X90 Pro smartphone. This large one-inch type sensor from Sony with an f/1.8 aperture captures sharp, detailed images. The sensor has greater control over highlights and shadows and also Impressed us with its organic sharpness. There are no detectable noise or artifacts are visible in the samples, indicating Vivo’s skillful noise reduction processing. The photos boast good dynamic range, although this may be at the expense of slightly reduced contrast in certain instances. The colors, while a tad more vivid than what one would perceive in real life, are delightfully lively and dynamic. So we prefer to use Zeiss mode which is designed specifically to capture true-to-life colors. Its excellent white balance and precise saturation result in pictures that accurately depict real-life colors.

The portrait mode on Vivo X90 Pro produces impressive portraits with excellent subject exposure, sharpness, and color saturation. The background blur is pleasing, and the various effects offered by Vivo and Zeiss are enjoyable. The subject separation is outstanding, thanks to the wide f/1.6 aperture on a telephoto lens, and the Zeiss effects provide a creative touch to the portraits.

The low-light photos taken with the main camera are a standout – excellent detail, exposure, noise reduction, and color saturation, with minimal blown highlights. The zoom camera performs solidly at night as well, with great detail, low noise, and high contrast. The ultrawide camera holds up its own with good dynamic range, exposure, and color accuracy, albeit with some smeared noise. The Night Mode has a nifty feature – Automatic Tripod Detection – for long exposure shots, using shutter speeds between 5s and 10s when the phone is stable.

The Vivo X90 Pro also has a 32MP front-facing camera with an f/2.5 aperture which captures only average details but with good contrast, dynamic range, and colors. The noise is also low, and the subject is well-represented.

Vivo X90 Pro review: Performance and software

The Vivo X90 Pro is powered by Mediatek’s cutting-edge Dimensity 9200 chipset, which marks the first smartphone to grace our testing grounds with this advanced processor. Built on the 2nd generation TSMC 4nm process (N4P), this chipset yields an abundance of enhancements.

At its core, the Dimensity 9200 chipset features an octa-core processor, including a prime Cortex-X3 core clocked at an impressive 3.05Hz, 3x Cortex-A715 cores running at 2.85GHz, and 4x Cortex-A510 cores ticking at 1.85GHz. By comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset comprises 4x Cortex-A715 and 3x Cortex-A510 cores, in addition to its 1x Cortex-X3 core.

In daily usage, the phone remains snappy and responsive, easily tackling everyday tasks such as photo editing, and browsing with remarkable ease. I conducted several stress tests on high-end games such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Asphalt 9 Legends, all of which ran smoothly at maximum settings without any noticeable overheating issues. While there was a slight decrease in battery percentage following prolonged gaming sessions, the phone did not exhibit any discernible lag or overheating issues, except when using the camera or video mode continuously for around 15-20 minutes, which resulted in minor heating of the phone.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Dimensity 9200 excels, with a remarkable 1222995 score in AnTuTu v9.5.7. Only the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iQOO 11 have performed better in our tests, but the X90 Pro is a close contender. In Geekbench 5, it scored 1676 and 4254 in single and multi-core tests, respectively.

Coming to the software, the Vivo X90 Pro boots on the latest Android 13 operating system which is layered with Funtouch OS – v13 skin. The software experience on this device is notably exceptional, with a fluid and effortless interface that doesn’t stutter or lag while scrolling. Additionally, the phone has received multiple updates so far considering Vivo’s past record you can expect timely software updates. The company is processing three years of software updates and 4 years of security updates. While the device does come with a selection of pre-installed third-party apps, they are not intrusive and can be easily uninstalled to personalize your experience.

As for battery life, the Vivo X9 Pron phone packs a slightly bigger 4,870mAh battery compared to the X80 Pro, with support for 120W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging. In our use case, It gave us more than six hours of screen-on time (SoT) on a single charge with usage involving clicking pictures, streaming content and playing games. It only takes about 25 minutes to fully charge the empty tank with bundled 120W charger. 

Review Verdict: Should you buy Vivo X90 Pro?

The Vivo X90 Pro is a remarkable smartphone that excels in all aspects. From its captivating design to exceptional performance, reliable battery life, rapid charging, and outstanding camera system, it surpasses our expectations. While camera-centric smartphones are becoming increasingly popular, the question of whether they can replace professional cameras remains. Although smartphones like the Vivo X90 Pro may not completely replace DSLRs, they have the potential to replicate their performance to a certain extent. While the Vivo X series is already known for its remarkable camera prowess, the Vivo X90 Pro takes it to another level.