Vivo X50 Pro
With so many Android smartphones crowding the market, these devices are starting to look the same to users. These similarities are more pronounced when phone users are shopping around the midrange tier of mobiles.
The Vivo X50 Pro touts features and components that set it at a slightly higher premium than a typical mid-range. On the device is a 6.56-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, and powering the 5G-capable phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset that’s half a tier above other middle-level alternatives we have here.
So why else is Vivo asking for $1,099 for the X50 Pro? That’s because the phone has something no other 2020 mobile has - a mechanical gimbal system for its primary 48MP rear camera. According to Vivo, it’s a real gimbal inside the phone, and it’s 200% more effective than regular Optical Image Stabilisation at mitigating blurry, unfocused shots.
According to Vivo, it’s a real gimbal inside the X50 Pro, and it’s 200% more effective than regular Optical Image Stabilisation at mitigating blurry, unfocused shots.
Vivo placed considerable effort in creating a premium-looking phone. The glass panel on the front features slightly curved edges on its sides, similar to many high-end smartphones launched this year. Other design cues also include its metallic rim with subtle antenna bands, a minimalistic cut-out for the front camera, and the use of an in-display fingerprint sensor. What we like most, however, is the 8.04mm thickness which felt way slimmer in hand. Even though the phone uses a gimbal system for its rear camera setup, Vivo managed to keep the X50 Pro’s lens housing at just 0.3mm above the rest of the phone.
The X50 Pro’s in-display fingerprint sensor works fluidly and securely, with near-instant recognition whenever the correct finger was applied. Then again, it would be remiss for the X50 Pro to exclude a sensor like that, given that the V19 has one. Facial recognition felt a little less secure since the X50 Pro was unlockable even when I had a government-issued face mask on.
Vivo placed considerable effort in creating a premium-looking phone.
The quad rear camera setup on the X50 Pro covers many of the common shooting scenarios, on top of Vivo’s unique Gimbal Camera System that’s further supported by both OIS and EIS (optical and electronic image stabilisation) for other lenses. Extra stabilisation further enables many of its various software-based shooting features, like Super Clear Night Mode, 3D Stabilisation, and Motion AF Tracking (to name a few).
The Vivo X50 Pro’s camera capabilities aren’t a mere gimmick. While the image quality and detail retention are average, the main camera handles colours and contrast a little better than its peers like the Huawei Nova 7 SE and OnePlus 8. What we’re a little more impressed by is the 5x true optical zoom that’s able to take clear, sharp shots with little noise.
Vivo managed to keep the X50 Pro’s lens housing at just 0.3mm above the rest of the phone.
From our benchmarking exercise, the X50 Pro’s processor exceeds midrange devices at the $400 to $700 range, with the Huawei Nova 7 SE doing a little better in some aspects. If performance is what you’d pay for, the X50 Pro somewhat justifies the higher price tag, even if it’s nowhere as powerful as a Snapdragon 865 phone like the OnePlus 8.
The Vivo X50 Pro packs a respectable 4,315mAh battery within. It gave us an uptime of 805 minutes, outperforming nearly every 2020 alternative we have on the list. While it’s easy to say that a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset reigns superior at battery efciency, we’re also aware that the X50 Pro packs a relatively generous battery capacity when compared to our alternatives. To add, it couldn’t beat the V19 at the battery test, and that’s likely because the X50 Pro offers higher performance in return.
While the phone may not exactly be midrange nor flagship, we still found the Vivo X50 Pro pleasant to use, and we were further enabled by its relatively good battery life and decent performance. The cameras’ shooting experience offered a nice touch to the overall package - good enough to be a deciding factor for folks who value shooting quality in their mobiles. Combine that with its 5G readiness, the Vivo X50 Pro is a viable option for both mid-range and flagship users who want a phone that can last long enough to see and try 5G, without having to spend too much money.
CONCLUSION
THE CAMERA IS GOOD ENOUGH TO BE A DECIDING FACTOR IF YOU VALUE SHOOTING QUALITY ON YOUR MOBILE.
AT A GLANCE
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G DISPLAY 6.56-inch / 2,376 x 1,080 pixels (~398 ppi) / 90Hz refresh rate / HDR10/HDR10+ / AMOLED Display
CAMERA 48MP main camera, f/1.6, Gimbal Camera System 13MP portrait 8MP telephoto, 5x optical zoom 8MP ultra-wide-angle
STORAGE 256GB internal storage
PRICE $1,099
PICTURES VIVO
