If I’ve realized one factor about Vivo’s X sequence, it is that the model likes to change issues up with each technology. The previous couple of fashions featured a novel gimbal stabilization tech that Vivo touted closely, however you will not discover that on the X90 Professional. The cellphone as a substitute leverages on a big sensor and different imaging tweaks to distinguish itself from its predecessors. What’s unchanged is the collaboration with Zeiss; Vivo continues to companion with the German optics large, and there are just a few new issues on provide this time round.

The X90 Professional additionally sees the introduction of MediaTek’s Dimensity 9200 platform. I appreciated what MediaTek did final 12 months with the Dimensity 9000 and was eager to check out this 12 months’s providing. With Qualcomm delivering certainly one of its finest chipsets within the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, MediaTek needed to nail the small print to problem Qualcomm within the high-end class.

Vivo has additionally refined its software program, and whereas it would not fairly have the identical variety of options as ColorOS 13, the design seems and feels fashionable, and there is much less bloatware than earlier than. I began with the X90 Professional again when it made its international debut in February, and have been utilizing the machine on and off as I examined the finest Android telephones of 2023. What’s in the end clear is that in case you’re in a rustic the place the machine is obtainable, it’s a reputable various in opposition to what Samsung, OPPO, and Xiaomi have to supply.

Vivo X90 Professional: Pricing and availability

Vivo unveiled the X90 sequence in China again in November 2022, and the X90 Professional made its international debut at Cellular World Congress in February. The cellphone is now out there in India and choose Southeast Asian international locations, and may make its method to a couple European markets within the coming months.

The X90 Professional is bought in a single 12GB/256GB configuration in India, and it’s out there for ₹84,999 ($1,030). The cellphone prices an identical quantity in different markets within the area, and outdoors China, Vivo is rolling out the 12GB/256GB possibility as the usual variant.

There’s additionally a daily X90 that retails for ₹59,999 ($728) in India for the 8GB/256GB mannequin and ₹63,999 ($776) for the 12GB/256GB model. Apart from just a few adjustments on the digicam facet of issues and the inclusion of IP68 ingress safety and wi-fi charging on the Professional mannequin, there is not a lot to distinguish the 2 gadgets.

Vivo X90 Professional: Design

The one factor Vivo hasn’t modified an excessive amount of during the last three generations is the design aesthetic; the X90 Professional continues an identical design language with dual-curved sides, and whereas the curves are extra exaggerated than the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Professional and the Galaxy S23 Extremely, there’s sufficient room on the mid-frame to carry the machine comfortably.

The X90 Professional is likely one of the tallest gadgets out there at this time, however the slim width means it is not unwieldy. Certain, this is not a cellphone you are going to use one-handed, however it’s lighter than its speedy rivals, and feels nice in-hand. A variety of that has to do with the leather-based again; Vivo did an incredible job with the vegan leather-based end, and whereas I received the usual black mannequin, the pink model of the X90 Professional seems beautiful.

Going with a leather-based again makes the X90 Professional far more snug to make use of than its glass and ceramic-clad rivals, however the weight distribution is centered towards the highest — not too astonishing contemplating the scale of the digicam island. Like different Chinese language manufacturers, Vivo is utilizing an outsized round digicam housing on the again, and you will discover the same old Zeiss insignia. The sheer dimension of the housing means there is not any wobble when utilizing the X90 Professional on a flat floor.

The one design selection I nonetheless do not get is the quick metal bar that runs throughout the size of the again, sitting simply beneath the digicam island. You may discover the phrases Xtreme Creativeness engraved on the bar, and it makes the in any other case premium again really feel cheesy — I don’t know what Vivo was pondering of right here.

Apart from that aberrance, the X90 Professional seems and seems like a high-end cellphone. Vivo additionally provides IP68 mud and water resistance as customary; this can be a desk stakes characteristic on any cellphone over $500, and it is good to see Chinese language producers getting on the bandwagon during the last two years.

Vivo X90 Professional: Display

I do not know when was the final time I used a cellphone that did not have an incredible panel, and that is notably true for flagships. The X90 Professional comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh, and it has a decision of 2800 x 1260. Whereas not as excessive because the 1440p screens you may discover on this class, it’s greater than enough, and the panel itself is vibrant and provides stellar colour accuracy.

You discover a first rate quantity of customizability, together with the choice to alter the colour steadiness. There are 4 modes on provide: Customary, Professional, Vibrant, and Zeiss Pure Coloration. I did not have any points with general brightness ranges, Vivo touts 1,300 nits of brightness for HDR10+ content material, and whereas the display did not get fairly as vibrant in out of doors use because the S23 Extremely, it nonetheless managed to do a very good job on this space.

The cellphone misses out on LTPO tech, with Vivo as a substitute providing simply 60Hz and 120Hz modes. I did not see noticeably excessive battery drain when utilizing the always-on mode, however the machine is not fairly as environment friendly as different flagships. On that notice, you may discover loads of always-on modes to pick from, and you’ve got an honest quantity of customizability on this regard. Moreover, the cellphone has 2,160Hz polling, with Vivo noting that the excessive determine ought to alleviate any points round PWM sensitivity.

Chances are you’ll not discover it if you begin utilizing the X90 Professional, however the machine has stereo sound, and it is serviceable — it would not get as detailed because the 13 Professional, Galaxy S23+, or the S23 Extremely, however it makes a distinction when enjoying video games. Fortunately, Vivo is not restrictive on this space, and video games aren’t locked to 60fps — titles that may take full benefit of the excessive refresh price display are ready to take action.

I might nonetheless desire the 13 Professional or the S23 Extremely in the case of the general high quality of the display, however Vivo is not far behind.

Vivo X90 Professional: Efficiency and battery

A giant differentiator for Vivo this 12 months is the truth that it’s utilizing MediaTek’s newest Dimensity 9200 platform. With most different telephones on this class powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Vivo is on the backfoot by selecting MediaTek, however having stated that, the Dimensity 9200 provides related {hardware} to its Qualcomm rival; you get a Cortex X3 core at 3.05GHz, three Cortex A715 cores at 2.85GHz, and 4 Cortex A510 cores at 1.8GHz.

It is the same old 1 + 3 + 4 configuration that MediaTek has used for a while now, however with Qualcomm switching issues up with its 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 mannequin on the 8 Gen 2, I used to be intrigued to see how the Dimensity 9200 would maintain up over prolonged use. The excellent news is that the platform is simply as highly effective in each day use as Qualcomm’s silicon, and Arm’s Immortalis-G715 is nearer to the Adreno 740 than I imagined.

Though the Dimensity 9200 is not fairly on the identical stage because the 8 Gen 2, that is largely theoretical — you will not discover any points in each day use. The one downside that I discovered was that the X90 Professional would throttle slightly sooner than the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Professional and S23 Extremely, and it tends to run hotter as nicely. It by no means received to the purpose the place I felt uncomfortable utilizing the machine, however given how not one of the 8 Gen 2-based telephones have any overheating points, I figured it was value mentioning.

The Dimensity 9200 would not fairly maintain its personal in multi-core workloads, however a transparent constructive for MediaTek is that Arm’s Immortalis-G715 clearly provides an identical stage of energy because the Adreno 740, and you will discover the distinction when gaming. 

Elsewhere, the X90 Professional has all of the {hardware} options you’d need in a high-end cellphone. There’s 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage as customary on the worldwide variations, and that is greater than enough for many customers. It comes with international Sub-6 5G bands, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, AptX HD audio codec, and all of the radios for varied GPS programs world wide. The in-screen fingerprint sensor is among the many quickest of any cellphone I used, and the optical module is not vulnerable to errors.

You get a wonderful vibration motor as nicely, and the cellphone delivers good haptic suggestions when utilizing the keyboard and navigating the UI. There’s additionally eSIM connectivity, and I did not discover any points round Wi-Fi bandwidth, Bluetooth connectivity, or when utilizing the cellphone to make calls.

Switching over to battery life, the X90 Professional encompasses a 4,870mAh battery, and it makes use of Vivo’s 120W wired charging tech together with 50W wi-fi charging and reverse wi-fi charging. I have not examined Vivo’s wi-fi charging system but, however the 120W FlashCharge tech is a identified amount, and it costs to 50% in below 10 minutes, with a full cost taking simply over 25 minutes.

Now, the caveat right here is that the 120W charging mode is disabled by default, so you may want to enter the settings to allow it. Vivo provides the Balanced mode out of the field, and on this setting, the cost would not transcend 30W. Vivo’s 120W tech is mature sufficient that there aren’t any points in utilizing it each day, however in case you’re frightened about battery degradation, the Balanced mode is a perfect resolution.

As for battery life itself, I did not have any points getting the cellphone to final a full day even with heavy use. This hasn’t been an issue on any cellphone I examined this 12 months, and whereas the X90 Professional would not fairly handle the identical figures as gadgets with bigger batteries, there’s completely no battery anxiousness right here. You will not have to cost the machine earlier than the day’s out, and may the necessity come up to take action, the 120W charging tech is among the many finest within the business.

Vivo X90 Professional: Cameras

Along with the Dimensity 9200, the X90 Professional options Vivo’s customized V2 imaging {hardware} that takes care of the picture processing and powers the AI-based duties on the machine. The spotlight on the digicam entrance this 12 months is the usage of the Sony IMX989 module for the 50MP major digicam — this is similar 1-inch {hardware} that Xiaomi launched final 12 months on the 12S Extremely and used on the 13 Professional this 12 months.

The 50MP major digicam is joined by a 50MP telephoto with OIS and 2x optical zoom, and a 12MP wide-angle lens with a 108-degree area of view. Up entrance, you get a 32MP digicam with a hard and fast focus that may shoot 1080p movies.

The digicam interface is much like what you may discover on most telephones as of late, and also you get the same old slate of toggles for switching between the varied lenses, HDR, AI-assisted scene detection, and so forth. The Professional mode is sort of helpful if you wish to shoot in RAW, and there are an honest variety of taking pictures modes, together with Portrait, Panorama, Moon, Slo-mo, Meals, Twin View, Astro, and extra.

Vivo provides a Zeiss Pure mode that delivers pictures with correct colours, and there’s a noticeable distinction in saturation ranges over the default possibility, which tends to supply oversaturated colours that is all the time been a attribute of Vivo telephones. I used this mode all through because it provides a extra life like picture, and it nails the small print in any taking pictures situation.