VIVO sells some of the best value Android smart phones on the market but does their premium X51 have what it takes to go up against the competition?

• COST: £749
• CAMERAS: 5 (Selfie, Ultrawide, Wide, Portrait and 5x Zoom)
• SCREEN: 6.5″ AMOLED (90hz)
• BATTERY: 4315mAh

I have to be honest, the world of Android smart phones confuses me. Not because it is inherently confusing but because I have exclusively used iPhones since 2007. That’s a serious amount of baked in loyalty. Being an Apple sheep, you only have a few new phones each year to keep up to date with whereas the choice on offer from the Android camp is impressive. That’s why when the X51 arrived on my doorstep, I knew nothing about it.

Here’s what I learned; It seems to be designed to go up against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S20/S21/ It has a premium design, one of the best feeling backs to a phone I’ve ever seen and a bright, vivid 6.5″ AMOLED screen that wraps over the edges of the phone.

Inside you’ll find a Snapdragon 765G processor with 8GB of ram and 256gb of storage. Hardly budget specs but not ones that’ll blow you socks off either. It has a 4315mAh battery with 33w fast charging. That’ll reportedly give you 57% charge in just 30 minutes. I tend to charge at night so can’t confirm the speeds but never found the capacity to be lacking.

The design is one of the nicer phones I’ve tried recently. It feels premium if a little light. I’m not a fan of the tapered screen design on any phone so this isn’t my preferred way to look at screen. Call me old fashioned but I like what I’m looking at to be flat. You can decide for yourself if that’s a deal breaker. The back of the phone comes in Alpha Grey which shimmers in the light. It has a lovely matte texture and doesn’t really seem to show fingerprints. A feature I wish more phones had!

The screen is bright and sharp. The colours are a little punchy for my tastes but many will enjoy the vivid look it brings photos and wallpapers. If faithful and neutral recreations are you thing then this isn’t the phone for you. Neither is the sound quality without headphones. The single mono speaker is ok in isolation but compare it to many stereo options and it sounds weak and a little harsh. This issue is completely solved with the TWS Neo wireless headphones that are currently being offered for free with the X51 right now.

Where the X51 aims to excel is the Camera department. The little VIVO phone has a total of five cameras. A 32mp front selfie camera and a further four on the back. The main wide camera packs 48mp and an impressive built in gimbal. It offers smoother video and superb night shots. The other cameras are handy but not in the same league. There’s a 13mp portrait camera and two 8mp cameras. One is an ultra wide and one is a 5x telephoto. The quality on offer from them is good enough for social media but doesn’t hold up as well on a large screen as the main camera. The fact that you have the option though is impressive. Especially at this price point. Below are four photos taken on my morning walk. I stood in one spot and simply took a single shot with each camera. It clearly demonstrates the flexibility you have with this phone.

CONCLUSION

The X51 has an impressive set of features and an attractive design for the price. It has a few areas that, for me, let it down but I suspect for most buyers they won’t be an issue. If camera flexibility and night photos are high on your priority list, then this might be the phone for you. As the name suggests, it also has 5G which whilst not really a benefit right now, will ensure it remains future proof for a while to come.

WHAT’S YOUR NEXT PHONE GOING TO BE? LET US KNOW VIA TWITTER, FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM.

The post TESTED: VIVO X51 5G Mobile Phone Review appeared first on Average Joes.