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Vivo Z1X Review: A Power-Packed Mid-range Smartphone

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Smartphone companies come up every year with their latest launches. This time around, the ever popular mid-range and budget segments of the smartphone industry keep on putting up with the trend. Vivo dropped the Z1 Pro at Rs 14,990 in early July.

Then came the Vivo Z1X in early September at Rs 16,990. In the third week of September, Vivo came out with the world’s first dual pop-up selfie camera, the V17 Pro, priced at Rs 29,990. In end of September, Vivo’s youth-focused phone, U10, rolled out at Rs 8,990. The Z1X sits in the middle of the pack. The ‘Z’ series from Vivo was targeted at Generation Z and is an online-only series. That’s a brief storyline from Vivo this year.

Technical Specifications of Vivo Z1X

On the display front, the Vivo Z1X comes with a 6.38-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 712 AI processor. In the backup department, there’s a 4,500 mAh battery on the hood that supports 22.5W fast charging. It also features a triple-camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel secondary camera, and a third, 2-megapixel camera. The comes with a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The device runs on FuntouchOS 9, which is based on Android 9 Pie. It is packed with 6GB of RAM and is paired either with 64GB or 128GB of storage.

Vivo Z1X Review

Impressive Performance on Average Design

Vivo Z1X is being pitched as a powerhouse of a performer. The ‘x’ in the model name implies ‘extreme’. While on most counts that is true, when compared to its predecessor, the problem is with the look and feel of the phone. The other model Z1 Pro looked and felt classy and had a firm grip. However, the Z1X felt rather flimsy. The screen protector that comes with the Z1X got scratches instantly, and the back of the smartphone racked up a number of smudges that had to be constantly wiped off.

In terms of performance, Z1X is almost identical to the Z1 Pro. The 6GB RAM along with Qualcomm’s 712 AI processor takes care of multitasking with a flow. The daily performance of the smartphone is pretty impressive.

Performance for Gaming

This is an area where the Z1xXexcels at. Playing games like Asphalt or PUBG on the Z1X is smooth once you swap the pre-installed screen protector. The 6.38-inch Super AMOLED display that packs in over 400 pixels per inch, provides a fantastic display for gaming experience with almost no lag. There are close to no frame drops and the phone rarely gets too hot to handle even after many hours of gaming.

FuntouchOS: An iPhone Clone

Oppo (Vivo’s sister brand) has vastly improved its Colour OS Android skin on the latest Reno devices. But, Vivo has made little efforts to overhaul its own FuntouchOS Android skin. A better software experience would draw much more customers. The entire look and feel of FuntouchOS is duplicated from Apple’s iOS but the implementation seems bloated. It is not a fun experience, sorry. It lags at times, the gestures aren’t as good as those on a OnePlus device, and daily tasks seem like a chore for the OS. Most importantly, there is no app drawer, which means all hundreds of your apps are stuck in reams on pages on the home screen. The animations too impede the user experience. Basically, FuntouchOS seems very cluttered.

Triple-Camera Setup Review

The triple-camera setup on the rear of the Z1X clicks decent photos. The details aren’t sharp even though the colour reproduction is accurate. In daylight shots, it comes out with good-looking photos, but lacks the extra sharpness one has come to expect of modern smartphones. The low-light photography with the Z1X is a little less than satisfactory. The 48-megapixel shots are no different than the default 12-megapixel shots. One can zoom in with a 48-megapixel resolution shot but all the details are lost. The photo just comes out blurry. The ultra-wide sensor comes in handy at times and produces photos with good colours but on the whole, the implementation is nothing to write home about.

An avid gamer, tech and gadget enthusiast, I love to try out new games and tech features. Gadgets are my daily refreshment and constant companion.

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