Vivo Z1x First Impressions: The Good, Bad, And The X Factor

Vivo Z1x is backed by the Snapdragon 712 chipset that also supplies power to the first Z-series device- Z1 Pro. The new Vivo Z1x will be available in two variants- 6GB+64GB at Rs. 16,990 and 6GB+128GB at Rs. 18,990. Vivo Z1x will be available on Flipkart and Vivo India E-store, starting 13th September 2019 in two color variants- Fusion Blue and Phantom Purple.

I am using the 6GB+128GB variant of the handset and here's what I think of the new Vivo smartphone. Vivo Z1x picks up a fight with Realme 5 Pro, Realme X and the other sub 20K smartphones.

The Good

Crisp Full HD+ Display

Vivo Z1x brings a massive upgrade over the Z1 Pro. Unlike the Z1 Pro's IPS LCD screen, the Z1x features a 6.38" FHD+ Super AMOLED display. The screen comes in 19:5:9 aspect ratio and offers an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio. The side bezels are extremely thin and it is only the chin at the bottom that has some noticeable width. The AMOLED screen is fairly touch-responsive and offers vivid visuals making the Z1x a delight for gaming and video streaming jobs.

Big 4,500mAh Battery Unit With 22.5 Fast Charging

Vivo Z1x offers a long-lasting battery backup. Even with 80% charge, the handset managed to last more than a day. The 4,500mAh battery unit can easily last two days with light to moderate usage. If you stream too many videos and use the device to play games on a stretch, Vivo Z1x should easily last for one day on a full charge. The company is offering a 22.5W FlashCharge adaptor in the package that comes with a claim to offer up to 3 hours of talk time within 5 minutes of charging.

Powerful Hardware

Like the first Z-series smartphone from Vivo, the Z1x is also powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712AIE chipset. The octa-core SoC is paired with 6GB RAM and 64/128GB ROM options. The 64-bit SD712 CPU is one-of-the-best chipset you can find in the sub 20K price bracket. It uses Qualcomm's Kryo 360 cores and Adreno 616 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which again is a very powerful and efficient GPU.

As expected, the Z1x feels super snappy. It can handle multiple applications and the most intense games without breaking a sweat. The smartphone also comes pre-installed with an Ultra Gaming Mode and Multi-Turbo mode that makes the gameplay and routine tasks smooth and free of any unwanted lags.

Like the predecessor, the Vivo Z1x is also the one-of-the-best device in the sub 20K price segment to play PUBG game. It comes equipped with 4D gaming vibration, gaming countdown that makes PUBG gameplay much more immersive and intuitive.

Snappy In-Screen Fingerprint Scanner

Vivo, a pioneer in the in-screen fingerprint scanning technology has democratized the feature for masses. The Vivo Z1x also features a flash in-screen biometric scanner that is super snappy and unlocks the handset in a jiffy. The in-screen fingerprint scanner takes less than a second to unlock the handset and is very accurate. It is one of-the-most accurate and snappy in-screen fingerprint scanner available in the market.

Good Selfie Camera

The 32MP selfie camera performs as advertised. It works on a Samsung-made F/2.0 aperture lens and captures crisp selfies. The images captured from the front-facing camera depict natural skin tones and do not look animated. Sharpness and contrast are also at the point and you get all possible software features to enhance the image output.

The Bad

Vivo’s FunTouch OS Is Feature-Rich But lacks Originality

Vivo's FunTouch OS is essentially an iOS-rip off. There's no app drawer and all the applications are placed on the different home screens. The iOS-like control centre is annoying and the number of bloatware is also quite high. The good thing about the Vivo's FunTouch OS is its speed. The customized skin is very well optimized and is free of stutters and unwanted lags or app crashes. You also get some useful features such as Ultra Gaming Moe, Bike Mode, Smart Split, App Clone, etc.

Market Offers Better Rear Camera Smartphones

Vivo Z1x boasts an AI triple-lens rear camera setup featuring a 48MP primary camera, 8MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The 48MP primary sensor uses a decent F/1.79 aperture Sony IMX582 lens. It captures good pictures but the results are not comparable to some of the rival devices we have tested in the sub 20K price bracket. The 2MP depth-sensor is very inconsistent and the camera setup also struggles to deliver good performance in the low-light environment.

The X Factor

The overall package that Vivo Z1x brings to the table is the X-Factor of the handset. You get the fastest in-screen fingerprint scanner in the sub 20K price-segment, crisp 1080p AMOLED display and long-lasting battery life. The SD712 AI chipset with Adreno 616 makes Vivo Z1x an amazing device for gaming and multimedia streaming.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if you are looking for an all-rounder device in the sub 20K price bracket.Vivo Z1x offers a crisp 1080p display, big 4,500mAh battery unit and a snappy chipset paired with an efficient GPU and ample amount of RAM. The smartphone offers one-of-the-best selfie camera in the sub 20K price and a feature-rich rear camera setup.

The company is also offering some discounts on the purchase of the Vivo Z1x. Anyone who buys the new Vivo Z1x will get up to Rs. 1,250 off on HDFC cards and EMI transactions, Jio benefits worth Rs. 6,000 and no-cost EMI up to 6 months. We will soon compare the Vivo Z1x with Realme X, Realme 5 Pro and even the Vivo Z1 Pro to inform you more about the performance of the handset in our comprehensive review of the device.