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Vivo X90 review: A camera-centric flagship that works like a charm

I began testing the Vivo X90 specifically to find out what makes it distinct from the more expensive X90 Pro.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Rs. 59,999
Vivo X90Vivo X90 in breeze blue colour (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)
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Vivo X90 review: A camera-centric flagship that works like a charm
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Vivo’s latest flagship smartphones — X90 and the X90 Pro have a lot in common and they are marketed as camera-centric flagships, thanks to high-end camera sensors, custom V2 chip and Zeiss collaboration. With the substantial price difference, these phones belong to different classes. and our review has already established that the X90 Pro is one of the best camera phones of 2023.

Despite packing an identical display and processor, the X90, priced at Rs 59,999, is a lot more affordable than the X90 Pro and comes with a price difference of almost Rs 25,000, with camera hardware and design being the only primary distinguishable attributes.

I began testing the Vivo X90 specifically to find out what makes it distinct from the X90 Pro, and to see if it is worth spending more money to get the best that Vivo has to offer.

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I used the Vivo X90 as my primary smartphone for over three weeks, and here is my detailed review of the device.

Vivo X90 Vivo X90 has a metal frame and a glass sandwich design and the camera bump is not as big as the one on the X90 Pro (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Premium looks and feel

Vivo X90 comes with a curved glass sandwich design and a metal frame. I simply loved the hands-on feel of the device. The device comes with an IP64 making it water and dust resistant. The optical in-display fingerprint sensor is quick and efficient. It also comes with a pre-installed screen protector that prevents scratches.

Festive offer Vivo X90 The 120Hz curved display gives Vivo X90 a premium look (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Despite being a big phone with a 6.78-inch curved 120Hz OLED screen, the Vivo X90 is lighter and thinner than the X90 Pro. On top of that, the camera island on the X90 is not as substantial as the one on the X90 Pro. While it might not feel as premium as the X90 Pro with a leather finish, the X90 Pro is definitely a good-looking phone. Overall, the Vivo X90 is definitely on par with the other Android phones in this price range.

Vivo X90 Vivo X90 has a triple camera setup with a dedicated 2x telephoto lens (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Impressive camera performance

The Vivo X90 has a proper triple camera setup with a 50 MP primary sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide angle lens, and then a 12 MP telephoto lens along with the goodness of Zeiss T* lens coating, which reduces less glare and improves picture quality and all three primary cameras can shoot up to 4K resolution. There is also a 32 MP selfie camera, which only supports up to 1080p video recording.

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The Vivo X90 takes excellent shots in almost every lighting condition. In fact, most pictures are almost as good as the one from the X90 Pro. It has the same fast shutter speed, and the night mode also works like a charm. Observing the camera samples side-by-side, I felt that the X90’s camera performance is almost on par with the X90 Pro, despite having a slightly smaller sensor. However, in some challenging situations like extreme low light conditions, the X90 Pro does have an edge.

Take a look at some of the camera samples from the Vivo X90.

Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express) Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express) Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express) Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express) Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express) Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express) Vivo X90 Vivo X90 camera sample (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

An excellent gaming phone too

The Vivo X90 is powered by the Meditek Dimensity 9200 with up to 12 GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. On AnTuTu, the device easily clocks over one million points, and even when it comes to gaming, it can easily handle anything that you throw at it. With continued gaming, the phone does get a bit hot, however, it cools off fairly quickly and it also does not affect the gaming performance in any way.

Vivo X90 In terms of performance, the X90 is as good as any flagship Android phone of 2023 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

I played a lot of games on the Vivo X90, including the COD: Mobile, Pure Sniper, Sniper Strike, and Cricket League, and the overall experience was pretty satisfactory. All-in-all, the Vivo X90 is as powerful as its more expensive sibling, and the performance is on par with any flagship phone in this price range.

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Vivo X90 The device can easily last for an entire day for most users and 120W fast charging also helps to quickly charge the battery (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Connectivity and battery life

Connectivity and battery life are pretty good and are on par with the Vivo X90 Pro. While there is no eSIM support like the more expensive variant, the device still has dual nano SIM card slots with 5G network support along with NFC, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity standards.

Coming to the battery life, the 4810mAh battery easily lasted for an entire day and 120W of fast charging will come in handy for quick power up. Again, it does miss out on wireless and reverse wireless charging.

Vivo X90 The Vivo X90 is an excellent value-for-money flagship with an emphasis on camera performance (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Verdict: A great camera-centric flagship that isn’t expensive

The device has a great display, a fast processor, and an equally impressive camera array. For a phone of this class, the Vivo X90 does not compromise on any of the core flagship functionalities. However, it does miss out on a few nice-to-have features like wireless charging, eSIM support, and improved ingress protection. While the best from Vivo still costs a lot more, at the asking price, the Vivo X90 delivers a great value proposition and is almost as good as the best from Vivo.

The OnePlus 11 and the iQOO 11 which come in the same price range primarily focus on performance, while the Vivo X90 seems like a more polished device with great cameras, and a colour-accurate Zeiss-tuned display. Moreover, it delivers on the performance front, making it one of the best Android phones under the Rs 60,000 price mark.

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The Vivo X90 being thinner and lighter than the X90 Pro, is also much easier to handle without experiencing any hand fatigue. Overall, for the asking price, the Vivo X90 is definitely one of the best camera phones that I have tested this year, and for those who want a camera-centric flagship under the Rs 60,000 price range, this is a good device to consider.


 

First uploaded on: 29-05-2023 at 10:00 IST
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