Shanghai, China, June 12, 2018 — Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo, owned by BBK Electronics, announces upcoming flagship product “NEX” to feature a smartphone that’s almost bezel-less, comes without a notch and has a camera that pops out on the top.
We’ve seen a lot of different concept phones that pushed the boundary of the ordinary. And most of them are just examples of what we should expect in the near future. Smartphone manufacturer Vivo made a lot this year to the push towards that future. First, they built the first smartphone to feature a fingerprint sensor under the display. Then, they revealed a concept phone with a full-view display. Well, now that concept phone will be available for purchase. At the event in Shanghai, China, the company announced the Vivo NEX – let’s dig in on the details.
Full-view display
One of the main attraction of the NEX is the display. The notch-free Display has a 91.24% screen-to-body ratio. Currently, no other smartphone has achieved that without the help of a notch. As for the other technical details, the AMOLED panel is 6.59 inches in size, has 1080 x 2316 pixel resolution and 19.3:9 aspect ratio. The sensors are placed at the very top of the device, while the screen is turned into an earpiece speaker. Vivo claims that thanks to their Screen SoundCasting Technology, the sound will have more powerful bass and smoother treble.
Camera like a submarine periscope
Another innovation on the Vivo NEX is the periscope-esque camera. The front camera is hidden inside the body, sliding from the top only when you need it. It’s an interesting design choice – and probably the only one at the moment to achieve a full notch-less display. Vivo noted that the hardware can be raised and lowered up to 50000 times without any problems. Also, it can withstand up to 45kg of thrust force when extended, so you shouldn’t be worried about that. And, as all of their previous smartphones had, the NEX also features the in-display fingerprint sensor. The third generation of this technology is faster, more responsive and more accurate. Let’s hope this design choice does not mean the camera slider could break at some point. It’s unpredictable how wear-and-tear could affect this feature.
Powerful hardware and fast software
Despite the gorgeous looks on the outside, the Vivo NEX holds a lot of power on the inside. The Snapdragon 845 processor and Adreno 630 graphics should handle any task you throw at them. Memory-wise, the device is packing 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of internal storage. A MicroSD card slot is not available, but the onboard storage should be more than enough for most of your needs. Rounding up the internals, the NEX is featuring a 4000mAh battery.
On the back, the device features a primary 12MP shooter with f/1.8 aperture and a secondary 5MP telephoto shooter with f/2.4 aperture. Both the front and the rear camera setups are enhanced with AI features, which will improve the quality of the photos. Aside from the cameras, Vivo also included AI features across the whole software. Their personal voice assistant is greatly improved and on the NEX has its own dedicated button. Finally, all of these features are placed behind FunTouch OS 4, based on Android Oreo 8.1.
Leadership insight
“The launch of NEX finally brings an end to the industry’s pursuit of a true bezel-less device. We have spent many long months developing a host of new breakthrough technologies to realize this vision of the future smartphone. Vivo is evolving from a manufacturer to an innovative technology company that delivers hardware, software and services,” said Alex Feng, Senior Vice President of Vivo.
“Technologies such as the Elevating Front Camera and In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology merely scratch the surface of all the innovations featured in NEX. With our relentless pursuit of true innovation, Vivo explores the unknown, tackles new challenges and dares the world to imagine a different future for smartphone user experience. As the first to achieve a truly bezel-less device, we hope to encourage our industry to continue pondering ‘what’s next?’ in this mobile experience journey,” he added.
Pricing and availability
The Vivo NEX will be available in China, with more countries to follow in the next months. Prices start at around $702 for the 128GB version and roughly $780 for the 256GB one.
Photo credit: All used image material is owned by Vivo.
Source: Vivo press release
Editorial notice: The quotes have been provided as part of a public press release.
