Vivo’s new phone is the first to use the superpowered Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
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If you’re looking for a new phone and your focus is on power, the newly announced Vivo X90 Pro Plus could be the handset for you as it’s the first phone to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
This flagship chipset is expected to power many of the top Android phones of 2023, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the OnePlus 11, but Vivo seems to have gotten there first.
However, that’s not even the only big selling point of the Vivo X90 Pro Plus, as the phone also packs a 50MP camera that uses a massive 1-inch sensor. While this isn’t the first phone to use this sensor, it’s bigger than what you’ll find on most smartphones, and that could potentially make photos better too.
That’s joined by a 48MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a 64MP telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom.
Other specs include 12 GB of RAM, up to 512 GB of storage and a 6.78-inch 1440 x 3200 AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The phone also packs a 4,700mAh battery, fast 80W wired charging and impressively fast 50W wireless, and it’s protected against dust and water, having achieved an IP68 certification.
It launched in China alongside the less interesting Vivo X90 and Vivo X90 Pro. These phones have a few differences from the Pro Plus, the main one being that they use MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 9200 chipset rather than a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s still thought to be powerful silicon, but it’s unlikely to be it matches the Snapdragon.
Buying one of these phones could be easier said than done, given that they’ve only launched in China so far, where the Vivo X90 Pro Plus starts at ¥6,499 (around $910 / £760 / AU$1,365).
It’s not known if or when they’ll be sold more widely, but there’s a good chance that at least some of them will eventually be sold in the UK, given that the Vivo X80 Pro is available there. An Australian launch is also possible, but the US is unlikely as Vivo doesn’t have much of a presence there.
Analysis: The first of many Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones
There’s no need to wait for the Vivo X90 Pro Plus to go on sale globally as soon there will be plenty of other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones to choose from.
As mentioned above, the Samsung Galaxy S23 line will likely use this chipset, and the OnePlus 11 certainly will, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We already know that one or more phones in the Oppo Find X6 and iQoo 11 lines will use the 8 Gen 2, and it seems very likely that the Sony Xperia 1 V, Xiaomi 13 range, Motorola’s Moto X40, Nubia’s Red Magic 8 and above will also use it.
Basically, if you’re buying one of the best upcoming phones not made by Apple, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the chipset they’re most likely to have. As such, this standout feature of the Vivo X90 Pro Plus is only a temporary exclusive and is likely to become commonplace soon, to the benefit of consumers looking for the most capable new phones.