Vivo X60 Pro first impressions: Taking the camera game to the next level

The Vivo X60 Pro is a flagship smartphone and feels just that in every respect. But a major downside here is the absence of assured protection from water and dust

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Thursday launched its flagship Vivo X60 series of smartphones, co-engineered with optics and opto-electronics major Zeiss. The X60 series consists of the X60, X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ and runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 series 5G Mobile Platform. A successor to the Vivo X50 Pro, the X60 Pro has brought several upgrades to the cameras, processor, and Vivo's gimbal stabilisation. We used the X60 Pro for about two weeks; here are our initial impressions:

Design and display

The X60 Pro has a 6.56-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and full HD+ resolution. The display and the rear panel have Gorilla glass 6 protection. The rear panel has AG glass with a frosted finish and anti-fingerprint coating to prevent fingerprints and smudges. The camera module on the back has a dual-step design, similar to what the Vivo X50 Pro also had. The first layer has a flash while the second has all three cameras.

Weighing 177g, the phone is lightweight and easy for single-hand use. It is available in Shimmer Blue and Midnight Black colours.

The X60 Pro justifies the premium smartphone tag with its stunning looks and its slim profile adds to the visual appeal. Its curved display is crisp and a high refresh rate enhances the experience. It is important to note, however, that it lacks an IP rating guaranteeing protection from water and dust.

Camera

The Vivo X60 Pro is a camera-centric smartphone. It has a triple-camera set-up that includes a 48MP Sony IMX598 primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and a 13MP portrait lens. For selfies, there is a 32-megapixel sensor with an f/2.45 lens. The camera system is co-engineered with Zeiss.

The camera also comes with an improved Gimbal Stabilisation 2.0 that detects horizontal and vertical shakes to give you a clearer image. It also features Pixel Shift imaging technology for colour accuracy. It records 4K 30fps video and 240fps slow videos and also provides Gimbal stabilisation for videos.

The initial use indicates the X60 Pro has serious camera upgrades, as the pictures we took held the right amount of detail without any pixel burst. Even if you zoom in, the pictures don't look too grainy. The background blurring is smooth in the portrait mode with enough depth. The pictures are not oversaturated and the colour range looks dynamic. This phone is also good for low-light photography. The camera doesn't make the picture too artificial and highlights enough details in the subject. 

Video recording is on point. We recorded in 4K and the video came out well. The Gimbal stabilisation worked wonders, ensuring minimal shakes in videos, even when we were on a vehicle or moving while recording. Selfies were decent, but the camera did at times make the skin more smooth than necessary. Also, the selfies came out too sharp sometimes.

So far, the camera has managed to impress us, but we won't be convinced without putting it under more rigorous tests. For that, wait for our in-depth review.

Features and performance

The Vivo X60 Pro comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. There is also a neat Virtual RAM feature that offers additional 3GB of RAM from the internal storage. We did not experience any lag while playing games like Call of Duty Mobile on high settings. It looks like the phone can easily handle heavy usage if you are a gamer. 

The Vivo X60 Pro has Android 11-based Funtouch OS 11, which looks better than before but takes time getting used to it. The phone comes preloaded with some bloatware but you can get rid of these.

The X60 Pro manages moderate to heavy usage quite well. We did not feel any stutters or lags at any point. You can leave heavy apps on standby and they would work fine in the background. From gaming to heavy camera usage, the X60 Pro seems to handle it all well.

However, we will use the phone more to see how virtual RAM comes into play and if there are any notable downsides.

Battery

The phone has a 4,200mAh battery with 33W fast-charging support. It takes about an hour to charge and the battery lasts a little over a day under moderate to heavy usage. For now, it seems enough for an average user. Games and photography enthusiasts will put the phone to the litmus test.

Price and availability: The Vivo X60 Pro costs Rs 49,990 (12+256GB) and comes in two colour options — Midnight Black and Shimmer Blue.

Initial impressions

The Vivo X60 Pro is a flagship smartphone and it feels just that in every respect. A major downside is that it lacks assured protection from water and dust, so users will have to be extra careful with the phone. While there is no lag in performance, the camera is one area where we would like to dig deeper. We will reserve for now our verdict on the Vivo X60 Pro, as we explore this device further and write about it in our in-depth review.