Chinese mobile startup Vivo has announced two smartphones at the Beijing National Aquatics Center earlier today, the X6 and X6 Plus.
The X6 and X6 Plus don’t have too many differences, as both feature a 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core processor — a mid-range processor comparable to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615. Alongside the mid-range processor sits 4GB of RAM, with Mali T760 graphics.
The X6 comes with 32GB of internal storage and a 2,400mAh battery, while the X6 Plus pushes ahead with 64GB of storage and a 3,000mAh battery. The X6 has a 5.2-inch panel and the X6 Plus has a 5.7-inch panel. Both phones have full HD Super AMOLED displays — Samsung’s own brand of AMOLED.
The cameras for the two devices are both the same — 13-megapixels on the back and 8-megapixels on the front with f/2.2 aperture. Both have microSD, 4G LTE, and dual-SIM support. Vivo has added a fingerprint sensor which it claims works 360 degrees and can unlock a phone in 0.4 seconds. We will have to wait and see if it holds up to Apple’s superfast Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 6S.
Similar to the company’s previous smartphones, the X6 Plus takes advantage of some high quality audio tech. It has Yamaha YSS-205X Hi-Fi audio on board, but sadly no front-facing speakers.
Both phones will run Vivo’s Funtouch OS on top of Android 5.1. Vivo has not indicated when the phones will be upgraded to Android 6.0.
The X6 and X6 Plus come in three colors; silver, gold, and rose gold. The X6 is available for around $400 retail in China, while the X6 Plus will cost $500 — Vivo has not said if the phones will be available in the U.S. or Europe.
Overall, the phones look like decent competitors in the Chinese market with a slick iPhone-like design, but earlier rumors leave us feeling a little underwhelmed by the end product, check the next page to see why.
Next page: Rumors about the X6 before launch
Vivo teased even more of the devices’ features on Weibo in mid-November. The company said that the X6 will be “faster than the iPhone,”which seems possible, based on the rumored specs. The X6 will supposedly pack MediaTek’s deca-core Helio X20 processor, 4GB of RAM, and an additional 1GB of RAM for graphics. Other rumored specs include a 4,000mAh battery and 21-megapixel Sony camera.
Multitasking features
Vivo posted another teaser for the X6 on Weibo, showing the smartphone running two apps side by side, a feature usually reserved for tablets. The multitasking option is available when a user is watching a video, allowing them to split the screen and message back. We can’t tell if the phone on the GIF is representative of the actual device, considering it has no buttons on the front. That would make it a near edge-to-edge display.
Other specifications
The 4GB of RAM has already been confirmed by the company, alongside a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone for mobile payments. Vivo also confirmed that the X6 will be made of 98 percent metal, and will come in silver, gold, and rose gold — black and grey might also be added to that list.
To prove the X6 offers better performance than the iPhone 6S, the company released a video showing various app loading times on both devices. The X6 seems to match or surpass the iPhone 6S in most cases, though it is hard to tell the condition and age of the two devices and how that affects performance.
We still don’t know the screen size for the X6, with rumors varying between 5.2-inch and 6-inch. The X6 display will apparently support “Force Touch,” the term Apple coined with the Apple Watch, before using the term 3D Touch for its iPhone 6S line. Vivo has not mentioned which version of Android the X6 is running.
The price for the X6 is another unknown, though if it’s in the same price range as the rest of the company’s high-end devices, it’ll cost between $300 and $450. The X6 will launch on December 16, just in time for the holiday season.
It is unlikely that the X6 will arrive in the United States, considering Vivo’s lack of interest for the U.S. market in the past. European customers might find it available at some retailers like Amazon and Gearbest, which tend to stock international editions of Chinese smartphones.
