Vivo V29 5G Review: Simplicity and Elegance for the Young and Young at Heart

PROS:

  • Beautiful, distinctive design using 3D magnetic particles
  • IP68 rating for dust and water resistance
  • Sharp and bright high-resolution display
  • Good main and selfie cameras

CONS:

  • OK but unimpressive mid-range performance
  • No zoom or macro camera
  • Single, bottom-firing speaker

RATINGS:

SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY

EDITOR’S QUOTE:

The Vivo V29 5G rises higher with its elegance and 3D magnetic particle design, but its decent yet unimpressive performance keeps it from taking the lead.

It’s not surprising to see enormous amounts of resources being poured into marketing for big phone brands, almost to the point you might think they’re the only options available. It’s almost too easy to take for granted how you might discover unexpected treasures if you walk off the beaten path, scanning the smartphone landscape with a keen eye for detail and design. There are many brands that try to catch people’s attention with buzzwords and gimmicky aesthetics, but there’s always something to be said about beauty that rises from simple yet elegant designs. That’s the kind of experience that the Vivo V29 and its rather intriguing “3D Magnetic Particles” are aiming for, so we took a deeper look to see if its beauty is just skin deep or if this subtly stylish smartphone has more to offer

Designer: Vivo

Aesthetics

Like any other smartphone manufacturer, Vivo has a few different lines or families targeting different audiences. The Vivo X series, for example, is more focused on camera chops, no pun intended, while the V family to which this Vivo V29 belongs is aimed at a somewhat younger consumer base. This group of people, which admittedly spans a wide range of ages, is characterized by a hunger for new experiences and innovations, as well as designs that are trendy and outstanding yet also simple and unobtrusive.

For the Vivo V29, these goals were achieved by using a rather unique method the company is calling “3D Magnetic Particles.” In a nutshell, they got millions of tiny magnetic particles to create natural curving patterns using magnetic forces, resulting in gentle waves of white particles traveling across the phone’s back in a way no design has accomplished before. On the Peak Blue review unit that we got, the waves resembled mountain peaks, while Starry Purple tried to recreate the Milky Way against a night sky. It’s a visual effect that is both seemingly random yet artistically intentional, not unlike when an artist pours paints or colors, creating messy but unique patterns, which is exactly the inspiration behind this revolutionary design technique.

This gives the Vivo V29 a subtle beauty, never garish but also not plain. Even the changing colors of the Velvet Red colorway’s Flourite AG glass give a tasteful touch to what would usually be an ordinary glass back. The Noble Black variant is a bit more subdued, but its etched shimmers give it a bit of personality as well. The phone’s curved edges also give the phone a sophisticated and delicate look, something that seems to have been lost in the move toward sharp corners and flat sides.

Ergonomics

Smartphones are, of course, not just something to look at. To be honest, most of the time you spend with your phone is on the screen and in your hands. That’s why ergonomics and comfort are just as important, and the Vivo V29’s design brings a bit of a mixed bag in that regard. On the one hand, the curved edges of the screen and back have always been regarded to be more comfortable to hold, having no corners to bite into your skin. On the other hand, the phone’s lightweight body and glass back also make it feel precarious and slippery. Fortunately, Vivo does ship with a clear gel case, though that detracts from the phone’s elegant aesthetic a bit.

There’s no clear winner between curved and flat edges in terms of ergonomics, with both camps claiming to offer a better and more secure grip. Vivo, however, opted to use a design that some might say is outdated primarily due to their own customers’ preferences. This market prefers how those curves help make the phone look very slim, and how the lack of bezels gives a more immersive gameplay experience. A bit ironically, that’s one area where the phone falters a bit.

Performance

Despite its premium external appearance, the Vivo V29 is, at its core, a mid-tier smartphone. While the boundaries between tiers have been blurring recently, this particular model has its feet firmly planted on the ground. For some odd reason, Vivo opted to go with an older processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, rather than something more recent from the same series. To be fair, the performance gap isn’t that huge, and the phone performs admirably for most use cases. The Snapdragon 778G, however, starts to show its age when it comes to more graphics-intensive activity, particularly when it comes to mobile gaming that taxes the chip to the point that it comes a little hot.

This is a bit of disappointment given how beautiful the Vivo V29’s 6.78-inch screen is. With a resolution of 2800×1260 pixels, you get crisp and clear images that are enhanced by the bright AMOLED panel. It’s definitely quite the sight and a pleasure to use, though you’ll also be faced with one of the biggest drawbacks of screens with curved edges. A fraction of the content falls off at the edges, which is fine for most Web content but could be an annoyance for videos and especially games.

Further demoting the phone’s ranking for multimedia is the single bottom-firing speaker. Audio output is passable but nothing noteworthy, and the earpiece at the top doesn’t function as a second speaker. It’s probably not going to be a deal-breaker for some, but it’s small paper cuts like these that keep the Vivo V29 from being at the top of its game.

The Vivo V29 carries a rather middling 4,600mAh battery, a decision made to ensure that the phone remains thin and lightweight. It’s enough to get you around 18 hours of use a day, which means you’ll definitely want to plug it in at night or sometime during the day. Vivo makes up for it by pushing the charging speed to 80W and shipping the phone with the correct charger. In practice, it’s nothing compared to those that boast 100W or higher, but it can still get it from zero to full in around 40 minutes.

Where the phone does somewhat excel is in photography, at least the kind of photography its intended audience cares about. With a 50MP main camera and a 50MP front camera, you get excellent photos and selfies, especially with the right ambient light. Vivo takes photography up a notch with an Aura Light feature on the back of the phone that can add some lighting that automatically changes its temperature based on the ambient environment. Streamers might be familiar with the concept of ring lights, and the Aura light is like a miniature version. It works quite well but, unfortunately, won’t help with selfies. The 8MP ultra-wide camera is decent under good lighting conditions, but it’s definitely nothing to boast about. The 2MP monochrome camera is even more disappointing, given how many of its peers now go with a macro camera at the very least.

Ultrawide

50MP (1x)

50MP (2x)

Sustainability

Sustainability has become an important conversation topic among tech companies these days, and smartphone manufacturers are no different. Unfortunately, with so many of these mobile device makers operating today, only a few can be said to have concrete visions and strategies to help save the planet. Fortunately, Vivo is indeed one of those by taking steps to reduce the negative impact of their operations, manufacturing, and product life cycles on the planet.

Sadly, Vivo still has ways to go, especially when it comes to the actual materials that it uses, like incorporating recycled plastics or aluminum. Vivo’s designers are hoping that their designs and experiences are able to convey their love for nature. The Vivo V29, for example, references mountains and stars, connecting users with the planet in subtle and subconscious ways. Vivo also gives the V29 an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, a rare trait for phones in this tier. Along with its durability, this helps the phone survive the most common accidents that users encounter, helping delay the device’s untimely death and its addition to the world’s growing electronic waste.

Value

The Vivo V29 is, with very little doubt, a beautiful smartphone that earmarks it for a more premium category. It is, however, a true mid-range phone, and while its performance is decent, it isn’t going to blow your mind, nor will it blow the competition out of the water. That competition, unfortunately, is where it might struggle the most, with so many options that nibble at its strengths in different ways.

At around $450, the phone is definitely on the affordable side, but there are also other phones that have some of the same perks at lower prices. These include the Samsung Galaxy A54, the Motorola Edge 40, the Nothing Phone (1), and even the Google Pixel 7a. None of these are perfect, of course, but neither is the Vivo V29. It’s always a matter of balancing the pros and the cons, but when it comes to a striking and memorable design, the Vivo V29 can stand head-to-head with the eccentric Nothing Phone (1).

Verdict

Today’s consumers have become more conscientious of the value that product design brings into their lives. Smartphones are no longer just geeky gadgets but also a reflection of their tastes or even their character. Not everyone wants an exotic design that loses its novelty quickly, nor does everyone need the latest and greatest that will burn a hole through their wallets. An elegant, reliable, and accessible smartphone is sure to win the hearts of buyers, regardless of age, and that’s the experience that the Vivo V29 5G brings to the table.

With an innovative new design technique that treats minuscule 3D magnetic particles like splashes of paint, the Vivo V29 tries to embody the company’s design philosophy of simplicity, elegance, and perfection. At least it manages to achieve the first two with a beauty that is noticeable, memorable, and not overbearing. Unfortunately, perfection is still a bit out of its reach, with some puzzling hardware choices that hold it back from that achievement. But if you’re in the market for a stylish smartphone that feels good in your hand and can keep up with most of your needs, then the Vivo V29 is definitely worth taking a second look.

Vivo X Flip Review: Playful, practical, almost perfect

PROS:

  • Excellent camera experience
  • Largest battery among clamshells
  • Sleek design with unique charm
  • Almost invisible crease

CONS:

  • Limited cover display functionality
  • No wireless charging
  • No IP rating

RATINGS:

SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY

EDITOR’S QUOTE:

The Vivo X Flip checks most of the right boxes but now faces even stiffer competition even in its home market.

The market for foldables is still marginal, but the demand for foldable phones is steady, backed by the number of sales. 2023 seems to be a year for foldables phones, with iterations of foldable phones from familiar brands and inaugural foldables from big and not-so-big brands. Vivo released its first clamshell foldable Vivo X Flip in China along with the second generation of book-style foldable Vivo X Fold2. We checked out the Vivo’s first attempt at a flip phone.

Designer: Vivo

Aesthetics

Vivo X Flip sports a large 3.0-inch horizontal cover display. With bezel extended to the entire back of the device horizontally, the cover display is nicely integrated into the design, rather than the vast cut-out of display we’ve seen in the OPPO Find N2 Flip. The design also gives you the illusion of the cover display being bigger than it actually is.

On the left upper corner, sitting atop the cover display, is a circular camera bump adorned with a Zeiss logo. The circular camera bump design echoes Vivo’s other foldable released on the same day, the Vivo X Fold2. Vivo did not compromise aesthetics for the form factor. Unfortunately, the rather big, attention-seeking Vivo logo placed on the bottom spoils the sleek and premium design of the phone.

X Flip comes in three color options: Rhombic Purple, Silk Gold, and Diamond Black. While each colorway offers unique charm and character, the eye-catcher of three is Rhombic Purple, with its quilt-like vegan leather cover inspired by luxury bags.

More subtle Silk Gold and Diamond Black variants feature a glass back cover. The Diamond Black we got is beautiful with a small diamond pattern reflecting light, but we find the shiny, glossy glass attracts fingerprints and smudges. The phone comes with a transparent plastic case, but that, too, is a fingerprint magnet.

Ergonomics

Vivo X Flip size varies slightly between the colorways, but the largest Rhombic Purple measures 86.40mm x 75.25mm x 17.56mm when folded or 166.42mm x 75.25mm x 8.19 mm when flipped open. It is practically the same size as the OPPO Find N2 Flip. The Vivo X Flip closes all the way flat and has absolutely no gap when closed. When unfolded, the phone looks and feels like a regular smartphone. The crease is barely noticeable for the eyes and very subtle for the fingertips thanks to the 5.3mm waterdrop hinge structure.

The phone feels comfortable to hold in your hands. The build quality of X flip feels premium and gives you satisfaction each time you open and close the phone. The Vivo X Flip is certified by TUV Rheinland to endure up to 500,000 folds, so there is no need to worry about durability.

The X Flip can stay stand steadily on its own at the range of somewhere between 60 to 120-degree angle. Try to sit the phone at an angle wider or narrower than that, and it will slowly close or open.

Performance

Vivo X Flip is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and comes with 12GB of ram that can be expanded by up to 8GB and either 256 GB or 512 GB of storage. It’s not the latest high-end Qualcomm chip, but plenty powerful. The clamshell runs Origin OS 3 on top of Android 13.

The X flip features a 6.74-inch screen with a 2520 x 1080 resolution. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio and an LTPO 120 Hz refresh rate. No official peak brightness figure is provided, but the main screen is bright enough under harsh sunlight. Unlocking the phone can be done using the impressively fast and accurate fingerprint sensor on the side.

As for the 3.0-inch cover screen, it offers a broader range of possibilities compared to Samsung Z Flip4 or OPPO Find N2 Flip. You can swiftly access quick settings, check notifications, make and receive calls, take pictures and videos, record audio, check the weather, and set a timer. You can use WeChat with full keyboard input, use a navigation app, watch videos, or even lock/unlock your car on the cover screen. But these are limited to Chinese apps. Vivo didn’t give X Flip the freedom to run any app on the display screen, and it may not be a big issue since this is a China-only phone, at least for now.

However, it feels like a missed opportunity for the phone to have a large 3.0-inch of canvas to play with, yet we’re limited in what we can do with it. If Vivo wanted it, we could run the entire phone without ever having to open it.

It’s no secret that foldable phones lag behind premium camera phones when it comes to mobile photography. But Vivo’s well-regarded improvements in imaging software in recent years are present in X Flip, and the clamshell can produce excellent pictures. X Flip boasts 50MP main camera that employs IMX 866V with 1/1.149”. It has an f/1.75 aperture and features OIS. The 12MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture also is equipped with autofocus. And there is a 32MP selfie camera.

Ultrawide

Wide

2x Zoom

X Flip’s main and ultrawide angle capture images with nice details and great dynamic range. The color rendered is on the warmer side, but nothing unnatural. Green, notably lighter green, tends to be more vibrant than it actually is. Zeiss mode produces images with softer green.

Normal 1x

ZEISS 1x

Normal Macro

ZEISS Macro

Low-light photos the X flip capture are impressive too. Vivo employs aggressive shadow brightening while ensuring good white balance and color saturation. Different light sources are adequately exposed, and the details are retained. It seems Vivo is proud, and rightly so, of its night mode and decided to apply it to low-light photography by default.

Regular Mode

Night Mode

One advantage of a flip phone is that you can prop it up as its own tripod or let your subject see the framing as you take photos. And you can see Vivo puts significant consideration and care in this area. The preview mode shows the cropped view of the framing. Vivo added a dual-preview letting your subject see the cropped picture along with the entire framing by splitting the cover screen into two. This lovely function allows your subject to check the whole composition of the photo and not just the zoomed view of the photo you usually get with flip-cover displays.

You can take selfies with the rear cameras by launching the camera directly from the cover screen or switching to Rear HD Selfie mode from internal camera mode. You can access camera settings like camera timer, aspect ratio, and shutter release mode. For Portrait and video, filters and beauty modes can be applied via the cover display. What’s fun is that you can pinch in to access the ultrawide’s 0.6x on Portrait and Photo via the cover display.

Of course, you can shoot selfies with the internal camera. But with the ability to take selfies with the superior rear cameras, the internal camera will likely be left for video calls only.

As for video recording, Vivo X Flip can shoot up to 4k 60fps with the main camera and up to 4k 30fps with the ultrawide. Both the main and the ultrawide camera are equipped with stabilization. Weirdly, the preview on the cover screen is not available for video. And what is more puzzling is that recording selfie videos with the cover display is limited to 1080p 30fps, and no stabilization is available.

Macro

Vivo X Flip packs the largest battery for a flip phone at 4,400 mAh and supports 44 W wired charging. The battery is more than enough to get you through the day. Unfortunately, it does not come with wireless charging capability or an IP rating.

Sustainability

While many smartphone manufacturers are putting efforts into being environmentally responsible, it seems they throw it out of the window when it comes to foldable smartphones. Sadly Vivo is no exception here. For example, Vivo makes no mention of using sustainable or recycled materials on the flip phone or its package.

That said, the X flip is built well and rated to withstand at least 500,000 opens and closes, so it won’t die on you too early. At least if you’re careful. No formal IP dust and water resistant rating is given, though, so you’ll need to take extra measure to keep it away from risky environments. It would be great to see Vivo leading the area of sustainability in this form factor segment, but that doesn’t seem to be on its radar yet.

Value

Currently only available in China, Vivo X Flip is priced at CNY 5999 ($838) for 256GB of storage and CNY 6699 ($936) for 512GB storage. The X Flip has a lot to offer as there are only a few competitors for flip phones out there, and X Flip can be one of the top picks when it was launched. But now, with Motorola Razr+ and its larger, fully functional display, as well as the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip5, the competition is getting stiffer. No global availability and limitations on cover display functionality are major drawbacks that won’t help the situation.

Verdict

Even though the limitation on what apps you can run on the cover screen has left us disappointed, Vivo has done so much right with X Flip. With its sleek design, highly customizable Origin OS 3, excellent camera experience, bright main screen amongst flip phones, beefy battery, and a large and responsive cover screen, Vivo certainly left a mark on the clamshell segment. It’s timing, however, leaves something to be desired, and it will be facing tough rivals in the coming months, even in its exclusive Chinese market.

Vivo X Fold 2 Foldable Phone Review: Beautiful, Big, and Bewildering

PROS:

  • Stylish design with a thin profile
  • In-display fingerprint sensor on both screens
  • Largest screens among foldables
  • High-performance hardware with fast-charging battery
  • Rare mute switch

CONS:

  • Limited market availability
  • Downgrade in camera and USB technology
  • No dust and water resistance rating

RATINGS:

SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY

EDITOR’S QUOTE:

The Vivo X Fold 2 takes the foldable game up a notch but strangely takes two steps back as well.

As foldable phones start to become a little bit more common, it will also become harder for brands to stand out from the growing crowd. There’s definitely still a lot of room for improvement, of course, but many of the features have started to become more standard these days, especially those surrounding the all-important foldable screen. The challenge is even higher when trying to put out a successor to a successful first attempt, with the stakes now higher and the competition even tighter. That’s the difficult task that Vivo had to face in coming up with a successor to its notable first foldable phone, and so we take the Vivo X Fold 2 for a good run to see if it manages to overcome the odds or if it is a victim of the brand’s own success.

Designer: Vivo

Aesthetics

At first glance, the Vivo X Fold 2 immediately sets itself apart with its distinctive and elegant looks. Circular camera bumps seem to be the new trend, but not all styles are as pleasant to look at. Normally, one that isn’t centered would look a bit awkward and unbalanced, but Vivo manages to pull this one off thanks to a neat visual trick.

The non-screen backside of the phone is made from two materials. There’s a vertical strip on the side of the hinge that’s made of glossy glass, serving as an accent to the rest of the surface, which uses that oh-so-familiar faux leather material. Beyond giving the phone a unique visual, it also gives the illusion that the camera enclosure is sitting in the middle rather than off-center. That said, that camera design is a bit of a mixed bag. Its stepped design and textured ring make it stand out a bit less despite its height, but that small LED flash ring sticks out like a sore thumb and breaks the visual flow of the design, not to mention the necessary ZEISS branding that sits like a blue wart below the camera.

The Vivo X Fold 2 is definitely quite a looker, especially in the eye-catching red unit we were given for this review. Compared to its predecessor, it’s supposed to be thinner and lighter, though you won’t be able to easily tell even if you have both devices at hand. It’s definitely on the thin and light side compared to other foldables, but it’s certainly not the top of the pack in that aspect. What it is, however, is large, and it is possibly one of the largest in the foldable market, especially when it comes to screen size.

Like many other foldable phones outside of Samsung, Vivo uses a well-known water drop hinge to help make the crease less visible while also allowing the phone to fold shut completely. In both cases, the Vivo X Fold 2 doesn’t disappoint, but it’s not exactly a groundbreaking feat either. It would be more shocking if it actually did worse since it’s a more or less established technology at this point. Fortunately, you really don’t notice the crease that much unless you intentionally look for it, and the bright and large 8.03-inch inner display will be enough to distract you with the way it shows your content in vibrant and crisp colors, even outdoors under the sun.

Ergonomics

Now that the once ridiculed “phablet” has become the standard smartphone size, even for Apple, it is nearly impossible to use smartphones these days with a single hand. That is especially true for foldable phones, which transform into small tablets that you really need two hands for. When folded closed, however, the phone’s doubled thickness makes it even less comfortable to use with a single hand, no matter how large your hands might be.

This is probably truer for the Vivo X Fold 2 simply because it is larger than any other foldable phone. When folded, the 6.53-inch external display makes the surface area even less unwieldy. Fortunately, the phone’s textured back gives it a better grip than others of its kind. If you’re the type to still worry, though, Vivo includes a protective back case in the same color and, amusingly, the same vegan leather material as the phone itself.

The one thing that’s a bit easy to do with one hand is to unlock the phone. Thanks to housing an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the middle of the screen, you don’t have to fiddle with power buttons located on just one side of the phone. This is already a rare sight on foldable phones, but even more impressive is the fact that the Vivo X Fold 2 also has a similar in-display sensor on the inner display.

Performance

The Vivo X Fold 2 is equipped with top-of-the-line hardware you’d expect from a premium flagship this time of the year. That means a beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of storage. What all these figures mean in practice is that it won’t be lacking in power, handling anything you throw at it with aplomb. There is, however, one caveat where the phone gets quite warm when playing graphics-intensive titles. It’s not hot enough to burn your skin, but it might make you want to pause the game a bit, especially since it would eventually affect frame rates.

The phone is equipped with a dual battery that totals 4,800mAh, quite a generous capacity as far as foldables go. Given the power and the two displays, however, you are going to see a shorter uptime compared to normal slabs with the same battery size. Vivo makes up for it with a 120W ultra-fast charging capability that’s one of the fastest in the industry, foldable or otherwise. Unfortunately, that may have come at the price of Vivo downgrading the USB-C port from version 3.2 of its predecessor to an older 2.0 technology. Not only does this mean it has a slower data transfer rate, it also loses the ability to output video through that part. The latter is probably less important to most people compared to faster charging times, but it’s still an unfortunate downgrade nonetheless.

The crowning glory of the Vivo X Fold 2 is, of course, its foldable screen, which is currently the biggest in its category. It has quite an impressive performance, especially when it comes to brightness, but its size does come with a price. It has an overall lower pixel density, and while you won’t be able to make out individual pixels, more discerning eyes might notice the step down in quality compared to other foldables. Fortunately, that doesn’t take away from the enjoyable viewing experience, whether you’re watching videos or reading documents.

Foldable phones haven’t exactly been at the height of mobile photography, mostly because of the sacrifices that have to be made in terms of design and price. Vivo, however, is quite known for its smartphone cameras, especially with its flagship X family, so you’d expect that the X Fold 2 would rise above the rest in this regard as well. Just like the rest of the phone so far, however, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It definitely takes impressive photos and videos, but they won’t sweep you off your feet, especially when it comes to close-up shots.

The main 50MP camera might not sound like the greatest, but it gets the job done without breaking a sweat. Images have plenty of details, and colors are bright, perhaps even too vibrant for some tastes. Vivo has again partnered with ZEISS for the optics as well as some special camera modes, and those turn out to be more color accurate. The main camera delivers plenty of detail, even in low light, to the point that the dedicated Night Mode might look redundant as long as there is enough illumination from the surroundings.

Left: Regular Shot; Right: ZEISS

Regular (1x)

Night Mode

ZEISS

Unfortunately, the other cameras are less impressive. The 12MP ultra-wide is so-so, and it’s no better nor worse compared to other 12MP ultra-wide cameras you’d find on most smartphones these days. Things take a rather sad turn with the telephoto camera, though. Where there were once two, there is now only one, and Vivo removed the one that was actually more interesting. There is no longer a periscope telephoto camera, leaving only a 12MP shooter in its stead that is capable of doing a measly 2x optical zoom. Many “main” cameras are capable of that much, which makes this camera feel redundant. As for output, it’s decent enough to be usable, but it’s a few steps short of what fans have come to expect from Vivo.

Ultra-Wide

1x

2x (Telephoto)

As for software, the Vivo X Fold 2 comes with Origin OS based on Android 13, which is the China-exclusive flavor that Vivo ships on its phones. This means that there is no Google Play Store pre-installed, though you can definitely install it through other means and get access to your favorite apps. Alas, Origin OS is also filled to the brim with other pre-installed apps, but that, too, is the norm for phones coming from that market. The even bigger concern, however, is how the custom Android experience feels a little rough around the edges as far as support for foldable features is concerned. Given it’s just the company’s second stab at the form factor, it’s a bit understandable, and it will hopefully push out improvements quickly while the phone is still actively supported.

Sustainability

While the Vivo X Fold 2 is able to set itself apart from the others in terms of design, it isn’t that different when it comes to its effects on the environment. The choice of vegan or eco-leather is definitely a good one, but its positive effects are quite minimal compared to the other materials that make up the phone and its packaging. Vivo’s super-fast charging requires a proprietary charger, so it’s unavoidable to ship one in the box.

Sustainability wouldn’t be so bad if the product is made to last, but even then, this foldable might raise some concerns. There is no formal IP dust and water resistance rating, not even a formal assurance of its durability under the most common accidents. Granted, there are few foldable phones aside from Samsung and Huawei that can make such promises, but it is also an opportunity for brands like Vivo to step up their game and prove that they’re no small fry when it comes to providing their customers with peace of mind.

Value

The Vivo X Fold 2 is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a striking design that makes it memorable and attractive, and it also has the power to support all your mobile needs, from browsing to photography to gaming. The larger screens leave plenty of room for your content, or even two of them for the inner foldable screen. There are special features you won’t find in other foldable phones, like an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and a physical switch to silence notifications, ala the iPhone. We have a few complaints, of course, but nothing so glaring as to make the phone something to avoid.

That said, the biggest deal breaker for this stylish foldable is the fact that only a select number of people will be able to buy one in the first place. Never mind the roughly $1,300 price tag, the Vivo X Fold 2 isn’t even available in markets outside of China. Whether that situation will change, Vivo isn’t saying, but it will definitely need a more polished Funtouch OS experience to improve its reception in international markets.

Verdict

At this point, almost all the major smartphone players except Apple have entered the foldable smartphone market. The competition will soon be just as fierce as it is in the “normal” smartphone arena. With many of them having nearly the same hinges and almost crease-free displays, manufacturers will have to find ways to differentiate their products in other ways that create better value for their customers. That doesn’t always have to be new hardware or gimmicky features. Sometimes, just having a powerful and beautiful device is enough to get people to buy. Just ask Apple!

The Vivo X Fold 2 clearly tries to reach those goalposts. Its elegant design actually makes the off-center circular camera bump work in a simple yet memorable way. In addition to its powerful hardware, the foldable phone offers unique features as well, like larger screens and in-display fingerprint sensors that even industry leaders failed to offer. Unfortunately, Vivo seems to also have cut a few corners in the process, and while they’re not deal-breakers on their own, they make the experience less than ideal altogether. As a successor, the Vivo X Fold 2 definitely rises to the challenge, but Vivo will need to step up its game to really leave a lasting mark in this growing market.

Aki Ukita and JC Torres contributed to this review.