Vivo Z1x vs Realme 5 Pro vs Vivo Z1 Pro vs Redmi Note 8 Pro: The mid-range segment is heating up

Vivo has announced a successor to its Z1 Pro smartphone in India called the Vivo Z1x for a starting price of Rs 16,999. The device is more of an incremental update rather than a completely new smartphone as there are only a few changes on the inside and outside. It will be going on sale starting from 13 September.[caption id="attachment_7293031" align="alignnone" width="1024"]

Vivo Z1X features a Super AMOLED display. Image: tech2/Nandini Yadav[/caption]As far as the specs of the device go, the Z1x is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC, same as the Z1 Pro. It also has the same storage and memory configurations which go up to 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The device happens to have a 6.38-inch display which comes with a waterdrop notch instead of the hole-punch that was seen earlier on the Vivo Z1 Pro. There is an in-display fingerprint reader, thanks to the AMOLED panel on the device which is again different from the IPS LCD panel on the Z1 Pro.

The biggest change by far is the 48 MP Sony IMX sensor which finds its way into the Z1X's triple-camera setup as opposed to the 16 MP primary sensor seen on the Z1 Pro. The other sensors such as the 8 MP ultra-wide and 2 MP depth sensor remain the same for both the devices. There's actually a downgrade in battery on the Z1x as it comes with a capacity of 4,500 mAh as compared to the 5,000 mAh one on the Z1 Pro. The Vivo Z1x runs on Android 9.0 Pie with Vivo's proprietary FunTouchOS.The Z1x has to compete with the recently launched Realme 5 Pro (Review), the Vivo Z1 Pro and also the upcoming Redmi Note 8 Pro. While we haven't reviewed the device yet, we do have a spec-comparison of the four devices that should shed some light on how the devices stack against each other.

	Vivo Z1x	Realme 5 Pro	Redmi Note 8 Pro	Vivo Z1 Pro
Display Size (inch)	6.38	6.3	6.53	6.53
Resolution (pixels)	1080 x 2340	1080 x 2340	1080 x 2340	1080 x 2340
Pixel Density (PPI)	394	394	395	395
Display Type	AMOLED	AMOLED	IPS LCD	AMOLED
Dimensions(mm)	159.5 x 75.2 x 8.3	157 x 74.2 x 8.9	161.3 x 76.4 x 8.8	162.4 x 77.3 x 8.9
Weight (gm)	190	191	199	201
Dual SIM	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SIM Type	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM
Connectivity Types	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE
Processor	Snapdragon 712	Snapdragon 712	Mediatek Helio G90T	Snapdragon 712
CPU Cores	Octa-core	Octa-core	Octa-core	Octa-core
CPU Clock Speed (GHz)	2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360	2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360	2x Cortex-A76 & 6x Cortex-A55	2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360
GPU	Adreno 616	Adreno 616	—	Adreno 616
RAM	6 GB	6, 8 GB	6, 8 GB	4, 6 GB
Ruggedness	—	—	—	—
On-Board Memory	64, 128 GB	64, 128 GB	64, 128 GB	128 GB
Expandable Memory	Yes, up to 256 GB	Yes, up to 256 GB	Yes, up to 256 GB	Yes, up to 256 GB
Sensors	Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Primary Camera	48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4	48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 + 2 MP, f/2.4	64 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 + 2 MP, f/2.4	16 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP
Optical Image Stabilisation	No	No	No	Yes
Camera Array	Triple-camera	Quad-camera	Quad-camera	Triple-camera
Autofocus System	PDAF	PDAF	PDAF	PDAF
Secondary Camera	32 MP, f/2.0	16 MP, f/2.0	20 MP	32 MP, f/2.0
Video Capture	1080p@30fps	2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps	2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps	1080p@30fps
Flash	Yes	Yes	Dual-LED	Yes
OS Version	Android 9.0	Android 9.0	Android 9.0	Android 9.0 (Pie)
AI (Smart Assistant)	Google Assistant	Google Assistant	Google Assistant	Google Assistant
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac,	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	5	5	5	5
NFC	No	No	Yes	No
Infrared	No	No	Yes	No
Fingerprint Scanner	Yes, in-display	Yes, rear-mounted	Yes, Rear button	Yes, rear-mounted
3.5mm jack	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Radio	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB Type	Type-C 1.0	Type-C 1.0	Type-C	microUSB
USB Standard	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
Battery (mAh)	4,500 mAh	4,000 mAh	4,000 mAH	5,000 mAh
Fast charging	Yes, 22.5W	Yes, 20W	Yes, 18W	Yes, 18W
Colors	Fusion Blue, Phantom Purple	Crystal Green, Crystal Blue	Black, Green, and White,	Sonic Blue, Sonic Black, Mirror Black
Prices in India	Starts at Rs 16,990	Starts at Rs 13,990	TBD	Starts at Rs 14,990

For what we can see from the specs, the Realme 5 Pro and Redmi Note 8 Pro have a considerable advantage as far as the number of cameras are concerned. Both of them have a quad-camera array with the Realme 5 Pro using a 48 MP main sensor whereas the Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 64 MP sensor. The Snapdragon 712 chipset can be found on all phones except for the Note 8 Pro which uses the MediaTek Helio G90T. The Realme and Redmi devices offer up to 8 GB of RAM, however, we shall have to see if Xiaomi offers it in India as well. Battery-wise the Z1x has a lead on the Realme 5 Pro and Redmi Note 8 Pro, although it falls against the Z1 Pro which has a 5,000 mAh battery.It looks like the Z1x kind of ahead from the competition on paper, although not far ahead. However, the only way we will know for sure is when we test the device ourselves. Do stay tuned for the full review of the Vivo Z1x which should be coming soon.