Vivo had launched their flagship X90 series in China a couple of months back, with its headline feature being the use of the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor in its camera setups that were co-engineered with Zeiss optics too. It took them a while, but it seems like the Chinese firm is set to bring the X90 series to our shores very soon too, at least based on their teasers that they’ve been sharing on their social media and website.
However, it looks like those wanting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered Vivo X90 Pro+ will sadly be disappointed, as all signs seem to hint that the top tier model won’t be making its way here. Taking a quick look at Vivo Malaysia’s promotional material, we can see that they’re only showing off the Vivo X90 Pro, with the telltale sign being the line ‘Zeiss Vario-Tessar 1.6-2.0/16-50 ASPH’ printed on the right side of the circular camera bump. That’s the same tagline on the X90 Pro in China, compared to the X90 Pro+ that has the line ‘Zeiss Vario-Tessar 1.6-3.5/14-90 ASPH’ instead.
This is of course in reference to the different camera layouts on the two devices. While both the X90 Pro and the X90 Pro+ feature a 50.3MP, f/1.8 main camera with Zeiss optics using the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor and a 50MP, f/1.6 2x telephoto shooter equivalent to a 50mm lens, the latter device also has a 64MP, f/3.5 periscope telephoto camera offering a 3.5x optical zoom equivalent to a 90mm lens. The differences don’t end there either, as rounding up the X90 Pro is a 12MP, f/2.0 ultrawide camera while on the X90 Pro+ you get a 48MP, f/2.2 ultrawide camera instead.
For reference, here’s the promotional picture Vivo Malaysia shared for the upcoming X90 series launch here:
…while here’s the Vivo X90 Pro+ that launched in China a few weeks back:
Then there’s also the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 system-on-chip, which powers the X90 Pro+ but not the X90 Pro. Instead, the X90 Pro comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 9200 instead, together with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Vivo’s China-only smartphones come with Origin OS under the hood, but the global models should feature Funtouch OS based on Android 13 instead.
Elsewhere, the X90 Pro comes with a 6.78-inch, 2800 x 1260p AMOLED display pushing a 120Hz refresh rate as well as a peak brightness of 1,300nits and support for HDR10+. In contrast, the X90 Pro+ has a 6.78-inch, 3200 x 1440p LTPO4 AMOLED display instead, with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision too.
It’s not all bad though for the non-Plus X90 Pro, as it has a larger 4,870mAh battery with 120W charging that can get you 50% in just 8 minutes. The X90 Pro+ on the other hand has a 4,700mAh battery with 80W charging, though both feature 50W wireless charging. Both devices also have a 32MP, f/2.5 selfie camera, stereo speakers, an in-display fingerprint sensor, an IP68 dust and water resistance rating along with support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC and 5G.
Let’s also not forget the runt of the litter here, the Vivo X90 itself. It shares some similarities with the X90 Pro, packing the same Dimensity 9200 chip with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the same 6.78-inch AMOLED display, the same 32MP, f/2.5 front camera and in-display fingerprint sensor, wireless connectivity options and stereo speakers.
However, it too has a couple more downgrades compared to its more ‘Pro’ siblings. For starters, it doesn’t even feature the IMX989 sensor, meaning it loses out on perhaps the biggest selling point of the X90 Pro and X90 Pro+. Instead, it has a 50MP, f/1.8 main camera using a 1/1.49-inch sensor instead, flanked by a 12MP, f/2.0 telephoto lens offering 2x optical zoom and a 12MP, f/2.0 ultrawide shooter. It also has an ever so slightly smaller 4,810mAh battery compared to the X90 Pro, along with its 120W fast charging; it however lacks wireless charging and only gets an IP64 rating too.
