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Le Parisien has tested: the Vivo X51 5G and its gimbal, is it the ball?

2020-11-30T22:04:35.979Z


New player in the smartphone market, but well known in Asia, the Chinese Vivo arrives with a high-end phone, the Vivo X51 5G


Vivo.

This name may not mean anything to you.

However, this Chinese manufacturer weighs heavily in the smartphone industry.

Fifth world manufacturer, second in China and India and even number 1 in Indonesia, the heavyweight is part of the galaxy of giant BKK Electronics (Oppo, OnePlus…) but retains its autonomy.

In short, Vivo is tough.

The brand has gained a solid reputation by launching a plethora of innovations.

And prides itself on hiring 10,000 engineers entirely focused on research and development (R&D).

To conquer France, where it officially launched on October 20, the brand unveils an innovation: the gimbal.

A tool used in the world of cinema that allows the user to film without the effect of shaking.

The technology, which Vivo has managed to miniaturize, equips its spearhead smartphone, compatible with 5G networks: the X51 (799 euros).

A success?

Answer in this test.

We liked

How beautiful is this Vivo!

For its arrival in Europe, Vivo gives us a magnificent smartphone.

The blue-gray frosted glass back - the only color available - offers elegant reflections.

And, in addition to being very soft, it hardly marks fingerprints.

We also welcome the relative finesse of the photo module and the discreet integration of the selfie sensor on the front.

In hand, the X51 5G is very pleasant because its dimensions (158.46 x 72.8 x 8.04 mm) and its weight (181.5 g) remain modest.

In short, in terms of design and build quality, it's flawless.

The matt glass back is very pleasant to the touch and to the eye.

LP / AL  

A screen that delights the retina.

The X51 5G has a 6.56-inch Amoled panel.

All in length, it offers curved edges and a refresh rate of 90 Hz (90 frames per second), for increased fluidity when browsing social networks and during the

gaming

phases

.

Joys of the Amoled, the screen guarantees infinite contrast and deep blacks.

Maximum brightness is high, which should allow comfortable reading in direct sunlight.

To the naked eye, the calibration of the panel seemed rather good to us, although drawing a bit on the blue.

It is, anyway, possible to adjust it as you wish in the settings.

Note that the fingerprint sensor is integrated under the screen, which seems to us to be the best choice.

The latter is well positioned, reliable and responsive.

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A successful software part.

On the software level, Vivo claims to have adapted to the expectations of the European public by offering an experience very close to the basic version of Android, as Google imagined it.

And that's good: everything is responsive, sober and uncluttered.

There is indeed a home overlay (FunTouch OS), based on Android 10, but it is so discreet that it is forgotten.

Only two third-party services are installed at startup: Facebook and Instagram.

An example from which some competitors, like Xiaomi, could be inspired.

READ ALSO>

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Solid autonomy, fast charging.

Equipped with a 4315 mAh accumulator, the X51 5G quietly lasts a day and a half in classic use (streaming, social networks, WhatsApp, a little game).

We have achieved this by letting the phone automatically switch between 90Hz and 60Hz mode. A current average performance that should satisfy most people.

Comes with a 33W charger, the phone can go from 0 to 100% battery in 1:05.

And he needs barely twenty minutes to recover half of his energy.

The beast has four photo sensors, housed in a rather thin block.

LP / AL  

In photo, it is solid.

The major attraction of this X51 5G lies in the integration of a miniature gimbal in the main photo module.

Used in the world of cinema, it is in fact a stabilization tool.

For example, when you make a movement to the left, the gimbal will tilt to the right in order to compensate for your movement.

In addition to this innovation, the beast offers a complete photo block, including:

• A 48 Megapixel main sensor (with gimbal system),

• A 13 Megapixel X2 telephoto lens,

• An ultra wide-angle 8 Megapixel,

• An 8 Megapixel X5 telephoto lens.

When the light conditions are good, the X51 5G takes excellent, detailed photos with good dynamics.

The autofocus is lively and, in most situations, the colors seemed realistic to us on condition, however, that the artificial intelligence which has a pronounced taste for saturation (too blue sky, too green grass, etc.) is deactivated.

The ultra wide angle, on the other hand, does the job.

This view mode will allow you to display more elements, but the shot will be a little less sharp, especially at the edges of the image, and the colors less faithful.

Note that the ultra wide-angle is also used to take macro photos.

Thanks to good sharpness and correct resolution, the result is often interesting.

A good surprise.

The X2 and X5 optical zooms, for their part, are effective: well stabilized, they allow a high level of detail to be maintained.

Ultra wide-angle mode.

LP / AL  

Main sensor.

LP / AL  

Zoom X2.

LP / AL  

Zoom X5.

LP / AL  

At night, the Vivo does pretty well.

In most cases, the gimbal will bypass micro-tremors in your hand.

And digital noise remains contained.

On some scenes, the dynamics may be a little behind (the dark areas remain plunged into darkness).

The night mode improves this aspect well by bringing more details and brightness but, in return, it dresses the image of yellowish tones.

Nothing shocking, but the rendering will necessarily deviate a little from reality.

Night mode deactivated.

LP / AL  

Night mode activated.

LP / AL  

In low light, the secondary focal lengths (ultra wide-angle, zooms) offer a correct rendering, which remains quite usable.

It is then advisable to activate the night mode for best results.

Ultra wide angle with night mode activated.

LP / AL  

Zoom X2 with night mode activated.

LP / AL  

Zoom X5 with night mode activated.

LP / AL  

Finally, let's mention a rather convincing portrait mode.

The subjects are well put forward and the "bokeh" effect (blur / sharp) is natural, even if the clipping is not perfect in some complex situations.

On the front, the 32 Megapixel sensor allows you to take successful selfies.

Smoothing is limited.

READ ALSO>

Le Parisien has tested: is the realme X3 Super Zoom the right deal?


Finally, let us mention that the phone allows you to take, via its main sensor, photos in 48 Megapixels (by default, it records 12 Megapixel shots).

This mode will give you more finesse and clarity, especially when you zoom in the image, but will not offer you any versatility (no ultra wide-angle, no zoom…).

On the video side, “wow” effect.

It is especially in terms of video that the positive effect of the gimbal is felt.

Vivo has been very successful in its integration into the mobile world.

Our sequence filmed in broad daylight, by a show of hands, and while we were going down the stairs at a normal pace, was thus particularly stabilized.

We also tested the video mode on line 11 of the Paris metro, known to be particularly bumpy and, again, the result was impressive: all parasitic vibrations were eliminated.

Note that the phone can shoot in 4K at up to 60 frames per second but that you will get the best rendering at 1080P 30 frames / second.

We liked less

Not the best processor.

Make no mistake: the Vivo X51 5G is a smartphone with solid performance.

It is very fluid on a daily basis, thanks in particular to its 8 GB of RAM.

And he runs gourmet games in good conditions.

But the most demanding will notice that the integrated processor is only a Snapdragon 765G and not Snapdragon 865, which is the benchmark in 2020 in the Android universe.

Too bad, considering the price of the baby (around 800 euros).

Especially since less expensive competitors do better in terms of raw power, like the One Plus 8T and the Xiaomi Mi 10 T Pro.

Some concessions.

If the X51 5G can integrate two SIM cards, we regret the absence of a micro-SD port, which could have increased the internal memory.

Fortunately, the latter is rather comfortable by default (256 GB).

The Vivo can integrate two SIMs but cannot connect an external memory card.

LP / AL  

It is also a pity that, given its price, the phone is not certified waterproof (IP68).

It will be necessary to be satisfied with a simple IP53 certification against rain and splashes.

Another regrettable little "oversight": wireless charging.

A very practical technology but that Vivo seems to want to reserve for future even more high-end phones.

And what about the lack of a mini-jack, which allows you to connect headphones or wired headphones?

No wonder, all manufacturers sacrifice it on their premium models.

But it remains frustrating ...

Verdict

Very beautiful, with a superb screen and a neat software part, the X51 5G is a successful smartphone.

It can, in addition, boast of including a compelling innovation, bringing a little fresh air to a saturated market.

We can easily forgive its small faults, such as the lack of wireless charging and waterproof certification.

Finally, the only downside is its price: 799 euros.

A price that Vivo can justify by integrating the gimbal, a new technology in Europe, but which could slow down more than one customer.

Especially since the Chinese manufacturer, despite its qualities, is still largely unknown in France.

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2020-11-30

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