Smartphone Vivo Z3i - advantages and disadvantages

At the end of September 2018, the Chinese manufacturer BBK, which owns the VIVO brand, introduced its new device - the Vivo Z3i smartphone. This manufacturer does not get tired of endowing its devices with new technologies. Since 2012, all of its popular models have had some kind of innovation.

The Vivo brand is rapidly developing and today it ranks fifth in the ranking of global manufacturers of high-quality and reliable smartphones.

The company has entered the category of “the best smartphone manufacturers in the world”, with its sales in only nine markets in Asia. The popularity of the models of this company has long been known there, but Vivo entered the Russian market quite recently, officially sponsoring the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

What characteristics and functionality she endowed her new offspring Vivo Z3i, is described in this article.

Equipment

In a compact box, as is now customary in all modern smartphones, the owner of the novelty is greeted not by the device itself, but by an insert, which comes with:

• smartphone (size - 156 * 75.6 * 7.8 mm, weight - 164 g);
• protective transparent silicone case;
• adaptive charger (2 A);
• power cable (micro USB 2.0);
• a clip to open the slot;
• documentation;
• warranty card.

Appearance

In terms of visual perception of the screen, Vivo Z3i resembles some of the manufacturer's popular models, such as Vivo X23 or Vivo V11. It also lacks the large top bezel, and instead, there is only a small teardrop-shaped eye for the selfie camera on the top of the display. The dimensions of the device are 156 * 75.6 * 7.8 mm, weight 164 g. Such dimensions allow convenient use of the smartphone without using the second hand - you can reach anywhere on the screen with your thumb.

But special attention is drawn to the coloring of the model with beautiful names, which is presented in two versions of Aurora blue, Millenium Pink - blue and pearl. At the same time, the smartphone does not have a uniform tone, but the shades shimmer, forming a gradient color, which is now in trend.

Housing materials: plastic and glass. Although most popular models today use metal elements in the design. But even saving on materials, the case remains quite reliable. The back panel is 5th generation gorilla glass. It is characterized by increased impact resistance and special resistance to drops, but some reviews claim that the glass does not meet the declared parameters for scratch protection.

The device is equipped with micro USB connectors, USB OTG, 3.5mm headphone jack.The speaker, light and proximity sensors are discreetly placed on top.

The overall impression of the case is easy to use. The design is original, effective and stylish.

Specifications

Screen

The Vivo Z3i features a capacitive multi-touch IPS LCD display protected by 2.5D curved glass. Such a matrix, of course, has certain disadvantages in comparison with its competitor, AMOLED, for example, not deep blacks and, accordingly, not sharp contrast and a longer response time, but it has no less advantages: maximum color accuracy, fixed power consumption and durability.All the advantages of an IPS-matrix and a screen resolution of 1080 * 2280 with a pixel density of 400 ppi allow you to create a fairly high-quality and clear image. Even in bright light or in the sun, the sharpness of the image is not lost.

The 6.3-inch diagonal, which occupies 84.0% of the body, the 19:9 aspect ratio and the presence of thin frames increases the working space of the screen, while the extended view and high-quality picture from any angle creates an immersive effect when watching videos and is perfect for active games.

For Vivo Z3i phones, the screen is unlocked using an optical sensor - a fingerprint scan located on the back of the case, which accurately identifies the user.

Operating system

The Vivo Z3i smartphone is equipped with Android 8.1 Oreo OS - a productive, ergonomic and bright system with the original Oreo cookie, which marks system notifications. An ordered settings menu, good gesture control contribute to convenient and comfortable use.

The user interface is Funtouch OS 4.5, a specially designed add-on for Vivo smartphones. It is difficult to call it original, it is very similar to IOS - Apple's operating system.

Not spared this device and voice artificial intelligence from Vivo - Jovi, which helps in choosing a composition, improving the face when taking selfies and recognizing scenes in the camera. And for gamers it's just a gift. Jovi prevents distractions from games by blocking incoming calls and pop-ups. You can even assign the process of games to it when the smartphone is turned off.

The platform supports Dual SIM mode, which allows the smartphone to work with two micro SD and a memory card at once, without sacrificing anything.Also, the device is endowed with useful sensors that expand the functionality of the smartphone:

• fingerprint scanner;
• light and proximity sensors;
• accelerometer;
• gyroscope;
• compass.

Performance

Responsible for the performance of the smartphone is MediaTek's 8-core Helio P60 processor, created using the 12nm FinFET process technology. This performance processor is nimble yet power efficient thanks to an architecture consisting of 4-core Cortex-A53 and 4-core Cortex-A73, running at 2.0 GHz.

The chipset received a graphics video accelerator Mali-G72 MP3, operating at a frequency of 800 MHz, providing high quality video and heavy games. But it is no secret to anyone that Mali's graphics are slightly weaker than Adreno. The GPU is still behind the Helio P60.

Modem LTE Cat. 7/13, with download speeds up to 300 Mbps and upload speeds up to 150 Mbps, allows you to enjoy high-speed surfing, online games, watching Full HD+ quality videos and, of course, recording videos in 4K resolution.

The main competitor of the Helio P60 is the Snapdragon 660, but it is impossible to say unequivocally which processor wins. Tests show a slight advantage of Snapdragon 660 in terms of CPU and user-friendly interface, but the main advantage of Helio P60 is the support for artificial intelligence. In addition, 12-nm FinFETs are endowed with budget and at the same time energy-efficient devices, which, of course, is a big plus.

The amount of RAM is 6 GB, the main memory is 128 GB, the latter can still be expanded by inserting a micro SD memory card up to 256 GB into a dedicated slot. This functionality gives the device high speeds under any conditions and allows gamers to enjoy modern and popular toys.

autonomy

The autonomy of the Vivo Z3i smartphone is supported by a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 3315 mAh. Active work (Internet access, calls, video viewing) for the whole day is provided by fast charging of 2 A and battery parameters.

Camera

The criteria for choosing when considering which smartphone model is better to buy depend not only on design and performance, but the camera characteristics of the device are no less interesting.

Main camera

Vivo Z3i received a good set of cameras.

The rear camera is a dual module consisting of 16 MP f/2.0 and 2 MP f/2.4. Phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) of the first 16-megapixel module allows you to quickly focus on fast-moving subjects. And for the creation of a three-dimensional image, the second 2-megapixel module is responsible for the depth sensor, which, by analyzing the size and shape of surrounding objects, creates realistic depth and sharpness. The only drawback of PDAF was considered poor focusing in the dark, but highly sensitive sensors plus artificial intelligence allow you to take pictures with high quality both in full light and at night.

With such parameters and a resolution of 4608 * 3456 pixels, the rear camera produces the most sharp and high-quality frames. An example photo will be shown below.

Video shooting is performed with a maximum resolution of 3840 * 2160 pixels at a frequency of 30 frames / s and complies with the professional standard of 4K.

Additional features that expand the functionality of the camera:

• continuous and panoramic shooting;
• digital zoom;
• optical image stabilization;
• geotagging;
• HDR shooting;
• face recognition;
• ISO settings;
• exposure compensation;
• self-timer;
• touch focus.

The camera is endowed with a large set of effects that allow you to correct images, creating blur, brightening and darkening. An important role in high-quality shooting is played by artificial intelligence, which recognizes objects and scenes and sets the settings for greater efficiency.

Front-camera

The front camera is a 25-megapixel f/2.0 aperture with a resolution of 5760*4812 pixels and produces high-quality HDR shooting. Photos, as in the main camera, are clear and contrasting. The face recognition feature is great for taking selfies.

With a resolution of 1920 * 1080 pixels 30 frames / s, the video quality is also at a high level.

Sound

In terms of sound, Vivo has never disappointed its users. For true connoisseurs of high-quality sound, Vivo Z3i smartphones come with WAV support. The device has an FM receiver. To listen to the radio and other music in surround sound, an Audio Jack connector is provided. Sound effects in videos and games at a high level.

Active noise-cancelling and a dedicated microphone allow you to have a conversation even in noisy environments.

Wireless interface

Vivo Z3i supports all 2G, 3G and most 4G bands with a maximum speed of 300Mbps. For wireless interaction between devices over short distances, Bluetooth 4.2 with A2DP profile and dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, WiFi Hotspot are provided. Location determination and satellite navigation is carried out using GPS, A-GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS. Browser - HTML 5.

Outcome

• original design;
• separate sim tray;
• large frameless screen;
• good color rendering;
• quality assembly;
• good set of cameras;
• large amount of memory;
• the presence of artificial intelligence;
• fast processor;
• Battery capacity.

• an outdated micro USB power cable. USB Type C is the most relevant in modern times;
• The Helio P60 processor is still inferior in its functionality to the Snapdragon 660, which also applies to graphics.

The Vivo Z3i has been announced in China and is available for pre-order now at an above-average price of Rs 23,000. Sales will start at the end of October. While it will be available only in China markets, it will appear in Europe a little later, so it will be available for purchase first of all on Aliexpress.

It is difficult to say how much the smartphone will cost in the future and where it will be profitable to buy it, but most likely the average price will not differ too much.

In general terms, the Vivo Z3i resembles the Vivo V11i with minor differences in the form of increased memory, original colors and slightly different camera characteristics. Otherwise, there are no significant differences. Competitive models with a Helio P60 chip - Oppo F7 Youth, Oppo A3 come with a lower price tag, but they have 4 GB of RAM, not 6 GB, so everyone chooses which company is better for a smartphone.

Vivo devices are considered not the fastest, but, as a rule, they are endowed with original design, excellent photographic capabilities and some kind of innovation. But it’s unlikely that a buyer will be able to buy inexpensive devices from this company - the devices of this brand are quite expensive and the Vivo Z3i smartphone also does not have a low price.