Ever since the smartphones came up with more powerful configurations, games got intensive too. Now, one cannot resist from playing games but at least one thing or the other diverts a phone’s nature. PUBG Mobile is an intensive game which can be named the king of mobile games and there have been many phones specially dedicated to gaming but in high-end. Vivo collaborated with PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 to launch a budget-range gaming smartphone, the Vivo Z1 Pro, which has essentially all the specs on sheet needed to run the game smoothly.
With the latest Snapdragon 712 SoC under the hood, the Vivo Z1 Pro also offers several exclusive features for gamers. It’s good in its moments, but how well does the device hold up in other aspects, find out in our Vivo Z1 Pro Review below.
Design and Display of the Vivo Z1 Pro
In the design aspect, Vivo has kept the design language pretty native of what they are following right now. The display being large at 6.53-inches, the build of the phone is rigid and you get that grip as soon as you hold the device. The back has a gradient finish with the fingerprint sensor placed in the right place, and the vertically placed triple-lens rear cameras along with the LED flash to the left. Down below in the darker region, there is the Vivo branding.
Coming to the sides, we have the power button and the volume rockers on the right side panel and an assistant button along with the SIM card tray on the left panel. Bottom, we have the Micro-USB port which is capable of 18W fast charging along with speaker grill, the microphone, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. The large display on the front has a punch-hole camera on the top left corner which looks great and below, we have a thick chin. The buttons feel good and provide good tactile feedback upon pressing.
Coming to the display, the Vivo Z1 Pro has a 6.53-inch LCD display which comes with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and the resolution is FHD+ at 2340 x 1080 pixels. The large LCD display does put out a good amount of brightness and is usable in bright outdoors, but do mind the battery. The colors are on the warmer side, which is better while gaming because that’s where the device is headed to. Watching videos is good fun on this device, thanks to the bright display.
Performance and Software
Performance is where the device excels and is more targeted towards this part seeking customers. In collaboration with PUBG Mobile, Vivo has launched this device to be a true partner for a gamer. The Vivo Z1 Pro is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 chipset bundled with Adreno 616 GPU. Also, with the Snapdragon X15 LTE modem, online gaming is far much better. Coming to the memory, you get different variants of the device with 4GB/6GB of RAM with 64GB storage or 6GB of RAM with 128GB storage.
As a part of the collaboration, Vivo has also induced some additional features for the PUBG gamers which include picture-in-picture gaming, a real-time voice changer which will modulate the voice according to your preference, ultra gaming mode, and Vivo multi-turbo which will help you clear the memory for better performance.
The device just flows through smoothly in your day-to-day tasks easily. And when it comes to gaming, it excels in terms of gameplay but lacks in certain aspects. We started playing PUBG Mobile with the frame rate set to high and graphics to balanced, the game ran pretty smooth to our liking but did struggle in terms of colors. With the other games too, the device handled them phenomenally with great details and performance. The other thing that adds up to the gaming performance is the 4D vibration and 3D surround sound. You can check the benchmark scores below and yes, the Snapdragon 712 is really quick.
The Vivo Z1 Pro runs on Funtouch OS 9 on top of Android 9.0. And with the custom UI, comes many customization options. You can head over to settings and check out the additional features and gestures. Apart from that, we also have some bloatware such as pre-installed apps which you can’t get rid of. Overall, the device offers immense performance for this price.
Cameras – Vivo Z1 Pro doesn’t disappoint much
The Vivo Z1 Pro has a 16MP primary sensor with f/1.78 aperture, and 8MP 120-degree wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, and a 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. On the front, we have a 32MP punch-hole camera with f/2.0 aperture. The triple cameras on the rear have an LED flash which has good amount of intensity.
Along with the device, we had a stroll around the city to get some good pictures on the device and I can say it did not disappoint. In broad day light the images come out pretty balanced in all aspects with vivid colors and details. Same is the amount of detail when we take a photo under artificial light. The shutter speed is up to the mark and the device is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps, thanks to the Snapdragon 712 SoC.
The images taken with the wide-angle lens too came out good with fine colors and details. Although the device does struggle a bit in low light conditions, the AI mode got you covered which enhances your image and produces a good picture. The portrait mode with both the rear and front cameras is at par with not so good edge detection. The selfies with the 32MP camera were good in details and color reproduction. All in all, the device offers some good camera quality for the price you are paying. You can check out the camera samples below.
Battery and Miscellaneous
The Vivo Z1 Pro packs a humongous 5000 mAh battery which will you get you through the day easily without any hassle. Vivo claims a standby time of 21 days for this device but there is no one who can resist from playing PUBG on this device. In our daily test, with minimal browsing, some social media, gaming, and YouTube, the device lasted all day without having to charge up again. This 5000 mAh battery is capable of fast charging with 18W charger.
The device has 4D vibrations which results in a great experience while gaming. It also comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack which is placed correctly for most of the gamers out there. The device also has Widevine L1 certification so you can stream any video content at 1080p resolution. The speakers are loud enough but in terms of bass, it lacks the feel and just spurt out quickly.
The Verdict of the Vivo Z1 Pro
Priced at Rs.14999 and so, the device is bang for buck considering some of the best aspects of the device. For someone looking for good quality gaming at budget range, this device can be perfect. The triple-rear camera, 5000 mAh battery, Snapdragon 712 SoC, the large FHD+ display does hold the device strong for its price. But if you are looking for something more versatile in terms of camera or looks, you can always look for other options in this price range. Anyhow, considering your preferences, make a wise decision and pick the phone which suits you.
What’s good?
- 6.53-inch FHD+ display
- Snapdragon 712 SoC
- 5000 mAh battery
- Special Gaming mode
What’s not good?
- Still stuck with Micro USB port
- Bloatware in Funtouch OS
