With the Vivo X80 Lite, the Chinese manufacturer. has launched a cheaper lite version of the X series for the first time. It is offered in Austria for a suggested retail price of 449 euros. Which already suggests that it has nothing to do with the X80 Pro.
According to Vivo, this is a continuation of the low-cost V series. Which focuses only on the quality of the front camera. This also applies to the new X80 Lite. Which is equipped with a 50 megapixel front camera. And should so ensure excellent selfies. But is it really true? And how does the display, performance and battery life fare? We now see all this in this detailed test report.
Haptics and Design – Step Backwards
Vivo X80 Lite is 159.2mm tall, 74.2mm wide and 7.8mm thin. It’s certainly not a small smartphone, but it’s particularly large. So you won’t use it proit can’t be operated easily with one hand. By today’s standards, this is a relatively common size.
While the frame of the I live V23 5G – the indirect predecessor according to Vivo. is made of high-quality aluminum with a high-gloss finish. The X80 Lite uses plastic with a high-gloss finish. Which gives a rather inferior feel to hands and fingerprints. very sensitive A plastic frame for an RRP of €449 isn’t surprising anymore these days. But it’s still a shame because the V23 5G was and still is one of the highest quality smartphones in the €500 range for us.
At least the back side is believable. It is composed of glass, which is highly resistant to fingerprints due to its matte surface. It feels premium in hand and looks beautiful in Diamond Black and Sunrise Gold colors. We received the black model to test. In the right light, as the name suggests, it actually looks like the back is covered in small diamonds. The golden model uses a color-changing lens, which was introduced with the V23 5G. This special glass can change color under UV light, which is very impressive.
Unfortunately, the front does not give the impression. That the Vivo X80 Lite is a mid-range smartphone. At the current price of 449 euros, as the edges around the screen can definitely be thinner. The bezels on the V23 5G are noticeably thinner. A notch is also used here, although Vivo. Only uses a front-facing camera compared to its predecessor. Which is no longer up-to-date.
Neat processing
In the workplace, there is hardly any reason for criticism. The smartphone looks very stable. With no dents on the back and no visible gaps between the front or back and the frame. Additionally, well-placed keys, which sit firmly in the case. May have better pressure points.
Demonstration – difficult
The display uses the exact same panel as the V23 5G. It’s a 6.44-inch OLED screen with a sharp enough resolution of 2.404 x 1.080 pixels. That no individual pixels are visible in day-to-day use. Additionally, the screen supports a smooth refresh rate of 90 Hertz, which means. That animations and scrolling are pleasingly smooth, but not as smooth. As most competitors. 120 Hertz will fit the RRP of €449.
Colors displayed on “Professional” are reproduced. Naturally enough, but overall the display is a bit too cold. Which is not annoyingly noticeable during daily use. As is typical for OLED, we’re dealing with perfect black and contrast values here. Viewing angle stability and brightness are decent for the price. In direct sunlight, it could be a bit brighter to be able to read content better. But overall the X80 Lite’s brightness is fine.
Software – Funtouch OS 12
Based on Android 12, version 12 uses the in-house user interface Funtouch OS software. The settings are very clean, there is an app drawer and many useful more functions. Such as a good always-on display, a dark and eye protection mode and some dynamic effects. Here, for example, the animation. When unlocking can be changed via the fingerprint sensor integrated into the display.
Of course, gesture control is also on board, but the animations don’t look as good as the X80 Pro. Which is probably with a much weaker processor.
Performance – very low
Inside is MediaTek’s Dimensity 900, backed by 8 GB of RAM. The internal memory is 256 GB and can be expanded via a microSD card, which is very commendable.
Day-to-day performance isn’t bad, but certainly not enough for the RRP of €449. Apps don’t start or stop as quickly as you’d expect from a smartphone in this price range. There are always small stutters and delays. Which are already noticeable with things that are not complex.
Battery – Admirable
We even like the battery life a little better than the charging time. At the end of the day, the smartphone still had between 5 and 6 hours of screen-on time. With 45 to 55 percent battery left, which should be enough for heavy users to get through a day without a charge. Thanks to Vivo.
Camera – Average
At the back we get a triple camera setup, which we already know from the V21 and the V23. The main sensor with 64 megapixels should be able to capture a relatively large amount of light. Thanks to its average size and bright aperture of f/1.89. Besides, there is the usual 8 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with a 1/4 inch sensor. Which we see in almost all smartphones for 200 to 400 euros. A 2 megapixel sensor handles macro shots. The front camera, whose resolution is 50 megapixels. Is quite large and even has an autofocus on board, stands out positively. Unfortunately, there is no second front camera like the V23. Let’s start with the main camera first, which gives almost the same results as the V23. Unfortunately, the Vivo overdoes it a bit with color. As every image looks overly saturated. We much prefer the dynamic range, which has been a major strength of Vivo smartphones over the years. But, sharpness is pretty average. Low-light shots are fine in night mode. But Vivo could still improve the white balance a bit with future updates.
The ultra-wide-angle camera quality is less convincing. We like the dynamic range here too. Especially noticeable at the edges. For 449 euros I expected more.
As with almost all mid-to-high-end smartphones. The image quality of the 2-megapixel macro camera is very disappointing on the X80 Lite. The picture lacks some details and the colors are too pale.
Good front camera
I really like the 50 megapixel front camera. Dynamic range is decent and portrait shots are also impressive. Besides, autofocus is fast and always works reliably. There is only a little room for improvement in poor lighting conditions. The V23 5G felt like it had a better front camera. But the X80 Lite has one of the best front cameras on a smartphone right now.
Other – Better fingerprint sensor, disappointing vibration motor and more
I would like to highlight the in-display fingerprint sensor. Which is easy to reach and unlocks the device quickly and reliably.
Unfortunately, Vivo only installs a mono speaker on the bottom. Which is easy to cover and doesn’t sound particularly good. It’s loud enough, but sounds very thin. Almost all competitors are clearly superior here.
Last but not least, I’d like to address the vibration motor. Which is a major weakness in all Vivo’s current mid-range smartphones. And unfortunately the X80 Lite too. It feels very cheap and sounds rather boring. Xiaomi, Realme and OnePlus are noticeably better here.
Summary
In conclusion, it can be said that Vivo X80 Lite is not a bad smartphone. With battery life, decent display, good front camera and large flash memory. The smartphone has some of the strengths we’ve already seen in the Vivo V23 5G. Which currently costs the same amount. Additionally, the similarly priced V23 5G is higher quality and comes. With a more powerful processor and a better selfie experience.
So, we wouldn’t recommend the Vivo X80 Lite at this point. Even if you value a good front camera, as there are better options with the similarly expensive V23 5G. Yet, if you don’t value the front camera at all and are just looking for a good mid-range smartphone. The V23 5G is worth less even for the current price. Instead, we suggest you throw in the Realm GT Neo 2, OnePlus Nord 2T or Samsung Galaxy S21FE.
