Vivo had surprised everyone at the MWC 2018 with its Apex concept phone, stuffing the device with an almost bezel-less screen, pop-up camera, and an under-display fingerprint sensor. It’s now decided to take the concept to market under the name Nex S and Nex A.
The Nex S and Nex A are identical-looking smartphones that differ mostly in terms of specs. The former is the flagship model, gaining a Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB/256GB of ROM. The latter is a pared-down version of the premium handset with a Snapdragon 710 SoC, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of ROM.
The Nex S also has the very important distinction of having an under-display fingerprint sensor. The Nex A settles for a conventional rear-facing reader. Both get a hold of a unique 8MP selfie camera which pops up when required. This allows the screen to stay notch-less. All that’s left of the bezel is a small ribbon at the bottom.
The design quirk means that the Vivo smartphones have a 91.24% screen-to-body ratio. As for where the earpiece went, the company utilizes screen soundcasting technology to generate sound. It’s similar to the original Mi Mix, but Xiaomi had notably dropped the tech in the Mi Mix 2 for something superior.
Vivo Nex S vs Vivo Apex
One potential area of disappointment is the in-display fingerprint reader. The Apex’s scanner covered the bottom half of the display, but the Nex S restricts it to just one spot. Still, the brand claims that the third-gen sensor is 10% faster and 50% more accurate.
Specifications of the Vivo Nex S:
– Display: 6.59-inch Super AMOLED 19.3:9, 2316 x 1080 pixels
– OS: Android 8.1 Oreo-based Funtouch OS 4.0
– Memory: 128GB/256GB
– RAM: 8GB
– CPU: Snapdragon 845
– Battery: 4000mAh
– Camera: 12MP + 5MP rear, 8MP front
– Size: 162 × 77 × 7.98mm
– Weight: 199g
– Connectivity: dual-SIM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GLONASS, Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, USB OTG, GPS
Also See: Vivo X21: Hands-on and First Impressions
The Vivo Nex S is priced at CNY 4498 (approx Rs 47400) for its 8GB/128GB version and CNY 4998 (roughly Rs 52600) for its 8GB/256GB option. The Nex A comes in at a cheaper CNY 3898 (about Rs 41000). We’ll let you know the moment the pair breaks out of China.