The Asian manufacturer vivo enters the Spanish market making a niche for the mid-high range with the vivo X51 5G. An important exponent of a crowded showcase and sparse of ideas, which has a 48 MP main camera with gimbal stabilization as the main attraction. The brand is well aware of the main interests of the user and places a strong emphasis on it, with a generous 6.56 ″ 90 Hz AMOLED screen, a total of four cameras and the fledgling 5G mobile technology.

All this internally, but its exterior also responds to the market trend. The construction and aesthetic result borders on a great note. Nevertheless. Despite being a really promising terminal, its moderate price means that some sections are slightly cut. This allows the vivo X51 5G to be an ideal option for this Christmas. We review all the features of the vivo 5G smartphone in our review.

Design: good sensations from the first moment: Vivo X51 5G, review of this smartphone with gimbal

They say that the first crush is the one that always remains marked for the rest of our lives. At Gizlogic we tend to be very infatuated, but rarely do they melt our hearts. The vivo X51 5G gets to get it right out of the box. It is surprising to discover that it meets the qualities that other brands offer us for almost double its price. Although vivo is inspired by other terminals on the market, they have managed to give it their personal touch. And something that we have already been able to see on mobile phones I live in Spain .

Compact body and excellent build quality

As can be seen in the photos, the vivo X51 5G offers everything you would expect from a 2020 smartphone. The curved design lines make it easy to grip the phone just like what is seen on the Huawei Mate 40 . In fact, at the level of measurements it is practically identical to this, with dimensions of 158.46 x 72.8 x 8.04 mm. Therefore, it is not a phone that feels large because it is narrow and 8 mm thick. The weight is not a problem either with its 181.5 grams, below the 209 grams of the Huawei P40 Pro.

Another aspect to highlight about vivo 5G is the choice of materials. The back has a gray matte glass finish that prevents the accumulation of fingerprints. It is true that at the color level it does not stand out by not showing any visual effect, but it looks really elegant. We repeat aluminum for the chassis, being flat on the lower and upper edges.

Matte glass back that prevents the appearance of fingerprints

Features: Qualcomm, safe bet

As we indicated in our technical specifications table, vivo has chosen the competent Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset. Processor for the mid-high range that offers support for 5G networks, consisting of eight cores with a maximum frequency of 2.4 GHz. Although it is not the most powerful choice in the Qualcomm range, where the Snapdragon 865+ takes its chest, it responds perfectly in demanding video games, applications and multimedia processing.

We weren’t expecting much more seeing the rest of the features, either. There is only one version of this model, with a RAM of 8 GB of the LDPRR4X type and a storage of 256 GB UFS 2.1. Although it is not a bad general configuration, we must regret the absence of the possibility of incorporating a microSD to expand the internal memory. For this reason, it is closer to the branch of the mid-range than to the high one.

However, on a day-to-day basis, we will not notice any ups and downs or hang when opening applications, browsing the web or using video games. For example, Fortnite and Genshin Impact move smoothly with the Adreno 620 GPU. In this sense, there is a good job of optimization of resources. It should also be noted that temperatures are good at all times.

vivo has not wanted to overload its customization layer with applications or low-value functions, something that not all Asian manufacturers take into account. Its Funtouch OS 10 customization layer maintains Android 10 with hardly any variations. As we have learned a few days ago, this model will receive the update to Android 11 . In the settings we see functions such as gesture control, security application, screen recording, game manager, among others.

VIvo X51 5G cameras: a gimbal and much more

The main claim of the vivo X51 5G lies in its stabilization gimbal for video recording. Its main camera rests on a suspension mechanism that allows it to mechanically adapt to movements with a rotation of 3º, unlike the software stabilizers of other phones. This allows you to make more stable recordings and even target tracking as we will see later.

But we begin the review of the section by listing the total of four rear cameras that includes the dedicated module of the vivo X51 5G:

• 48 MP Sony IMX598 main sensor with aperture f / 1.6, 1/2 ”, 0.8μm, PDAF + LDAF. This “Big eye” camera is the one that incorporates the live gimbal technology , which is combined with the EIS stabilization.
• Secondary for portrait of 13 MP with aperture f / 2.46 and 2x optical zoom.
• 8 MP telephoto with aperture f / 3.4, 1 / 4.4 ”, 1,008 μm. Equipped with a 60x digital zoom and 5x optical zoom.
• Wide angle – 8 MP macro with 120º f / 2.2 aperture.

For the front camera we have a 32 MP sensor with f / 2.45 aperture. The images taken show a fairly balanced performance as we will see with the main configuration.

Photographic section

We get down to work and hit the streets to check the performance of the vivo X51 5G in different scenarios. From the camera app we have access to a good number of functions and shortcuts to squeeze out this promising photographic section. From settings for portrait mode, night mode, starry sky, 48MP photos, action tracking, Pro mode and many more.

Photographs in automatic mode have little to envy to HDR mode, what’s more, we hardly find differences between the two functions. Therefore, the interpretation of the surroundings is not exaggerated and the images look quite balanced. These captures stand out for their rich colors, with a contrasting and natural touch. However, its dynamic range is somewhat peculiar and even slightly limited in certain situations where the lighting does not play in its favor.

 

Modo HDR

With this set of sensors and lenses, it is evident that creativity is greatly expanded by its versatility. We went from a wide angle of 120º to a capture with 5x optical zoom, although it reaches 60x in digital. As you can see in the images, the wide angle offers a good performance but with a little less sharpness than the main sensor. It is surprising that the level of detail is remarkably maintained with the 5x optical zoom, while going to 60x it is greatly lost.

 

What doesn’t have a designated macro sensor? You don’t need it either with the 8 MP wide-angle sensor. You just have to choose the option in the app and let it delve into the details of the object to be photographed. In relation to portraits, vivo X51 5G shows muscle with good image processing, with a very natural effect and good background blurring.

 

Where the section breaks down a bit is when night falls. The appearance of noise is inevitable but it resists quite well thanks to the different night modes. From the traditional night mode to capturing Supermoon or starry sky, increasing the exposure to obtain spectacular images.

VIvo X51 5G video section

Create, edit and share countless content created with the vivo X51 5G with its complete video section. Either in 4K or FullHD at 60 fps and with a stabilization that has surprised us thanks to the gimbal implemented in its main sensor. Video on the X51 is smooth and stable with its Super Anti Shake mode. It achieves much better results than the usual OIS stabilizers in phones.

Among the video settings we have the option of making use of the 2x optical zoom and a digital one that reaches up to 10x magnification. In addition, we must add the slow motion mode with a resolution up to FHD at 240 fps and fast at FHD.

Display: extra fluency with 90 Hz: Vivo X51 5G, review of this smartphone with gimbal

With the progressive increase in screen diagonals, smartphones have become a versatile place of entertainment. VOD video services, streaming, video games, social networks, etc; every time we spend more time viewing content on the phone. Aware of this circumstance, vivo equips your smartphone with a 6.56-inch curved AMOLED panel , FHD + resolution, HDR10 + and 90 Hz refresh rate. This data translates into a very rich multimedia experience.

90 Hz display

In our experience, the vivo X51 5G looks really good at 1,080 x 2,376 pixels, with a remarkable sharpness of 397 pixels per inch. The 90 Hz creates a much more agile and dynamic user experience, especially when browsing social networks and those video games that make use of it. However, they have not dared with a higher rate at the cost of a larger battery drain. Within the settings we can select between an automatic rate that adapts to the type of use.

AMOLED display offering deep black colors and wide viewing angles

The phone takes advantage of the front, with curved edges reminiscent of Samsung’s Edge screens. The selfie camera is housed in the small hole in the screen located in the left corner of the vivo X51 5G. A choice seen in other terminals such as the Xiaomi Mi 10T. It also has the versatile ambient screen to show notification information or the time without having to turn on the phone.

Ambient color display

Sound: Hi-Fi chip but without jack: Vivo X51 5G, review of this smartphone with gimbal

The feeling we have in some sections is that, starting from a good proposal, they do not finish completing it. A clear statement seen in the sound section of the vivo X51 5G. On the positive side we have a dedicated Hi-Fi AK4377A sound chip, with 32-bit DAC and used in many major brand equipment. With connected headphones we get the most out of it with powerful bass and with some customization settings.

On the dark side we have the absence of the headphone jack. So you have to resort to a USB-C adapter included in the package, yes. But the review does not end here, since it must be added that it does not have stereo sound either, so you have to settle for the main speaker. Its quality is within the normal in the terminals of this range, but without shining excessively.

Connectivity and battery: discovering the benefits of 5G: Vivo X51 5G, review of this smartphone with gimbal

vivo X51 5G is one of the few inexpensive exponents that have 5G connectivity. This opens endless doors to the future scenario where 5G networks will take control of new technologies as well as a higher connection speed. We must add the WiFi connectivity 2.4 / 5 GHz MIMO, Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC chip.

Another of the controversial points of the vivo X51 5G is its battery. With a capacity of 4,315 mAh, it offers an autonomy that exceeds the day of use without problem and about 5 hours of screen. However, if we use 90 Hz for the screen, games or video recording, the autonomy is affected and the screen hours are reduced to almost half. Something that cannot be a big problem if we use the 33W charger . Half of the charge is completed in just 25 minutes, while the full charge will have to wait 80 minutes. But it should be noted that there is no trace of wireless charging.