A new major smartphone maker has just landed in Europe

Vivo is widely ranked as one of the top six or seven smartphone manufacturers in the world and has been gradually expanding its global presence recently. The brand was launched in several markets in the Middle East and Africa last year and is now launching in Europe and the UK.

The first phone as part of the Chinese brand’s launch in Europe is the Vivo X51 5G, which is essentially a Vivo X50 Pro with minor changes to the software. Similar to the X50 Pro, the X51 5G features an upper mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset, a 90 Hz FHD + OLED panel and a 4,315 mAh battery with 33 W cable charge. The latter causes your phone to go from zero to 100% capacity in a respectable 68 minutes.

The main reason for the X51 5G, however, could be the cameras that pack a 48MP f / 1.6 main camera (IMX598) with “gimbal” OIS for superior stabilization. Our own Dhruv Bhutani thought that the identical camera setup of the X50 Pro delivers “incredible” images in low light conditions and “exemplary” 4K / 60fps video performance. So we definitely expect the same results from the X51 5G.

The other rear cameras include an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two zoom-related shooters. An 8 megapixel periscope lens processes 5x optical zoom images, while a 13MP sensor processes 2x snapshots and portraits. A cutout at the front houses a 32 megapixel shooter.

So what are the above mentioned improvements to the software? Well, Vivo notes that it has worked with Google to make FunTouchOS more compatible with Android and “to get close to European user habits”. It’s unclear if these changes will only apply to European / global users or if they are part of a broader overhaul of Vivo’s Android skin. We have asked the company for more details and will update the article accordingly. That said, we’re happy to see a more stock-like appearance, as previous versions of Vivo’s skin looked like a poor iOS imitation.

Vivo also addressed software update commitments, although we may have had more questions than answers.

“Because of our long-term relationship with Google, Vivo products will be compliant with Google’s Android security update rules. We offer software support for a period of four years and Google security updates for X51 for up to three years, ”the company told us in a briefing. We’re not sure what “software support” means, but we suspect it doesn’t mean updates to the Android version, as security update commitments tend to outlast version update commitments.

The other notable features of the Vivo X51 5G definitely include Android 10 (Android 11 will be available “soon”), Bluetooth 5.1, dual SIM connectivity, an in-display fingerprint sensor and NFC. The phone starts at £ 749 for the UK’s only 8GB / 256GB variant. There’s no word on the euro prices, but Vivo says the phone will be available in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland.

Vivo also noted that talks with retailers and carriers are about phone stockpiling. Are you looking for flagship Vivo phones like the Nex series or Vivo products other than phones in Europe? Well the brand says you should “watch this room”.

Next: Who is BBK, the second largest phone manufacturer in the world?