Question So no X90 Pro+ for the global market - any Chinese import issues?

[PILLS2389]

You realise that S23 Ultra will probably be almost double the price of the X90 Pro+ right?
For me, the X90 Pro+ is more then enough, I wanted a phone with great camera and I'm not disapointed. Also, I like the X90 Pro+ more then the S22 Ultra, my sister has it.

I think the joke about the people who uses all this "technology" is true. I'm a software engineer that makes apps for people like extremecarver, but I don't use any of them.

 

[jericho246]

You realise that S23 Ultra will probably be almost double the price of the X90 Pro+ right?

Well to be fair, we shouldn't compare China prices with international ones.

But yes, S23 Ultra will have a high price. Because it's a Samsung, not because it's better. It will have a 200MP sensor, sure, but those who know their stuff, KNOW 200MP is just dumb and a marketing ploy. And unfortunately average Joe will look see their dumbass advertisements showcasing the 200MP sensor and go "Oh it has 200MP! More megapickles than my current phone! Awesome, can't wait to buy it!"

 

[riz157]

What I liked most about Chinese Vivo was originOS, theming engine. Shame can't buy the premium ones!
The camera is phenomenal.
Screen 2nd to none.
The speakers are good, but I heard better.

Everything else terrible
No Auto android (which I use)
Don't get notifications for all apps

I would not buy it unless you get it for under £700 with all the limitations
The full price is crazy
If auto android worked and notifications I'd keep it, pay £900
It would be the best android phone

 

[extremecarver]

You realise that S23 Ultra will probably be almost double the price of the X90 Pro+ right?
For me, the X90 Pro+ is more then enough, I wanted a phone with great camera and I'm not disapointed. Also, I like the X90 Pro+ more then the S22 Ultra, my sister has it.

I think the joke about the people who uses all this "technology" is true. I'm a software engineer that makes apps for people like extremecarver, but I don't use any of them.

But in Europe the x90 Pro likely will be more expensive than the s23 plus. In Taiwan too. Only in China the s23 will be more expensive.
Also on carrier deals the S23 after a few months will be actually cheaper.

And hardware wise I don't see that the x90 Pro/pro+ will be better. E.g. vivo cheaped out on gorilla glass and likely uses Schott instead. The vanilla isn't waterproof. The selfie camera and speakers surely worse. Warranty worse. And yeah the big point of course being software. Even Bixby is by now pretty good. I played a bit with Jovi, it's horrible. Worse than Siri plus only usable in mandarin.

Couple that with much much shorter and worse software support. Then likely even in China the s23 series is better value. In 3 years the x90 series will have close to 0 resell value, the s23 likely still quite good (not Apple like however). In Taiwan x80 pro used right now sell for less than1/3 RSVP. That's 9 month after presentation. S22 for around 50% being out 11 months... If vivo cannot up their software level a lot (and those google services not working seems to be government policy, it's a feature not a bug and likely will only get worse year by year) the value is much worse vs Samsung or google pixel.

 

[P6P]

What I liked most about Chinese Vivo was originOS, theming engine. Shame can't buy the premium ones!
The camera is phenomenal.
Screen 2nd to none.
The speakers are good, but I heard better.

Everything else terrible
No Auto android (which I use)
Don't get notifications for all apps

I would not buy it unless you get it for under £700 with all the limitations
The full price is crazy
If auto android worked and notifications I'd keep it, pay £900
It would be the best android phone

You'll need to kill vivo.pem and all notifications will work.

 

[extremecarver]

You'll need to kill vivo.pem and all notifications will work.

Not only, you cannot use dark mode (for example signal) and you may need to uninstall and reinstall all apps that are not reliable with notifications afterwards.
Also it may be problematic due to various reasons again in the future as there are clearly whitelists and blacklists that are hidden from the user interface.
Also who knows what China decides about which services to block on their domestic phones in the future. It is clearly on purpose and not coincidence that all china software phones miss the hotword blobs required for google assistant. Before Android 11 they were not required so with updates the chance or functionality not working anymore is bigger than things getting repaired/improved.

 

[P6P]

Not only, you cannot use dark mode (for example signal) and you may need to uninstall and reinstall all apps that are not reliable with notifications afterwards.
Also it may be problematic due to various reasons again in the future as there are clearly whitelists and blacklists that are hidden from the user interface.
Also who knows what China decides about which services to block on their domestic phones in the future. It is clearly on purpose and not coincidence that all china software phones miss the hotword blobs required for google assistant. Before Android 11 they were not required so with updates the chance or functionality not working anymore is bigger than things getting repaired/improved.

Well all my apps work perfectly.

 

[boober78]

Well to be fair, we shouldn't compare China prices with international ones.

But yes, S23 Ultra will have a high price. Because it's a Samsung, not because it's better. It will have a 200MP sensor, sure, but those who know their stuff, KNOW 200MP is just dumb and a marketing ploy. And unfortunately average Joe will look see their dumbass advertisements showcasing the 200MP sensor and go "Oh it has 200MP! More megapickles than my current phone! Awesome, can't wait to buy it!"

Well, you are quite wrong. I am not a fanboy by any stretch but stating that "Samsung will be double the price", while x90 pro plus is 1043 eur plus tax is not really the case. And yes, it will be more expensive when it comes to base proce of an ultr (1300 I'm guessing), and yes it will be better, not because it's samsung. Better software experiencce, better support, very consistent and great camera. 200 MP is not a gimmick, definitely not dumb and marketing ploy. It gives the flexibility. It will bin pixels when needed and also allow higher hybrid zoom. As for the person that claims to "know their stuff", you seem to ommit the basic information that won't suit your narrative, eh? Peace

 

[boober78]

You realise that S23 Ultra will probably be almost double the price of the X90 Pro+ right?
For me, the X90 Pro+ is more then enough, I wanted a phone with great camera and I'm not disapointed. Also, I like the X90 Pro+ more then the S22 Ultra, my sister has it.

I think the joke about the people who uses all this "technology" is true. I'm a software engineer that makes apps for people like extremecarver, but I don't use any of them.

What? Double the price? more like 30%

 

[extremecarver]

Take Taiwan, the x90 Pro now is 34888 ntd. The s22plus cost 31.000 ntd with 256gb last year list price. Likely thr s23 plus will be 34.000ntd this year.

Yes you can import yourself and get a vivo x90 Pro for 25000ntd, but then you have zero warranty, many Google services not working and notifications that don't arrive plus spend hours on debloating.

Outside China the vivo is just one thing, ridiculously overpriced.

And take dxomark, the Samsung s22 ultra had 135 points vs 137 for the vivo x80 pro. The vivo was more expensive, and lost in all other categories. Dxomark doesn't compare software quality. Now clearly the X80 pro outside China was a really bad deal.

I guess the x90 Pro+ will not even top the camera ranking on dxomark, the results on full auto simply aren't consistent enough. Its the new benchmark for night time, but no more. Point and shoot the Pixel 7 pro wins. You can get better pictures with the x90 Pro+ but it takes work and luck...
Neither will Samsung. I expect both to end up around 145 points, some things the vivo excells like night mode on the zoom and ultra wide vs the competition aren't tested. Vivo right now is king of portrait and night mode. The main camera at day is a bit to unreliable vs Pixel or Mate 50 pro. Battery the x90 pro plus may win but only because of faster charging. Audio is mediocre. While my screen on time is pretty good (mainly indoors), my idle drain is crazy - it's 1.5% hour that includes airplane mode overnight. During the day it takes 2-3% per hour (albeit with 2 Sims inserted). Without vivo.pem idle drain is too high. With it you receive no notifications.
It's clear why vivo removed the screen on time from their battery stats... Likely in reviews reviewers don't notice the notifications missing and compare it with vivo.pem active. Anyhow reviewers don't move their own apps to a phone so numbers always look better.

Now if you pay Chinese prices it looks different. The s23 will be 35% more expensive. Chinese cannot use Google services anyhow so for them the equation is likely skewed towards vivo.. but yeah only if you keep your phone over 2 years. Vivo resale value is very low. And at the 3-4 year mark Samsung will continue getting updates while vivo will just receive more and more advertising that you need to remove with adb debloat...

Only if vivo upps the software game they can be a serious competitor if you don't have brand loyalties.


Actually I had hoped for much better battery life. I think pixel 7 Pro or s22 ultra snapdragon would not be much worse, because they have much better idle drain.

 

[extremecarver]

And yeah while s23 has update policy 4 major OS versions and 5 years of security updates the X90 pro plus likely only gets 2 major OS versions and 3 years of untimely updates (only first year vivo is fast). The international vivo versions will get at least 3 major versions and 3-4 years security updates.

Vivo has no update promise for Chinese phones. The x50 pro plus only got 2 major versions and I cannot find out if there are still security updates 2.5 years in...
Basically after 3 years the 90 pro+ may be a brick.... that's besides problems like getting original replacement battery in 2-3 years which is unlikely.
This of course reduces any value past 3 years....

 

[Svask89]

No desktop mode is a bummer as it's a feature I use when travelling with my P30 pro.
Hmmm - perhaps I will wait until February and hope a global release is announced

desktop mode on my x90 pro+ works fine.
it's not a desktop mode as P30 (i own it) but it's only a mirroring

 

[extremecarver]

My criticism about charging confirmed. Oppo (and Vivo ) have the least compatible charger (and yeah oppo and Vivo itself aren't even compatible) while being the absolute slowest 0-80% on third party chargers....

Charging devices: Can new EU law clear the path to a unified experience?

The EU will require devices to be USB-C compatible by 2024, so DXOMARK recently tested the current state of the cross-charging experience.

www.dxomark.com

So no, the charging chapter is a big minus on the Vivo X90 pro+. 18w on other chargers while providing a crap all except for Vivo devices charger is simply ridiculous. Further more as their chargers aren't compatible with USB 3.2 cables...

Samsung is most compatible with anything you throw at it. Well apple is slow no matter what...

 

[jericho246]

Well, you are quite wrong. I am not a fanboy by any stretch but stating that "Samsung will be double the price", while x90 pro plus is 1043 eur plus tax is not really the case. And yes, it will be more expensive when it comes to base proce of an ultr (1300 I'm guessing), and yes it will be better, not because it's samsung. Better software experiencce, better support, very consistent and great camera. 200 MP is not a gimmick, definitely not dumb and marketing ploy. It gives the flexibility. It will bin pixels when needed and also allow higher hybrid zoom. As for the person that claims to "know their stuff", you seem to ommit the basic information that won't suit your narrative, eh? Peace

Maybe look at what post you're replying to, because I clearly disagreed with the "double the price" part that other guy said.
200 MP IS a gimmick no matter which way you look at it. Instead of trying to fix the infamous Samsung shutter lag, they increase the megapickle count. And for what? For what? Do casual users shoot billboard sized images? And hybrid zoom, really? Wtf do you need "hybrid zoom" for when you already have TWO separate zoom lenses?
For someone who's claims to be an objective user and not a fanboy, you seem quite pressed about me stating facts.

 

[boober78]

Maybe look at what post you're replying to, because I clearly disagreed with the "double the price" part that other guy said.
200 MP IS a gimmick no matter which way you look at it. Instead of trying to fix the infamous Samsung shutter lag, they increase the megapickle count. And for what? For what? Do casual users shoot billboard sized images? And hybrid zoom, really? Wtf do you need "hybrid zoom" for when you already have TWO separate zoom lenses?
For someone who's claims to be an objective user and not a fanboy, you seem quite pressed about me stating facts.

I clearly stated why 200MP is not a gimmick and it isn't, can be very usefull.

 

[aspj1111]

I clearly stated why 200MP is not a gimmick and it isn't, can be very usefull.

200 mp in a phone with such a small sensor is just dumb. Samsung, Apple and Google need to go to a one inch sensor not add more mp to the cameras. 200 mp won't help with the horrible shutter lag Samsung phones suffer from ...

 

[extremecarver]

The first samples of the 200MP mode in good light reveal tremendous details. The 1" sensor also has big disadvantages. Actually I'm really not sure if it's a net plus. 1 inch sensors really need to be coupled with variable aperture. I find landscape pictures on the x90 to be pretty lacking. Without it a 1/1.3 sensor maybe the better alternative.

I think the s23U will overall be the clearly better camera. For many the s22u was still superior to the vivo camera wise.

 

[mirogomes]

Hello guys!

I don´t know if is possible to write this here, but I´m selling my x90 pro+. I´m from portugal.
Interesteds: private menssage.
Thanks!

 

[snipeerz]

can i buy the Chinese version of the x90 pro plus and install global or mod rom ?

 

[P6P]

can i buy the Chinese version of the x90 pro plus and install global or mod rom ?

No you can't install global rom there is also no way for root. Debloating is all you can do.