Skip to main content

The Vivo Xplay7 could be an absolute monster of an Android phone

Vivo's incredible new phone could have 10GB of RAM and 512GB of storage

this under-display fingerprint sensor will likely be in the vivo xplay7
Image used with permission by copyright holder
With the buzz surrounding upcoming flagships at both MWC 2018 and outside events, you’d be forgiven for missing the waves being made by a little-known Chinese manufacturer. Vivo is best known as the first company to crack the in-display fingerprint scanner, a feat that both Samsung and Apple have failed to emulate so far. And as if that wasn’t enough, Vivo was also the first smartphone manufacturer to debut a smartphone with 6GB of RAM — so the Chinese company’s credentials are solid when it comes to technical innovation.

Leaks and rumors have recently surfaced that Vivo is planning the next entry in its flagship Xplay series — the Xplay7. The leaks come courtesy of Weibo, (as translated by FoneArena) and they paint a picture of a monster of a smartphone that could be enough to blow all thoughts of the impending Samsung Galaxy S9 that we expect to see at MWC 2018 next month.

First up on the spec sheet is a 4K display with a curved edge-to-edge design, similar to the Galaxy S8 and Note 8. Unlike those two phones, however, the Xplay7 is rumored to be packing at incredible 92.9-percent screen-to-body ratio — the aforementioned Galaxy S8 and Note 8 have a ratio of 83.6-percent and 83.2-percent, making this Vivo phone one of the most bezel-less screens we’ve seen yet.

Details on screen size haven’t yet been revealed, but the ratio implies it’s likely to be on the larger size. It’s highly likely that the inclusion of Vivo’s impressive under-display fingerprint scanner is what allowed Vivo to shrink the bezels quite so much, since there doesn’t need to be room on the front of the display for a scanning button.

And it’s not all beauty with no brawn. The Vivo Xplay7 will be utilizing the power of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845, putting it on an even playing field with other 2018 Android flagships like the Galaxy S9, and the innards pack an incredible 10GB of RAM and options for 256GB and 512GB of onboard storage. This would be the world’s first smartphone with 10GB of RAM. Though some phones did reach 8GB in 2017, we’re yet to see a phone hit double digits for RAM. The storage is similarly impressive, with 512GB of onboard storage pushing the Xplay7 to PC levels.

The camera suite that has been installed seems similarly impressive, although details are scarce. What we do know is that the dual-lens camera on the rear will come with Sony IMX sensors and support for 4x optical zoom. There’s also mention of “Face Recognition 2.0,” whatever that is, though it’s likely to be tied into the front-facing camera, and is likely Vivo’s answer to Apple’s FaceID.

What’s the catch? These are only rumors at this stage, with all of this coming from a PowerPoint presentation leaked by Weibo. It’s also highly unlikely we’ll be seeing this phone anywhere but China, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on what Vivo is doing, since its so often ahead of the smartphone technological curve.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Your Android phone just got an update that could save your life
A person holding the OnePlus 11 and Google Pixel 8.

When you’re in an emergency, every second matters. And if you already have your health information on your phone, it’s going to be even easier than ever to get that critical information over to operators. Now, when you make an emergency call on your Android phone, your health information can be sent directly to emergency services when you call 911.

This new feature update is made possible due to Google partnering with RapidSOS to allow data from Android ELS (Emergency Location Service) to be given to emergency contacts and first responders. The type of data that we’re talking about is critical medical information that can save your life, such as blood type, emergency contacts, and severe allergies. This is all information that the user sets up and is stored locally on their Android device.

Read more
Qualcomm’s newest chip will bring AI to cheaper Android phones
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 artwork.

Qualcomm has a new mobile platform on the table, and this one targets upper-midrange smartphones and promises to bring some new AI tricks. The latest from the chipmaker is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, which technically succeeds the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, but the company is comparing most of the improvements against the older Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. 
The new platform is said to bring a 15% boost in processing power, a 20% rise in energy efficiency, and a massive 50% jump in graphics capabilities. Based on the 4nm fabrication process, it packs a single prime core, a trio of performance cores, and four efficiency cores. Interestingly, these cores are clocked at a lower frequency compared to those on the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. However, this won't be the only area where Qualcomm's latest sounds like a mixed bag.
Qualcomm says the new chip improves AI-assisted face detection accuracy, but it adds that AI also lends a hand at tasks like making sense of routines and how users interact with apps. There are also a handful of new software-side enhancements coming to the Snapdragon Gen 7 series for the first time. 
Those include an AI re-mosaicing system for reducing grainy textures in photos, bringing down noise, and video retouching. Support for Ultra HDR is also a first for the midrange chip. Spatial audio with head tracking and CD-quality wireless audio are a part of the package as well.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 jumps to the X63 cellular modem that promises a higher downlink speed of up to 5Gbps. Interestingly, it adopts the Fast Connect 6700 Bluetooth + Wi-Fi modem instead of the speedier Fast Connect 6900 modem on the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. 
The camera capabilities situation is also interesting. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 relies on a triple 12-bit ISP system, while the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 puts its trust in a more advanced triple 18-bit ISP architecture. The latter allows higher-resolution photo and video capture in single and dual camera configurations. 
In fact, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3’s ISP steps down to 120 frames-per-second (fps) slo-mo video capture compared to the 1080p 240 fps video recording allowed by its direct predecessor. Overall, it seems like Qualcomm jumped into its parts bin and crafted a half-new midrange chip for Android phones.
Qualcomm says China’s Vivo and Honor are the first adopters of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. The first wave of phones powered by the new chip is expected to be announced later this month. 

Read more
This foldable phone has something I’ve never seen before
A person holding the Vivo X Fold 2.

Are you, like me, frustrated by the tiny fingerprint sensors in the power key that are standard on big-screen folding smartphones? They do the job, but only just.

Well, I’ve seen the future, and it’s a vast improvement. The Vivo X Fold 2 has not one, but two in-display fingerprint sensors. They’re excellent, and now I want to see them on every foldable.
The problem with a sensor in the power button

Read more