If you’re looking for a new phone and performance is your focus, the newly announced Vivo X90 Pro Plus might be your best bet as it’s the first phone to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
The flagship chipset is expected to power many of the top Android phones in 2023, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 and OnePlus 11, but Vivo appears to be leading the way.
That’s not even the only major selling point of the Vivo X90 Pro Plus, though, as the phone also features a 50MP camera that uses a large 1-inch sensor. While this isn’t the first phone to use this sensor, it’s larger than the ones found in most smartphones, so photos are likely to be better, too. There’s also a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a 64MP telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom.
Other specs include 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 6.78-inch 1440 x 3200 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone also packs a 4,700mAh battery with 80W fast wired charging and an impressive 50W wireless fast charging, and is dust and water resistant thanks to its IP68 certification.
It was launched in China alongside the less interesting Vivo X90 and Vivo X90 Pro. These phones have a few differences from the Pro Plus, most importantly they use MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 9200 chipset instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s still considered a powerful chip, but it’s unlikely to match the Snapdragon.
In fact, buying any of these phones is easier said than done, as they have only been launched in China so far, where the Vivo X90 Pro Plus starts at ¥6,499.
As mentioned above, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series will likely use this chipset, and the OnePlus 11 will certainly use it, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We already know that one or more phones in the Oppo Find X6 and iQoo 11 series will use the 8th Gen 2, but also the Sony Xperia 1 V, Mi 13 series, Motorola’s Moto X40, Nubia’s Red Magic 8 and more will also use it.
In short, if you’re buying any of the best upcoming phones not made by Apple, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the chipset they’re most likely to have. As such, this standout feature of the Vivo X90 Pro Plus is only available for a limited time, and it’s likely to become widespread soon, which is great for consumers looking for the most powerful new phone yet.