Vivo has transformed itself into an innovator in the industry. As the company that started the in-display fingerprint craze, Vivo has been up and about in introducing more models in the Philippines. NEX 3 and Vivo S1, which we recently reviewed, have been among the new ones they released in the Philippines; and it seems that they are gearing up to launch a new one this week – the Vivo S1 Pro.
As the titular upgrade from S1, S1 Pro hosts plenty of upgrades, which I got the chance to check out in an exclusive preview today in Makati.
| VIVO S1 | VIVO S1 Pro | |
| Display | 6.38″ FHD+ Super AMOLED | 6.38″ FHD+ Super AMOLED |
| Processor | Helio P65 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 |
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB RAM |
| Storage | 128GB (Expandable) | 128GB (Expandable) |
| Rear Camera | 16MP + 8MP + 2MP | 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 32MP |
| OS | Android 9 + Funtouch OS 9 | Android 9 (Funtouch OS 9.2) |
| Battery | 4,500mAh | 4,500mAh |
| Other Features | 18W Fast Charging | 18W Fast Charging (for confirmation) |
| Always-On Display | Always-On Display | |
| In-Display Fingerprint Scanner | In-Display Fingerprint Scanner |
While the engineering unit they allowed us to check runs on beta software, I wish to share my initial impressions with you. Since it isn’t a retail unit, my initial impressions are not reflective of how the retail unit performs.
Vivo S1 Pro looks quite different when you compare it directly to Vivo S1. Its diamond-shaped quad-camera setup isn’t like anything we’ve seen in the market. This is a nice touch as it makes its overall design distinct from its inferior variant.
It is faster and more powerful too! It is powered with Snapdragon 665 processor, Adreno 610 and 8GB RAM. For reference, it should be as fast, if not faster, than the OPPO A9 2020 and Redmi Note 8, which also rock the same chipset. Swiping thru the application tray and opening apps felt like a breeze on S1 Pro despite having not being a retail unit.
Like the S1, the S1 Pro boasts an FHD Super AMOLED display. Photos and text look sharp, and the level of details of photos and videos look really well on its screen. This is one of the best features of S1, and I am just really happy to see that Vivo carried this over on S1 Pro.
The new S1 Pro now sports a Type C port rather than micro USB found on S1. This is a welcome feature, and while Vivo didn’t mention if it is able to output to HDMI or has better fast charging capabilities, I am satisfied to see the device having a more modern USB implementation.
Perhaps, its most glaring difference from the S1 is its set of new cameras. It features quad-camera setup with varying resolutions and apertures. S1 Pro now has 48MP + 8MP + 2MP (for Bokeh) + 2MP (for Macro) rear cameras and a 32MP front camera. The photos we took using these cameras with the non-retail unit we used during the preview are hit and miss. We expected this as we weren’t using a unit that will be sold by Vivo. Nevertheless, our team is positive that the photos we will take using the retail unit will come out way better than our photos in our full review.
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 1
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 2
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 3
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 4
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 5
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 6
- VIVO S1 Pro Sample Photo 7
Vivo will officially launch the S1 Pro this Wednesday. Be sure to check out our full review soon.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
