Vivo pioneered features and trends last year that other brands are now adapting on phones across different price points, but it’s been a while since Vivo last announced a flagship smartphone.

If images and sketches popping up on Weibo are any indication, however, Vivo seems to be gearing up for what could be the Vivo NEX 3. Here’s everything we know so far about Vivo’s upcoming release:

5G 

The latest image posted by NEX product manager Li Xiang points to a 5G-ready device, which, shouldn’t be a surprise for a flagship from Vivo. The company has been developing a 5G phone since last year.

Its sub-brand iQOO already showcased a 5G-enabled model of its gaming device at MWC Shanghai this year.

Headphone jack

The Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition came with a 3.5mm audio jack

Li Xiang also confirmed in a separate leak that the NEX 3 will still have a fan-favorite feature: a 3.5mm headphone jack. Both the original Vivo NEX and Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition retained the audio port. This makes its upcoming flagship one of the few remaining in the market to have the feature.

Circular camera

The rear cameras will maintain the circular shape first seen on the NEX Dual Display Edition. The design is inspired by a traditional wristwatch as seen in a sketch Li Xiang shared on Weibo. The sketch also shows that the upcoming smartphone will sport three cameras, instead of two.

No notch

The same sketch also shows a seamless display which could mean one of two things: the Vivo NEX 3 will have a pop-up selfie camera like the original NEX, or it’ll be the first retail smartphone to have an underscreen camera — a technology its sister company first teased at MWC Shanghai. If Vivo decides to use the latter, more than the selfies, what we’re curious to see is its implementation of face unlock, which is something Vivo ditched with the first NEX phone.

Waterfall screen

Lastly, the NEX 3 will seem to adapt another design feature OPPO teased just last month — an ultra-curved display inspired by waterfalls. This comes as no surprise as Vivo Design Director Kyle Hsiao shared that the idea behind the NEX line is to solve the notch problem, and come up with an all-display smartphone.

Super fast charging

Vivo Super FlashCharge 120W | GadgetMatch

Hsiao’s vision for the NEX line to always offer something different — something that breaks barriers. 5G will drain any smartphone’s battery faster than what we’re used to. Announced at MWC Shanghai 2019, Vivo’s Super FlashCharge 120W promises charge a large 4000 mAh battery from zero to 50 percent in just five minutes. Based on the company’s track record, features they first tease on prototype devices land on retail units immediately after, so the Vivo NEX 3 will likely come with this feature once it becomes available.

Availability

At MWC Shanghai 2019, Vivo also hinted that its first 5G phone will be available in the third quarter of 2019. While they didn’t specify the model of the smartphone then, it’s safe to assume that the first 5G phone under its belt would come from the NEX line.

What feature do you want to see on the Vivo NEX 3? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: GSMArena

WATCH: Vivo NEX 2 Preview

OPPO has confirmed it’ll be launching the Reno 2 on August 28 in India. For now, the brand has revealed it’ll have a quad-camera setup on the rear and one of the lenses will be able to deliver 20x optical zoom.

The teaser also confirmed the phone will sport a Sharkfin pop-up camera, just like the first generation Reno. It swings up from one side and looks a lot more attractive than a small square pop-up module.

Although the launch is scheduled for India, we’re confident the phone will be available in other international markets soon.

The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Edition, on the other hand, has a triple rear camera setup at the back, while the base variant only houses a dual rear camera setup. Hence, the Reno 2 will be quite an upgrade if the camera is your priority.

It’s unclear whether the Reno 2’s 20x zoom will be hybrid, digital, or periscope, functionality-wise. The previous offering came with a 6x periscope camera, 10x hybrid zoom, and 60x digital zoom.

Introducing #OPPOReno2 #Quadcam with #20xZoom. Coming first to India on 28.08.2019 pic.twitter.com/ySwRdeoXLa

— OPPO India (@oppomobileindia) August 16, 2019

A similar setup is also available on Huawei’s P30 Pro, but optical zoom is limited to 5x. With the new Reno-series, OPPO intends to grab the premium market. We expect the brand to release multiple variants of the phone to improve reach across every price bracket.

For the affordable price bracket, OPPO’s sister company Realme has been doing exceptionally well in developing markets. The Chinese-brand has been launching upper mid-range phones in India for quite some time but hasn’t been able to make a significant mark yet.

First announced at MWC 2019, Sony’s latest flagship — the Sony Xperia 1 — is now available in Singapore.

The headline feature of the Xperia 1 is its 6.5-inch 4K OLED display with a 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio. It also comes with HDR remastering technologies. Sony’s BRAVIA TV tech is present on the X1. Its mobile engine and color accuracy come together to show content as envisioned by professionals.

Specs and Features

Another main feature of the Xperia 1 are the three 12-megapixel rear shooters. Each has its respective lenses for wide landscapes (16mm), primary photography (26mm), and telephoto shooting (52mm).

The cameras are made in collaboration with Sony’s Alpha photo team. It inherits the Bionz X for mobile image processing. This enables the phone to have the world’s first Eye AF in a smartphone and continuous 10fps shooting with AF/AE tracking.

Inside Sony’s new flagship is the latest Snapdragon 855 processor with 6GB of memory and up to 128GB of expandable storage. It runs on a 3330mAh battery with Sony-developed Battery Care (slower overnight charging) and Smart Stamina mode. The phone has USB-C Power Delivery support for faster charging, as well.

Price and availability

The Xperia 1 in Black, Purple and Grey will be available in Singapore from 29 August 2019  at Sony Stores and the Sony flagship store on Lazada at a recommended retail price of SG$ 1,299 inclusive of GST.

Pre-Order period is from August 16 to 28, 2019. Pre-orders placed at Sony Stores and Lazada will be entitled to a free black WH-1000XM3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones while stocks last.

SEE ALSO: Sony WF-1000XM3: Masterclass in noise cancellation