The Vivo V19 has finally made its global debut after a slight delay due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The company was scheduled to launch the phone on March 26 in India but had to roll back the plan in cognizance of the national lockdown.

Thankfully, the phone will be available in many markets around the globe and Vivo is aiming to capture the midrange segment. However, this variant is slightly different from the one launched in Indonesia. It’s a possibility that the band could follow the same strategy in other markets as well.

Coming to the phone, it has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication. Obviously, the face unlock option is also available. The display has a cut-out that houses the dual-selfie cameras.

Powering the phone is a Snapdragon 712 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 265GB of internal storage. Backing these internals is a 4500mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging via USB-C.

On the rear is a quad-camera setup that consists of a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, the front gets a dual-camera setup that includes a 32-megapixel standard sensor and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens.

Just like all other phones, it’ll ship with FuntouchOS out-of-the-box. Unfortunately, the brand hasn’t revealed its price yet but we do know it’ll be available in Gleam Black and Sleek Silver color options.

India is on a 21-day lockdown until 15 April due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the government is allowing movement of only “essential” commodities. The complete closure means there are no smartphone retail stores open for business and online marketplaces too can’t ship smartphones.

In response, an apex industry body of the mobile and electronics industry in the country called India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has written to the government. It’s urging the authorities to allow online sales of mobile phones, laptops, computers and tablet PCs. Furthermore, it wants servicing and maintenance of these products to also be categorized as “essential”.

The letter has been addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to relax the definition of essential. It’s evident that smartphone makers have taken a huge hit since they’re unable to sell a single phone for a period of at least 21 days.

According to CounterPoint research’s latest Q4 2019 report, the country saw shipments of 158 million smartphone units. India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market. So it’s natural that a 21-day lockdown would drastically affect brands who are now used to launching a new phone every other month.

India’s appetite for smartphones is unmatchable. Even supply-chain masters like Xiaomi struggle to keep up with the demand and their now-independent brand POCO had to rely on a flash sale model to ship the POCO X2. The demand is unprecedented. Backed by the cheapest data availability in the world.

ICEA, however, clarified that it does support the lockdown to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Moreover, it’s asking for permission to start online sales in Tier 1 and 2 cities, while allowing the opening of stores, with safety measures, in Tier 3 and 4 cities.

What’s the current definition of “essential”?

Considering the government notification, essential services include goods like groceries, vegetables, and medicines. These commodities can continue moving around like they used to. The lockdown means citizens are expected to stay indoors all the time, companies have been told to vacate offices and completely shift to “work from home” model.

Only a few personnel are allowed to leave and venture outside. This includes law enforcement personnel, municipal workers, healthcare professionals, and banking or financial services staff to ensure the backbone of the country isn’t shut down.

Smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced it’ll donate N95 masks and protective suits to state governments, hospitals, and police forces this week in India. Coronavirus has spread like wildfire across the globe and institutions are rushing to counter the fatal virus.

The N95 masks will be distributed with Karnataka, Punjab and Delhi governments, respectively. While hazardous materials suits will be given to a few government hospitals like AIIMS and St. Johns in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Manu Kumar Jain, the Global Vice President of Xiaomi and Managing Director of Xiaomi India said they’re closing working with authorities to distribute these resources. The smartphone and television maker has become a household brand in the country and has been at the forefront of fighting the crisis.

Further, the company has also canceled business travels, external meetings, and even asked their office employees to work from home and maintain social distancing. I’ve personally been to the Xiaomi HQ in Bengaluru recently and can confirm that their standards of precaution are extremely high. Instead of shaking hands, we now do a traditional Indian “namaste” to great each other.

Namaste! 🙏 3 hours to go for incredible #RedmiNote series launch.@XiaomiIndia team is ready, while taking all precautions. 😷

Please join us for online launch at 12 noon & win gifts worth ₹9 lakhs! 💵 Check out 👉 https://t.co/noG2e4K5X8#Xiaomi ❤️ #Redmi #ILoveRedmiNote pic.twitter.com/BGIzfiXGL6

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) March 12, 2020

All Xiaomi authorized service centers are ensuring that there are not more than 4 customers at any given time through an online token system. Additionally, all Mi Home staff also wears masks at all times and keeps their hands sanitized for walk-in customers.

A couple of weeks ago, Jain urged India’s corporates to divert advertising and marketing funds to fight the crisis. India’s popular cricket tournament IPL (Indian Premier League) has been canceled and companies are known for spending hundreds of millions on sponsorships. He urged companies to do the right thing.

Xiaomi has a 28 percent market share in India’s smartphone market and has been leading the segment for almost two years now. They’ve canceled all launch events to avoid social gathering and even the Redmi Note 9 Pro series was launched via a live stream.

SEE ALSO: How to disinfect your tech from the coronavirus

As general rules, the CDC or The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed these to help with preventing the spread of COVID-19:

• Stay home when sick
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Frequently wash hands with soap and water
• Clean frequently touched surfaces

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