News

vivo unveils the much anticipated X100 Ultra

The brand’s first “Ultra” smartphone

Published

May 13, 2024

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

As the saying goes: “Once is enough, twice is too much” — but that doesn’t exist in vivo’s vocabulary.

Just this May 13, 2024, exactly six months after the X100 series‘ November 13 release, the Chinese phone maker announces not just one, but three new flavors to their already superb X100 duo.

X100 Ultra

Fans and naysayers alike all waited for the Ultra variant of the X100 ever since the reveal of the vanilla and Pro models last year.

This not only kills their used-to-be top-of-the-line “Pro+” model (X90 Pro+ to be very specific), it also marks vivo’s first ever Ultra smartphone. They’ve joined forces with the rest of Android smartphone brands pioneered by Samsung, as well as other homegrown brands like Xiaomi, motorola, ZTE, OPPO, and just recently, HUAWEI.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

But what makes the vivo X100 Ultra an “Ultra”? Well, the crème de la crème is its revamped camera hardware.

While it has a similarly-looking eclipse-like camera bump, it has a distinct square-like layout instead of the diamond pattern found on the less-powerful X100 and X100s series.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Ditching the Sony IMX989 is a newer Sony LYT-900 1-inch main sensor, specifically found on the likes of the OPPO Find X7 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

But the game-changer is none other than the new class-leading 200MP f/2.67 periscope telephoto lens based on the new Samsung ISOCELL HP9 1/1.4-inch sensor — the biggest in any smartphone camera just yet.

That’s with 3.7x optical zoom and a focal length that goes as far as 460mm. vivo even flaunts how it can zoom up to 30x while in video recording mode with ample clarity and image quality retention. While on the topic, it’s also worthy to point out that the vivo X100 Ultra is one among the few smartphones that can shoot 4K in 120fps slo-mo.

Another main feat that makes it even more special is its ZEISS APO floating lens design — which already made its debut on the X100 Pro. Speaking of, ZEISS T* coating plus the signature Biotar, Sonnar, Planar, Distagon, and B-speed ZEISS portrait lens mode all still remain as vivo signifies that their partnership is growing stronger than ever.

Finally, there’s the 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens with a 116-degree FoV (Field of View), as well as a 50MP f/2.45 front camera.

To make it more ultra-packed than ever, vivo also debuts their very own BlueImage technology that incorporates not just its new V3+ imaging chip, but also better image processing algorithms in the long run that will solve most smartphone cameras’ dilemma.

More “Ultra” features under the hood are none other than the class-leading Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm pocessor with Adreno 750 GPU — which is the only X100 model to have it.

Users can opt from either 256/512GB or 1TB storage options (in a speedy UFS 4.0 standard) plus choices between 12 or 16GB of LPDDR5X memory.

The already outstanding 6.78-inch E7 OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 2K resolution from the X100 Pro is expected to remain. That’s also with 3000nits peak brightness, pixel density of 517ppi, PWM dimming at 1440Hz, DCI-P3 wide color gamut, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision support.

Moreover, the X100 Ultra packs an even larger 5500mAh battery — 100mAh more than its Pro counterpart. Albeit, a slightly slower 80W wired FlashCharge and 30W wireless FlashCharge speeds (versus X100 Pro’s 100W + 50W protocol).

Lastly, it’s also the very first smartphone to feature a dual IP69 + IP68 rating. It’s also future-proof with Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless wireless audio technology, support for 5.5G connectivity, as well as two-way satellite communication service in Mainland China.

X100s + X100s Pro

vivo supplies different suffixes for their smartphone line. While their midrange S-line in China (or V globally) has “e”, their budget-friendly Y-line has “t” and “i”, there’s “s” in their flagship X-series.

The “s” branding might mean “super”, “slightly tweaked” or “somewhat improved”, but the new X100s and X100s Pro have truly brought improvements to the table over its predecessors.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

One of the key differences between the base and the Pro variants of the X100s are its form factor.

To put it in simpler terms, the vanilla variant has flat edges and display. Meanwhile, the Pro, like recent “Pro” Android flagships, has slight curves around its display and curved edges for better hand feel.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Still, the display size is similar with a changed tech compared to its Ultra sibling: 6.78-inch 1.5K 8T LTPO display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, 3000 nits of peak brightness, and 2160Hz PWM dimming.

vivo has even managed to make the base X100s even thinner — from the 8.8mm of X100 down to just a merely 7.8mm thin!

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Battery and charging are slightly tweaked as well. The X100s has a 5100mAh battery while its Pro sibling shares the bigger 5400mAh battery like the X100 Pro. Both have 100W wired FlashCharge support but only the X100s Pro supports wireless charging of up to 50W.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

What the two models have in common is having an improved MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ 4nm processor with Immortalis-G720 graphics that promises increased CPU and GPU performance with less energy consumption compared to the last generation.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

As for its camera system, both phones share the same as the X100 — all with the ZEISS goodies. The only difference is that the X100s uses V2 imaging chip while the X100s Pro uses the newer V3 chip like its X100 Pro counterpart.

As expected, all models run OriginOS 4 based on Android 14. The special SLR-like camera UI are all available on the three models as well.

Pricing and Availability

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The vivo X100 Ultra and X100s Pro are available in Titanium, White Moonlight, and Darkness of the Night (Black) colorways.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Meanwhile, the vanilla X100s has unique Deep Space Ash and Blue Cloud offerings aside from the usual Titanium and White Moonlight.

Configuration and respective prices of each model are as follows:

X100s

12+256GB = CNY 3999 (US$ 553 / EUR 515 / GBP 443 / SG$ 750 / PhP 31,745 / INR 46,196)
16+256GB = CNY 4399 (US$ 609 / EUR 567 / GBP 487 / SG$ 826 / PhP 34,921 / INR 50,817)
16+512GB = CNY 4699 (US$ 650 / EUR 605 / GBP 521 / SG$ 882 / PhP 37,302 / INR 54,282)
16+1TB = CNY 5199 (US$ 719 / EUR 670 / GBP 576 / SG$ 977 / PhP 41,272 / INR 60,058)

X100s Pro

12+256GB = CNY 4999 (US$ 691 / EUR 644 / GBP 554 / SG$ 938 / PhP 39,684 / INR 57,748)
16+512GB = CNY 5599 (US$ 775 / EUR 721 / GBP 620 / SG$ 1050 / PhP 44,447 / INR 64,679)
16+1TB = CNY 6199 (US$ 857 / EUR 798 / GBP 687 / SG$ 1163 / PhP 49,211 / INR 71,610)

X100 Ultra

12+256GB = CNY 6499 (US$ 900 / EUR 835 / GBP 718 / SG$ 1218 / PhP 51,687 / INR 75,122)
16+512GB = CNY 7299 (US$ 1010 / EUR 937 / GBP 807 / SG$ 1367 / PhP 58,049 / INR 84,370)
16+1TB = CNY 7999 (US$ 1107 / EUR 1027 / GBP 884 / SG$ 1499 / PhP 63,616 / INR 92,461)

In collaboration with SmallRig, vivo offers an optional SLR-like accessory for the X100 Ultra that costs as little as CNY 399 (US$ 55 / EUR 51 / GBP 44 / SG$ 75 / PhP 3173 / INR 4612).

Pre-orders for vivo’s newest flagship phones start this May 13, 2024. The X100s and X100s Pro go on sale on May 17 (Friday) while the X100 Ultra will be on the 28th (Tuesday).

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Just like any other Chinese phone announcement, there’s no word on global availability. Still, we are hoping vivo would at least bring the X100 Ultra outside China to make way for a very competitive list of “Ultra” smartphones. After all, they’re the official partner of the 2024 UEFA EURO Cup hosted by Germany.

News

Is the Pixel 11 copying a feature from Nothing?

A new ad is hinting at something like the Glyph interface.

Published

July 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

August 12 cannot come soon enough. On that date, Google is set to launch the upcoming Pixel 11 series. There isn’t much to indicate that the brand is changing the formula this year. Now, a rampant rumor, now seemingly confirmed by Google’s own ad, is hinting that a popular feature from Nothing is making its way to the Pixel.

Besides the transparent rear, Nothing prides itself with numerous iterations of the Glyph interface, a lighting system that serves as customized notifications for your phone. It’s mostly a novelty, but the feature is a unique take in a smartphone market plagued with too much sameness. It looks like Google wants to take a page from that same notebook.

For a while now, it’s been rumored that Google is adopting a version of the feature for the Pixel 11 series. The so-called Pixel Glow will reportedly add a light-based notification feature. Now, Google itself has seemingly confirmed the rumors.

In a new ad, titled “The Obvious Next Move,” Google is teasing a new feature coming to the flagship series. Though the ad leaves the feature untitled and without a description, it’s clear that it’s a circular glowing thing similar to Nothing’s take. The glowing thing is right on the Pixel’s iconic camera bar, just like Nothing.

But again, Google didn’t name the feature. However, if it helps, the ad says that we already use the Pixel for Gmail, Maps, Search, Calendar, and Docs, so the next evolution is whatever is depicted in this ad. August 12 really cannot come soon enough.

News

HONOR debuts refreshed brand identity ahead of Robot Phone launch

New imaging engine announced; HONOR, ARRI team up to bring cinematic workflow to mobile creation

Published

July 30, 2026

GadgetMatch

Ahead of the launch of its Robot Phone, HONOR has revealed a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and the slogan “Dare to Be.”

The brand new logo represents breaking through an endless circle, as mentioned on the description in HONOR’s posts.

It’s about forging a path unlike any other, and continuously innovating instead of settling. This way, it also represents HONOR’s long-term vision for the AI era and its ambition to build an intelligent ecosystem that extends beyond smartphones.

The HONOR Robot Phone is set to launch in China on August 12. It will officially bring an entirely new form factor for smartphones, designed to redefine the relationship between AI and mobile devices.

More recently in Hengdian, China, HONOR hosted the HONOR Imaging Technology Launch where the company introduced its latest mobile imaging technologies.

During the event, HONOR introduced the Optics-Intelligence Evolution principle behind its imaging strategy.

It also showcased its HONOR AiMAGE chip-device-cloud imaging engine, and announced a joint imaging technology lab with ARRI.

New AiMAGE imaging engine

Instead of only focusing on camera specifications, HONOR is building a more complete mobile imaging technology system across professional image capture, AI-powered processing, cinematic color science, and creator-focused workflows.

To support such workflows, HONOR has built a chip-device-cloud AiMAGE imaging engine. This connects the full imaging chain from physical capture to intelligent creation.

HONOR is developing a self-developed Transformer-based native AI ISP to reconstruct the image processing pipeline from the ground up.

This works alongside a next-generation pixel array and EVS sensor technology, designed to improve original image capture.

On the device side, HONOR is combining physical imaging hardware with real-time algorithms. As with the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone, there’s a titanium alloy three-axis gimbal, precision sensing hardware optical technologies, and real-time image processing algorithms.

Lastly, on the cloud side, HONOR is expanding imaging capabilities through RAW-domain image enhancement, spatial imaging technologies, and Imaging Agent tools.

ARRI image science, professional workflows for mobile creation

Furthermore, the partnership with ARRI enables HONOR to integrate selected elements of professional cinema workflow into mobile imaging.

This includes ARRI LogC3, ARRI Wide Gamut 3, and ARRI Looks. These bring a more professional color and workflow foundation to the Robot Phone.

Unlike simple filters, LogC3 and Looks are part of a professional imaging workflow. The former is designed to preserve more brightness and color information for post-production.

Meanwhile, Wide Gamut 3 provides broader color space. ARRI Looks, on the other hand, helps creators apply controlled cinematic styles.

Together, these add-ons support a workflow that gives creators greater flexibility from capture to editing, while helping mobile footage retain more creative information.

To deepen the connection, HONOR and ARRI have also announced a joint imaging technology lab.

This will focus on three key areas:

sensor-level optics and dynamic range;
end-to-end cinema industry workflow from capture to post-production; and
imaging realism and aesthetic standards in the AI era

Entertainment

UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October

Determination arrives in October.

Published

July 28, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.

On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.

In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.

Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.