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

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.