The day that two photography icons, ZEISS and Leica, square off against one another in the fastest-growing smartphone market globally, March 7, 2024, will go down in history. Not exactly directly, nor in the manner you might expect, but rather via alliances they’ve formed with Vivo (ZEISS) and Xiaomi (Leica), two Chinese OEMs. While Xiaomi will debut the Xiaomi 14 at an unknown time on the same day as Vivo launches the V30 Pro, both launches will take place at noon.
There is no major surprise in the Xiaomi 14. It was first introduced in China last year, and Xiaomi just introduced it, along with the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, to international markets at the MWC 2024. In short, it’s a flagship phone that has the strength to compete head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 Pro. One recent addition is the Vivo V30 Pro. It was announced today, although no specific price was given. We can continue to speculate, but one thing is sure. As a midrange phone, it will cost less money-at least when compared to the Xiaomi 14.
The Xiaomi 14 and Vivo V30 Pro are very different. However, camera enthusiasts might find the Vivo to be more appealing. This is due to the fact that nothing like has ever occurred before. All of the current brands-Oppo, OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi, and other names that, strangely enough, are all Chinese-have saved their camera collaborations for their higher-end models. Though the designs of the OnePlus 12 and 12R are very similar, only the 12 is worthy of a Hasselblad. It’s practically a dead giveaway at this point.
However, the V30 Pro is unique; it’s a first-of-its-kind device that, at least in theory, promises to revolutionize the market by accomplishing a feat that no other company has yet accomplished. Of course, there are no guarantees, but at worst, it might serve as a case study for how these collaborations might work out in the future and how different price points are handled by businesses.
Given Vivo’s partnership with ZEISS, the X100 Pro is, in my opinion, among the greatest camera phones available in 2024. If anything, it heightens my excitement for the V30 Pro because, if it lives up to expectations, if it is even half as excellent, it will hopefully be the beginning of something new, a pattern that others will gradually follow. Additionally, I think Vivo will find success with it. More people will have access to the V30 Pro, and if they do, and they like it, they could eventually want to move to an X-series phone. Since I know what to expect from the Xiaomi 14, I am perhaps more excited about the Vivo V30 Pro than I am about the Xiaomi 14, but that’s because the possibilities are unlimited. These days, not many smartphones inspire that kind of feeling. Congratulations to Vivo for successfully releasing a surprise.
And props to Vivo in particular for not cutting corners when it comes to hardware (these agreements come at a cost, so the math will probably be challenging). With its stunning slim and light design, MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, 6.78-inch 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED display with 2,800 nits of peak brightness, Android 14, 50MP triple rear cameras (as well as a 50MP selfie camera with 4K recording), and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging, the V30 Pro is a powerful device.
