Introduction
Following the footsteps of its two predecessors, the third generation vivo NEX is the epitome of innovation. With the first one we got a full-screen design, with the second one we got full-screen design plus a second display on the back and with the NEX 3, we have another interesting take on smartphone design - curved Waterfall panel that still retains the full-screen looks and brings the curves to another level.
We've seen smartphones with curved screens before, and they've become even more popular the last two years or so, but we haven't come across a handset with such extreme curves that go almost to 90-degrees. It's the first in the industry with such panel, and there's a lengthy development process behind it.
The NEX 3 doesn't have any hardware buttons on its sides - instead, you get pressure-sensitive keys with haptic feedback.
vivo NEX 3 specs
- Body:Reinforced front curved glass, aluminum side frame
- Screen: 6.89" E3 Super AMOLED, FHD+ (1080 x 2256px) resolution.
- Camera: Primary: 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor 1/1.7", PDAF; Telephoto: 13MP f/2.5 2x optical zoom, PDAF; Ultra wide-angle: 13MP f/2.2, 120-degree FoV, PDAF with macro mode from 2.5 cm.
- Selfie cam: Motorized pop-up 16MP, f/2.1 aperture; additional sensor for low-light scenes.
- Chipset: Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm), octa-core (1x2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 485), Adreno 640 GPU (700 MHz).
- Memory: 8/12GB RAM, 256GB UFS 3.0 built-in storage.
- OS: Android 9.0 Pie, FuntouchOS 9.1.
- Battery: 4,500 mAh 44W Super FlashCharge.
- Connectivity: Dual SIM; USB-C (USB 3.0), Wi-Fi, Buetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC. 5G support
- Misc:Under-display fingerprint reader, pressure-sensitive side buttons with haptic feedback, pop-up selfie camera.
The NEX 3 is built around 5G from the ground up. To counteract some of the drawbacks, which 5G connectivity brings, vivo has put a huge battery inside the phone. It supports fast-charging - up to 44W. Now let's take a look at what's inside the box.
Unboxing the vivo NEX 3
We were presented with a big box containing not only the smartphone itself but a couple of accessories too. Of course, the 44W-capable charger is in there with the corresponding USB-A to USB-C cable used not only for charging but for data transfer as well.
Unboxing the vivo NEX 3
The box also carries a pair of earbuds and a faux leather case for protection but doesn't get in the way of the curved-screen design.
Design and hands-on impressions
Undoubtedly, the vivo NEX 3 is a gorgeous phone. This is one of the best smartphone designs we've seen lately. It looks great from the front, it looks great from the back and it's stunning from the side. However, no matter how you look at it, it's a huge phone and it's hard to operate with one hand. Vivo says the curved sides make the phone feel like a 5.5-inch handset even though the actual diagonal is 6.89. But that's not entirely true. Reaching for the top side of the display is a proper stretch. And it's heavy too.
And as for the screen itself - it's nice to look at from the front and you can mistake it for a Galaxy Note10+ - but without the punch-hole. Vivo doesn't say what kind of protection the glass panel uses but it's not Gorilla Glass, that's for sure. Engineers had to come out with a custom solution to achieve such aggressive curves without making the edges look bad.
Vivo did say it's an AMOLED panel from Samsung. And don't worry about accidental touches as vivo says the palm rejection software is already at version 4.0 and realigns the effective touch area depending on the current screen orientation. That's definitely a good thing as the NEX 3 has really thin bezels so no matter how you hold it, you are bound to touch the screen somewhere.
The thin frame called for removing the side buttons so you get pressure-sensitive sensors with haptic feedback that act as a power button and volume keys. Just like the HTC U12+ from last year but the execution here is considerably better. Maybe because vivo used 7 pressure sensors to mimic actual buttons.
The virtual power button is placed on the right side with small grooves that fall right under your right thumb while the volume keys are on both ends of the grooved area. They are all within your thumb's reach and don't require any uncomfortable finger gymnastics.
As far as usability goes - the buttons are fine. For the short time we used them, they didn't appear to be any better or worse than actual hardware keys. The haptic feedback is good enough. They do take some time getting used to.
While we are on the sides, there's a really small button on the top side, right next to the camera pop-up mechanism. This button is used for hard reset and screen lock only but it's too small and awkwardly placed to be used for everyday use.
Then again, if anything goes wrong and you need to reset the phone, vivo says the virtual power button should work just as well as it's independent of the OS and has its own power supply.
Going around the back, the panel houses a circular camera module, which in turn holds three camera sensors - a 64MP main unit, a 13MP ultra wide-angle camera, and a 13MP telephoto snapper. The bump isn't too big. The back glass isn't as curved as the front one but it's enough to help with the grip. It features an S-shaped wavy reflection that looks pretty nice in person.
Finally, the pop-up mechanism has been significantly upgraded, too. It's bigger than the one on the first NEX as it houses two sensors and it looks better this way. One of the sensors is a proper selfie shooter while the secondary one isn't a camera, but it should somehow help in low-light - we're yet to learn how.
As you've probably guessed, an official IP rating is a no-go. The SIM tray does have a rubber sealing, and vivo said the phone would withstand a splash or two but that's about it.
But enough about the design. Let's take a closer look at what's under the hood because there's plenty to go through.
Internals and features
Like most late 2019 flagship, the NEX 3 sports a Snapdragon 855+ chipset too. It's paired with either 8 or 12GB of RAM while internal storage is 256GB of the UFS 3.0 kind, which means read and write speeds are as fast as they get.
As we said earlier, the phone is build around 5G but there's also a non-5G variant. The handset uses Qualcomm's X50 5G modem supporting only sub-6GHz bands and vivo tackled all of the issues an early 5G adopter would have.
For starters, unlike the competition, the NEX 3 has six antennas instead of four, so it doesn't matter how you hold the device, there won't be any issues with connection stability. Secondly, there's a big vapor chamber dedicated to the 5G modem, which should reduce heat by 10ºC. And lastly - power consumption. Like every 5G solution where the modem is not built into the chipset, there's an increased higher power draw. The vivo NEX 3 tackles this the old-fashioned way - with a huge 4,500mAh battery, which in turn can charge really fast using the 44W SuperFlash Charge technology from the company.
Going back to the display itself, it turns out it's as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. The 6.89-inch Waterfall FullView display uses an E3 Super AMOLED panel by Samsung peaking at an impressive 800 nits maximum brightness. It also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 and sRGB color spaces while supporting HDR10 video.
The camera array has a few cool tricks up its sleeve too. The main one uses Samsung's latest Bright GW1 64MP sensor coupled with f/1.8 aperture. There's no word of OIS, though. Effectively, the sensor outputs 16MP images, which should look great coming from the huge 1/1.7" sensor.
The two other cameras are the usual suspects - an ultra-wide one and a telephoto. The former is 13MP with f/2.2 aperture and autofocus capable of taking macro shots from a minimum distance of only 2.5cm. The telephoto snapper is again 13MP but with an f/2.5 aperture.
This leaves with the selfie camera only, which is 16MP and has f/2.1 aperture. Sadly, fixed focus too. There's a secondary sensor right next to the selfie shooter that should help in low-light situations but vivo didn't disclose any details surrounding the said sensor. It's not a camera by the looks of it.
More importantly, the pop-up mechanism has been significantly improved - it's faster and more durable. It takes just 0.65 seconds to bring out the camera - that's mighty impressive. The robotic sounds are still pretty entertaining, and you can disable them if that's not your thing.
While we are on the topic of cameras, there's one under the display too. Of course, it's not for your face but for your finger. Vivo says the under-display fingerprint reader is 25% larger than last year's generation ensuring faster readouts and less unsuccessful attempts.
Another notable feature is the independent AK4377A audio Hi-Fi chip for excellent audio output quality.
Wrap-up
With a third model in the running, it's hard to associate the NEX lineup with a particular feature or form factor. The original NEX S brought us the first pop-up selfie design. The NEX Dual Display is yet to be matched by any of its competitors. And the NEX 3 is another innovative device in its own way.
It's fair to say, the NEX lineup is about experimentation - it's about breaking the mold and surprising us with innovation.
Having said that, it's only natural to expect a premium price tag. In its home country, the starting price of the handset is around €650 for the non-5G iteration with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Going for the 5G modem will get you double the storage and 12GB of RAM, but the asking price is €800. Outside of Asia, with extra imports taxes and fees, the prices will definitely go up.
This means that the phone has to fight with the best in class flagships on all fronts - display, camera, battery life, features, etc. But vivo seems confident enough that the NEX 3 is a do-it-all flagship offering an exotic and innovative design.
Starting Sept 21, the phone will be available in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia. Vivo says it's in talks with various US and European retailers and carriers, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
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