When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.– Alfred Eisenstaedt
Not Long ago Janiqueel presented two new VIVO smartphones to the Singapore mobile market, the V7 and the Y65. With verve and style, both models were cracking into a crowded market. As I noted, the smartphones have features – notably superb cameras – that should be attractive to the prospective buyers.
Hard on the heels of the Singapore roll-out of these models comes news from Vivo China of a concept model – not available for sale, but a harbinger of features to come – the APEX. Here are some of the main features that have smartphone geeks yakking:
Bezel-less,
screen-to-body ratio 98%,
1/3-of-the-screen fingerprint reader,
Enables set to require TWO finger ID
any two of the user’s digits
Two prints from two different people,
pop-up selfie cam (so cool!),
front camera on an all screen phone – a first!
Screen SoundCasting
Bezel-less in smartphones “… ain’t the latest thing” as the Rolling Stones have it the underrated and little listened to (except by me an a few other cognoscenti) song, “Waiting on a Friend”. Pop for the US$1.29 in the iTunes store – you’ll thank me.
Where was I? Oh, yes, bezel-less smartphones. Once a novelty, now de rigeur. Spoiled for choice, one has a wide range of choices “either available now, set to be released soon or are still hot on the rumour mill.” The top ten according to Review Hub:
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
OnePlus 5T
UMiDigi Crystal
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
Elephant S8
MAZE Alpha
MAZE Alpha X
Doogee Mix 2
Bluboo S1
Bluboo S8+
Who knew? Close your eyes. I’ll pay for your Stones download if you can name five of those. You peeked! Deal’s off. Are these common household brand names? The only one I’ve heard of is the Elephant, and then only in the context of my recent trip to Sri Lanka. Read about that right here in Janiqueel (“Time and Dirt”).
All ten of Review Hub’s picks present the bezel-less paradigm to greater and lesser degrees. None, though, matches the Vivo Apex’s 98% screen-to-body ratio. Having a screen uncluttered by, well, anything else is the ultimate aim of bezel-less technology. It’s about appearance, trendiness, and flash. One practical result of the technology in the Apex’s csse is a massive fingerprint reader that enables the user to touch almost anywhere on the bottom of the screen to unlock. As mentioned, you can set it for two of your digits or two digits from two different people. I have to admit I don’t yet see a use for this, besides providing a failsafe system for launching a nuclear force. I’ve never launched a nuclear missile, see little reason to start now, but always willing to keep my options open.
Two features of the Apex that should appeal to most users are sound quality and camera excellence. “Optimal Hi-Fi quality” is how the press release has it. Three amplifiers are squeezed into a very small space and produce great sound. The space-saving technology increases interior space for a larger battery, ergo – longer batt life. “Screen SoundCasting” turns the entire display into a speaker. No need for a loudspeaker – a better audio experience.
For a better visual experience, the elevating from camera rises from the top of the unit when needed. I’d call it “pop-up.” – so last year. I wrote not long ago about Vivo’s V7 model: “Touted to be ‘the ultimate selfie-shooter’ the V7 features a technically advanced 24 MP front-facing camera and a fingerprint-from-display feature (the first in any smartphone) that shaves precious seconds off the time it takes to realise that your selfie has to be taken NOW! “ The Apex’s answers this burning need with its 8MP Elevating Front Camera, a selfie dream come true!
Clearly striving to show what the near future holds for smartphones, Vivo’ Apex points the way in an elegantly stylish, smoothly svelte unit. This is the future – and it’s here!