Duke, Managing Director of vivo Bangladesh sheds light on the next generation of camera technology in the new vivo X80 5G, and expands on the company’s relentless pursuit in R&D to provide the best in technology to its customers.

Managing Director
vivo Bangladesh
vivo has been a leading technology brand and has researched and developed multiple innovations in Bangladesh. Could you please elaborate on how the newly launched X80 5G is going to continue the innovation story?
We at vivo have established a rich legacy of ‘industry-firsts’ innovations. From being the first to put a dedicated Hi-Fi quality audio chip in a smartphone, to breaking records for the world’s thinnest smartphone, we are committed to pursuing the newest experiences in technology. The brand has pioneered in-display fingerprint scanning technology, pop-up and dual pop-up cameras, optical image stabilization (OIS), gimbal stabilisation technology, multi-turbo engine and many more. The vivo V1+ chip, which is a fully customised integrated circuit chip dedicated to imaging and video applications, marks a key milestone in vivo’s inaugural breakthrough in independent R&D capabilities.
The brand follows the Benfen philosophy – doing the right things, the right way, and keeping an unbiased mind – and delivers groundbreaking technology and ultimate user experience. We look forward to deepening our relationship with our customers who have a passion for photography and cutting-edge smartphone technology.
As we march towards a digitally linked future under the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ agenda, cameras are becoming more vital for smartphone consumers. Recognising this need, vivo has teamed up with ZEISS, the world’s leading manufacturer in the field of optics and optoelectronics, and has co-engineered the X80 5G – a futuristic camera system that blurs the line between professional and mobile photography. The X80 5G has introduced premium mobile imaging software and hardware features that are designed specifically for creative professionals and camera lovers who want to enjoy professional-grade photography.
You had launched the V1 Chip late in 2021 and an elevated version of that is present in the X80 5G. Could you please elaborate on the upgrades that are on the vivo V1+ Chip in the X80 5G?
The V1+ chip is a professional imaging chip customized by vivo with its design rooted in in-depth knowledge of products and user experiences. It has a super built-in AI image quality system and uses its innovative architecture to deliver state-of-the-art effects in imaging and display. The V1+ chip achieves professional-grade visual enhancement in numerous scenarios including gaming, watching videos, and night photography. The V1+ chip runs a night video algorithm that offers AI scene detections and optimises both power consumption and video output quality.
VIVO HAS TEAMED UP WITH ZEISS, THE WORLD’S LEADING MANUFACTURER IN THE FIELD OF OPTICS AND OPTOELECTRONICS, AND HAS CO-ENGINEERED THE X80 5G – A FUTURISTIC CAMERA SYSTEM THAT BLURS THE LINE BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL AND MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY.
The brand has brought a sentimental value to people with ‘Stories. Redefined.’ campaign. What have been the people’s reactions to this campaign? What do you think was the most appealing factor in creating a bond with users who wish to capture their stories cinematically?
Under the ‘Stories. Redefined.’ campaign, vivo is seeking creative minds to offer short stories with fascinating concepts. We are encouraging young filmmakers and creative people to pursue their dreams by exhibiting how a smartphone can be used to tell great stories. It’s an important campaign that touches people’s lives and promotes smartphones as a tool for sharing intriguing stories with the rest of the world.
‘Stories. Redefined.’ is receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. The partnership with the top line director, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, cinematographer Rashed Zaman and cricket commentator and former Bangladeshi cricketer, Athar Ali Khan, has enabled a superior storytelling experience with unmatched creativity. Propelling the storytellers, vivo has powered creativity, and self-expression using its advanced X80 5G features with an upgraded medium for creating, sharing, and communicating stories with the world. With this initiative, we are delving into the brains of the younger generation and seeing their perspectives on new-age storytelling. We are encouraging them to speak their minds, their way, professionally.
With the latest launch of the X80 5G, what are some of the key features and technological breakthroughs in this smartphone?
In pursuit of vivo’s commitment to delivering an intelligent camera experience to its users, we have collaborated with ZEISS for more than one year to co-engineer an intelligent imaging system for our high-end flagship smartphones. Built on the vivo X series’ professional mobile photography foundations, the X80 5G, with its flagship performance and innovations, exhibits the relentless pursuit for the perfect user experience in photography and videography. For the first time, the X80 5G offers cinematic-style video. The new ZEISS Cinematic Video Bokeh feature uses vivo’s cinematic lens simulation algorithm and depth-of-field on the dual cameras.
X80 5G is equipped with the latest iteration of vivo’s imaging chip, the vivo V1+ Chip. Its built-in AI system delivers professional-level visual improvements using AI Video Enhancement, the results of which produce an unparalleled visual experience for gaming, surfing and shooting. The smartphone comes with a 32 MP front camera and a rear camera system consisting of a 50 MP Ultra-Sensing sensor camera, a 12 MP portrait camera, and a new 12 MP wide-angle camera. The 50 MP ultra-sensing main camera has a new ultra-sensing IMX866 RGBW sensor that delivers images in greater detail and improves the camera performance in dark and low-light scenarios. The ZEISS T* Coating on the rear cameras enhances light transmission and helps to reduce artefacts such as flares and ghostings. Other innovations include sport mode, portrait tracking technology, active-centering OIS system and 360° horizon levelling stabilization.
Could you please elaborate on the X Series’ approach to cater to design-centric innovations?
Following a customer-centric approach, vivo conducts rigorous studies to understand the consumers’ pain points and their evolving preferences for sophisticated technologies. We have built our X Series to meet the ever-changing needs of those who work, create and design stories that blend the camera technology seamlessly into the art of storytelling through photography and videography. The X80 5G features a modern and sophisticated design and is smartly crafted with high-end materials to ensure a premium in-hand feel. The X80 5G encases the lens within a circle motif that provides an interesting visual design and highlights ZEISS’ Professional Imaging power. The smartphone looks ultra-modern, fashionable, and sleek and stands tall for its user-centricity and design-driven innovation. It is offered in two beautiful colour variants – Cosmic Black and Urban Blue. Cosmic Black represents the broad and profound nature of the night sky along with the vitality and the everlasting power of the universe, while Urban Blue is designed with the colour of the light blue sea – an escape away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, evoking feelings of relaxation, ease, and joy. The striking design of the X80 5G makes it photo-worthy in outdoor locations, creating an entirely new type of experience for our local users.
“vivo is empowering the users to turn their daily life into a blockbuster using vivo ZEISS co-engineered imaging systems.” Could you elaborate on how X80 5G will add value to the customers’ lives with its interesting features?
Our brains are hard-wired to engage in storytelling and videos are a great way to tell a story and engage with the local audience. Interestingly captured shots and frames give an opportunity to connect more emotionally with prospects and users through these films. The X80 5G’s 50MP Ultra-Sensing Sensor has been designed to power every moment of learning, creating, and exploring frames. Bringing together all the new features like the active centering OIS system, 360° horizon levelling stabilization and portrait tracking technology would prove to be excellent features to help communicate interesting storylines using different techniques and make videos a go-to-medium. The X80 5G holds the capacity to shoot life as is and let the users establish authority and a more personal feel to the message.
The X80 5G is tailor-made to cater to high-value customers, photography enthusiasts and industry professionals looking for a high-grade, elegant smartphone with professional-level camera features. This smartphone also marks the beginning of a new era of stabilisation in the industry to achieve a professional photography experience.
What new features or improvements have been made for the X80 5G in portrait capture – a very popular feature in your last X Series launch?
ZEISS portrait bokeh styles in X70 Pro are highly popular with consumers. For the X80 5G, vivo has partnered with ZEISS to offer the new ZEISS Cinematic Style Bokeh feature for portrait photos and the new ZEISS Cinematic Video Bokeh feature for videos. The bokeh effect creates the familiar cinematic look for images, with unique oval bokeh in portrait background and a 2.39:1 aspect ratio in videos. This effect helps to convey that the subject is clear and the background is blurred to produce a low depth-of-field bokeh, enabling users to highlight the subject and make the pictures more expressive. When ZEISS Cinematic Style Bokeh is turned on to static portrait photos, the algorithm can identify point light sources, create artistic blue streaks, and produce film-like portrait images with just one tap.
In addition, Micron Skin Rejuvenation and Shaping technology, exclusively added to the X80 5G series, creates studio-quality portraits with AI Skin Retouching and AI HD algorithms. vivo’s cutting-edge AI team has worked with aesthetic experts and professional photographers on the development of this technology. They used tens of thousands of high-quality and post-production images to train the AI model for the algorithm to produce an ideal result. Faces appear clear and authentic to real life, have a healthy complexion, and details such as skin texture and pores are accurately portrayed. With this technology, users can carry out professional-looking portrait retouching on their smartphones.
In addition to single-person portrait optimisation, X80 5G has also introduced AI Group Portrait technology. This technology can make the finished picture appear clear even if the input image is blurry. AI Group Portrait can support group photos of approximately 3 to 30 people. When harnessing the AI HD Group Photo algorithm, this feature uses AI HD Algorithm and 3D Complexion to enhance every face to have a clear complexion.
What is the future of Mobile Imaging? As a camera-centric brand, what is vivo’s vision?
Mobile photography is the future, and as a camera-centric brand, vivo realises that cameras are one of the top priorities for customers. Therefore, vivo will continue to innovate and produce user-friendly smartphones equipped with intelligent technology that make lives easier and photography a joyful experience. vivo and ZEISS aim to take mobile imaging to greater heights with creations such as new portrait photography features or lens coating that makes glass ‘invisible.’ For instance, our X80 5G has the vivo V1+ Chip which sheds light on mobile photography and video recording. With a team of 300 experts spread over a period of 24 months, the chip is the result of vivo’s research and development project. In addition, vivo and ZEISS are working on the implementation of glass lenses for better imaging performance, especially when it comes to high light transmittance, ultra-low dispersion, and strong thermal stability. The point being that a lot is happening in terms of mobile imaging. Smartphone brands are gearing up for the future and as always, vivo intends to produce technologies that keep its customers happy.