Beyond Body
Balancing Slimness, Portability, and Functionality
Beyond Style
Complementing Style with Ultimate Performance
Beyond Touch and Feel
Experimenting with Unexpected Materials
vivo Design Awards
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Beyond Body
vivo has made a bold statement, delivering some of the slimmest smartphones on the market. In 2014, vivo did it by launching the world’s thinnest smartphone, the X5Max, which was only 4.75mm thick.
Yet, this signature slim form factor is all about ease of use and comfort. Through meticulous research, vivo has developed a design language that transcends aesthetics and focuses on simplicity for an enhanced user experience. The vivo X1 back then was also the world’s first to put a dedicated Hi-Fi quality audio chip in a smartphone.
Is Thinner Better?
A thinner phone is also lighter, and this translates into better portability. However, thinner is not always better. A phone that is too thin may create a flimsy feel and could be easily bent, undermining the user experience. Every tiny adjustment to the thickness and weight of the device is the result of repeated compromises between various components inside a phone — an overemphasis on thinness and lightness will inevitably influence overall performance.
vivo has achieved the perfect balance between slimness, portability, and functionality through intense consumer research and testing. As a result, we can satisfy users’ preference for slimmer devices while addressing their real needs – operating the device with one hand, switching between functions frequently, and using it for a prolonged time.
A Game of Balance
How to balance slimness and comfort without compromising performance?
vivo tests various curvatures to match the human palm for a better phone grip. Our design team has built a grip data model that quantifies feel and comfort to guide the design process and test the product grip through repeated prototype verification. From concept development to specification selection, each generation of products undergoes 400-500 rounds of debugging.
To reduce weight, the vivo design team adopts a porous honeycomb structure and lightweight components. We then rely on precise architecture to arrange the internal components to minimize body thickness and adjust the design of the elements to reduce volume.
Finally, we narrow the middle frame and optimize body lines for enhanced visual flatness and thinness.
Beyond Style
vivo’s innovative use of spatial architecture creates an iconic camera module design that is both powerful and aesthetically pleasing. The beauty of vivo’s design language goes beyond the look of our products. We are committed to complementing style with the ultimate performance.
More Than Meets the Eye
vivo’s unique brand identity is built on constantly evolving camera design innovation. Our iconic camera design is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. vivo X series' imaging features are a testament to this.
The dual-tone step design is inspired by professional SLR cameras in which the lens extends layer by layer. This feature reduces the camera module’s visual bump, allowing for more components to fit in the body without it looking bulky.
vivo’s clever engineering delivered the industry’s first Gimbal Camera System that resembles and moves like a human eye. It sits on a brilliantly designed double-ball suspension mount and uses mechanical movement to achieve flexible 3D stabilization. It makes photos and videos appear more focused while covering angles 300% larger compared to using optical image stabilization (OIS) alone.
Beyond Touch and Feel
vivo’s unique approach to process innovation helps deliver diverse product experiences, achieving a balance between beauty, function, and durability. Inspired by processes and materials from different industries, vivo develops new, original design concepts.
vivo design team has put forward the unique CMFPE theory, which adds two dimensions—Pattern and Experience—to the original CMF (Colour, Material, Finishing) design method. CMFPE emphasizes the user experience and the product design’s emotional resonance.
Unexpected Materials
vivo provides a premium tactile experience through meticulously selected materials. Textures are used to underpin the user experience, each time the user touches the device.
Glass is an essential component of smartphone manufacturing. From the use of matte and satin finishes to fluorite, each generation of vivo products elevates users’ visual and tactile experiences. vivo Anti-Glare (AG) process behind the three generations of the X series has consistently been improved to provide exquisite surfaces and comfortable touch.
vivo utilizes vegan leather, which compared with animal-derived leather is more durable. It is based on canvas and multiple resin coatings,
including a foam layer, colored layer, and protective layer. Its application requires separate treatments for different coatings, according to the product’s CMF needs.
Ceramic materials are increasingly receiving more attention. Due to the delicate nature of ceramic, the production process is challenging and expensive, but its visual effects and feel are superior.
We had to overcome several challenges to utilize high-end ceramic materials on our phones, but we were able to achieve the intended color rendering, finish quality, and tactile impression.
iF Design Award 2022 | Reddot Award Winner 2022
An Ethereal and Fluid Spatial Atmosphere
The iQOO Neo 5’s camera module is linked with the rear panel like a ladder, thanks to a virtual-real contrasting design, an integrated matte and glossy AG glass technology. The Pixel Orange edition incorporates over 50,000 grids, each of which features a gravity wave-like dynamic light effect. For the Cloud Shadow Blue version of the iQOO Neo 5, the back cover uses a micron-level frequency conversion method to etch over 1000 distinct lines.
iF Design Award 2022 | Reddot Award Winner 2022
Redefining Elegance and Sophistication
The vivo X70 Pro+ is a smartphone built for those wanting to get the most out of their photography. A combination of smooth, ceramic, exquisite and fluorite AG glass gives the entire phone an elegant and sparkling appearance. The vivo X70 Pro+ also features a comfortable vegan leather exterior, offering users a sense of style, class and tranquility.
Reddot Award Winner 2022
The Pursuit of Ultimate Speed
iQOO 9 Pro has a panoramic image module that is precisely symmetrical. The two primary camera lenses are well placed within the entire glass plate, demonstrating a feeling of harmony and order. On a single classic back cover made by aircraft aluminum material, three kinds of colors and textures are represented. The 0.7mm fillet has pushed the industry's processing technology to its limits.
Reddot Award Winner 2021
Explore the Speed Aesthetic
The iQOO 7 smartphone was designed with the goal of combining speed and beauty. The inner frame's geometric shape contrasts with the curved exterior for a comfortable, solid grip. The frame is made of corrosion-resistant aluminum, and the display has a metal oxide layer that protects it from sweat and accidental drops.
iF Design Award 2020
A Broader Vision
The vivo Mobile X27 Pro is designed for people who want to capture beautiful images and view them on a high-definition screen that matches their affinity for quality. It has a 20.5:9 screen ratio and offers customers a 6.7 - inch screen that maintains the touch capabilities and feel of a 5.5-inch body. This device’s small body boasts a 92.12 percent full-screen ratio and a unified battery cover that covers infrared and light-sensitive sensors, which help narrow the screen's black border even more.