Vivo V70 Elite explained: why Vivo’s new ‘Elite’ phone exists and what it brings to the V-series
The Vivo V70 Elite is set to launch in India on February 19th, alongside the standard Vivo V70. While the V70 arrives as the direct successor to last year’s V60, the V70 Elite marks an entirely new addition to the V-series. In fact, it’s the first time an ‘Elite’ model will be part of the V-series.
The move appears to be part of Vivo’s broader portfolio restructuring, a shift that has been widely anticipated as smartphone prices continue to rise. The company introduced its first ‘T’ series smartphone under the X series in January. It may not have generated enough buzz, but given the V-series’ strong popularity in India, the Vivo V70 Elite is far more likely to grab attention.
Here’s a brief overview of the Vivo V70 Elite, why it exists, what purpose it serves, and more, based on what we know officially so far.
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Neither a ‘Pro’ nor an elitist
The Vivo V70 Elite is not a replacement for the ‘Pro’ model, which was part of the Vivo V-series lineup until the V40 series. The V70 Elite, positioned above the regular Vivo V70, is said to be here to carve out its own identity. The handset is expected to fill the price gap left by the pricier X300 series. However, contrary to its name, the V70 Elite is not aimed at elitists. Instead, it will cater to the mass mid-range segment, a category that continues to dominate smartphone shipments in India.
While we will have the official pricing at the time of launch, Gizbot reports (citing tipster Sanju Choudhary) that the V70 Elite’s base 8GB + 256GB variant could start at Rs 51,999, while the 12GB + 256GB variant and the top-end 512GB variant may cost Rs 54,999 and Rs 59,999. The starting price positions this phone under the company’s compact flagship, Vivo X200 FE, which continues to sell in India at Rs 54,999 for its base variant.
Design that is a head-turner
With the V70 series, Vivo is moving away from the curved display design that has defined the lineup for years, opting instead for a more modern aesthetic. The handset features flat edges, which are more practical for everyday use, and Vivo even describes the phone as ‘Perfectly Held’ on its official website. Moreover, for the first time, a square camera module is on a Vivo smartphone. This shift brings the V70 Elite’s design language in line with other contemporary devices.
Much-needed performance gains
Under the hood, the Vivo V70 Elite is confirmed to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, marking the first time a V-series smartphone has featured a Snapdragon 8-series chipset. If optimised well, the Vivo V70 Elite could help address the long-standing criticism of the V-series’ price-to-performance balance.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is last year’s sub-flagship processor; however, it remains more powerful than most mid-range alternatives. The chipset has already debuted in the sub-Rs 40,000 smartphone segment, on models such as the OnePlus Nord 5 and OPPO K13 Turbo Pro, where it has held its own. Vivo will pair the chipset in its V70 Elite with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage to ensure that, besides being capable of handling any activity, you also get fast response times and data transfer speeds.
It will be interesting to see how well the chipset is optimised, but if Vivo’s claims are to be believed, the V70 Elite’s 4nm chipset should make “every interaction feel effortlessly fluid.”
Not losing its focus
While making all those enhancements, Vivo has ensured that the V70 Elite continues to have strong cameras. The handset will feature a Zeiss-backed triple-camera setup, highlighted by “segment’s largest” 1.3cm 50MP night telephoto lens that offers 3x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom.
The large sensor should help the phone capture portraits with greater detail and colour accuracy, which could come in handy in low-light scenarios, which likely explains Vivo’s branding of the night telephoto lens. The lens will be accompanied by a larger 1.6 cm 50MP primary sensor rated as flagship-grade and an ultrawide sensor. The front camera will also be a Zeiss 50MP shooter for selfies and video calling. Additionally, the 50MP telephoto lens will support 4K 60fps video recording.
The Vivo V70 Elite will also have several AI-backed photo enhancements, including AI Floral to add ‘authentic’ flower petals to the images, India’s exclusive AI Holi Portrait, and AI Magic Weather. All these things will be tested in our full review, so stay tuned to that.
Other specifications and expected competitors
The Vivo V70 Elite will feature IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance. It features a 6.59-inch 1.5K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, and Vivo claims the thinnest bezels in its segment. Powering the device is a sizeable 6,500mAh battery, supported by 90W fast charging.
On the software front, the V70 Elite will run OriginOS 6 out of the box and is promised to receive at least six years of software support. Additional features include a 3D ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner, an X-axis linear motor for improved haptic feedback, Origin Island, and more.
If the leaked pricing holds true, the handset could go up against the OnePlus 15R (review) and the OPPO Reno15 (review). The OPPO Reno15 leans heavily towards camera performance, whereas the OnePlus 15R prioritises raw power, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, a 165Hz refresh rate display, and a massive 7,000mAh battery, among other highlights.
Looking at the specifications, the Vivo V70 Elite appears to be a well-balanced offering, bringing together the best of both worlds. Whether it delivers a true bang for your buck is something only a full review can determine, but it’s certainly worth holding on to your money for this new V-series smartphone.
