[Exclusive] Vivo to debut online-only Z series in India to counter Xiaomi; S series coming for offline segment

“The Vivo S series retail exclusively in the offline market, while the Vivo Z series will be targeted at online buyers”

Back in March, 91mobiles exclusively reported Vivo’s roadmap for smartphone launches in 2019. So far, it has been on the right track. The company recently launched its new Y series smartphones called the Vivo Y15 and Y17 in India. We can now confirm that the Chinese phonemaker is gearing up to launch new Z series phones in India, as well as debut the S series in the country shortly. Both the series will be priced under Rs 30,000 in the Indian market, we have learnt.

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vivo s1 pro
Vivo S1 Pro (China variant)

According to a Vivo executive who wishes to remain anonymous, Vivo will be launching new Z series and S series models in India in June or early July. While a Z series handset — the Vivo Z10 — was launched in July last year in India, there has been no model in the range since then. Now, however, the company will be reviving the lineup and aim for the budget segment with performance-focussed handsets with powerful specifications. Our source says, “The new Z models will be launched to challenge Xiaomi in the budget segment. Z series phones will be sold only online in India.”

On the other hand, the Vivo S series — which has been limited to the Chinese market for now — will be focussed on design and style. It will be available via offline retail channels in the country. However, it should be noted that the S series models headed to India will be quite different from the ones released in China. To recall, as the Vivo S1 and S1 Pro in China are the rebranded versions of the Vivo V15 and V15 Pro that were launched in India earlier this year. 

Vivo Z5x blue
Vivo Z5x

To recall, Vivo Z series was recently refreshed in China with the Vivo Z5x smartphone’s launch. The Z5x is the first phone from the brand with a hole-punch display. The mid-range handset has an edge-to-edge 6.53-inch full-HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of 90.77 percent. It’s driven by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset paired with up to 8GB and 128GB onboard storage. 

For photography, there is triple 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter + 2-megapixel depth cameras on the back, aided by an LED flash. The front camera gets a 16-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. Other highlights include FunTouch OS 9 with Android 9 Pie, 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The Vivo Z5x price in China starts at RMB 1,398, which roughly translates to Rs 14,000 in the Indian currency.

Via Mukesh Singh