Vivo smartphones
Want to buy a Vivo smartphone? All available Vivo phones are conveniently listed here. The Vivo brand may not be very well known outside China, but that doesn't mean they make unattractive phones. Compare them all here, including prices. For those who want something different, this is the starting point of your search.
Vivo emerged from China's BBK Electronics which previously included Oppo. In 2023, BBK Electronics was split into three companies; Vivo, Oppo and BBK Education Electronics. OnePlus and realme were subsumed into Oppo, iQOO into Vivo.
Vivo history
Vivo was founded in China in 2009 by Shen Wei. The company only started marketing its products outside that country in 2017. These were mainly smartphones, accessories and software. In 2020, Vivo started selling smartphones in Europe.
Vivo series
Vivo releases smartphones in three series; the V, X and Y series. In home country China, there is also the S series but these almost never leave the country.
- Vivo V Series - Affordable camera phones
- Vivo X Series - Flagship series with elegant design
- Vivo Y Series - Youth series for youngsters with appealing specs for little money
Sponsorship
Vivo also sponsors some sports events and clubs. Examples include the World Cup and European Championship football and the NBA in China. Earlier, Vivo also sponsored the Pro Kabaddi League in India, but that partnership came to an end due to disagreements between China and India.
Funtouch OS
Vivo uses a self-developed version of the popular Android operating system for its smartphones. In home country China it is called Origin OS, outside it Funtouch OS. Vivo follows Google's version numbering, with Funtouch OS 14 being based on Android 14. With Funtouch OS, it is simply possible to download Android apps and use Google services.
There were rumours that Vivo would change the name to JoviOS for the European market, but nothing ever came of that.
Patent disputes
Vivo is involved in several lawsuits in Europe regarding the use of patents. As a result of a court ruling, Vivo therefore withdrew from some European countries. First in Germany and later from even more European countries. Vivo could re-enter those markets once it has reached an agreement with Nokia on the use of its patents.
Vivo + Zeiss
Vivo and Zeiss entered into a multi-year partnership in 2020 to combine the knowledge and skills of both companies. In some models, especially from the X-series, we therefore find lenses that come from German company Carl Zeiss. These Vario-Tessar lenses are very highly regarded, especially in the more expensive segment. Besides lenses, Zeiss provides the Vivo phones with filters and settings to get better camera results.
Apart from Vivo, Zeiss also collaborates with Sony. For instance, some Xperia phones are equipped with a Zeiss lens.
