After the Z5x, Vivo just announced another best-buy: its name is Vivo Z5 and it is simply one of the best value for money smartphone we have seen in 2019. If you want a well-balanced specs sheet as well as nice performances and a big battery, then this is the device for you. But it has a lot of rivals, just like every phone sold for less than €300. A potential device which could cannibalize its sales is the Honor 9X recently announced by Huawei’s sub-brand. The company was able to provide a device with a premium design and upper-midrange specifications at a lower-midrange price and that is amazing. Which one would you pick? After taking a look at the comparison, you can let us know if you agree with us by using the comment box below the article.
Vivo Z5 vs Huawei Honor 9X
| Vivo Z5 | Huawei Honor 9X | |
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 159.5 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm,
187 grams |
163.1 x 77.2 x 8.8 mm,
206 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.38 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 404 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, Super AMOLED | 6.59 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 391 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 712, octa-core 2.3 GHz | Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 810, octa-core 2.27 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD card slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS | Android 9 Pie, EMUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 48 + 8 + 5 MP f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4 32 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 48 + 2 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.2 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4500 mAh Fast charging 22.5W |
4000 mAh, Fast Charging 10W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
Do not think twice: the Honor 9X is the most innovative, the most futuristic, and it is even the most beautiful according to my opinion. First of all, it has a higher screen-to-body ratio and even an elevating front camera. It boasts a wonderful glass back with a suggestive X pattern, as well as a very clean design overall. The Vivo Z5 is all but ugly: it shows up as a very elegant device, but it has a classic waterdrop notch and it does not offer anything special compared to the other mid-rangers in the same price range. That is why Honor 9X catalyzes my attention more than the Z5.
Display
Given that it is a Super AMOLED panel, the display of the Vivo Z5 shows more brilliant colors, and it even comes with an in-display fingerprint reader. That is not the same for the Honor 9X which is equipped with an LTPS IPS panel. But despite it has an LCD display instead of an AMOLED one, I would still go for the Honor 9X because it has a bigger panel which is more suitable for productivity and even harder to find in its price range. Despite the presence of an IPS display, the fingerprint reader was not placed on the backside: it is side-mounted.
Specs & Software
Finally, Huawei made a chipset which is able to beat most of Qualcomm’s mid-range processors. We are talking about the Kirin 810 which can be considered one of the most impressive midrange SoC of the last years. Just like flagship chipsets, it is built with a 7 nm production process and on the paper, it is better than the Snapdragon 712 found on the Vivo Z5. So, despite I usually choose Qualcomm’s chipsets over Kirins, this time I would definitely give a chance to Huawei, even though the Snapdragon 712 is the most powerful mid-range chipset by Qualcomm after the Snapdragon 730. Both phones have Android 9 Pie out of the box with a highly customized user interface.
Camera
When it comes to the overall camera experience, Vivo Z5 is a clear winner. It has one more camera on its back for a total of three sensors, including an ultrawide lens, while Honor 9X lacks the ultrawide sensor. Further, the Vivo Z5 has a higher resolution for the depth sensor as well as a better selfie camera. So there is no way that Honor 9X can be more versatile and interesting than Vivo Z5 as a camera phone.
Battery
Vivo Z5 dominates even when it comes to battery life. With a huge 4500 mAh unit, it will probably last more than two days on a single charge, even with a stressed use. And with its 22.5W fast charging technology, it won’t take a lot to fully charge it despite its big battery capacity. Vivo Z5 is a battery champion, but Honor 9X is still a pretty nice battery phone thanks to its very efficient processor built at 7 nm, a still big 4000 mAh battery and fast charging.
Price
Actually, you can get Vivo Z5 and Honor 9X in China only. The first carries a €209/$231 price tag in its base variant, while the second starts from just €180/$200. I do not think there is a clear winner here: if you need a bigger display and very high performances, bo for the Honor 9X. Otherwise, if you care about camera and battery life, Vivo Z5 is better than almost everything out there around €200.
Vivo Z5 vs Huawei Honor 9X: PRO and CONS
Vivo Z5
PRO
- Huge battery
- High performance
- Better cameras
- More compact
- Faster charging
CONS
- Less impressive design
Huawei Honor 9X
PRO
- Bigger display
- Great performance
- Innovative design
- Affordable
CONS
- Worse cameras
