SHANGHAI -- Stripped of celebrity endorsers that helped propel smartphone sales, Chinese tech firms like Vivo focused on showcasing innovations that are both practical and futuristic.
The Asian stop of Mobile World Congress this year showcased how the upcoming connectivity standard, 5G, can transform how people use their devices.
From motorized selfie cameras that pop up from the top of the device to keep the screen truly bezel-free, Vivo's prototypes will soon make their way to mainstream offerings.
At triple the capacity of the fastest charger commercially available, the 120-watt SuperFlash charge promises to juice up a Vivo device to full capacity in 13 minutes, or roughly the time it takes for a Grab ride to arrive, the company said.
There was no NBA superstar Stephen Curry or the hot new teen couple in Vivo's booth at MWC, just its staff who explained the new tech to visiting Southeast Asian journalists.
Vivo claims up to 50 percent charge in just 5 minutes, addressing a consumer pain point on slow-charging batteries. The computations were based on a 4,000 mAh battery that is common for handsets in the market.
While rivals Huawei and Oppo showcased the zoom capabilities of their P30 and Reno series, respectively, Vivo showcased how its phones could be used as enterprise devices.
Similar to what Blackberry did in its heyday, Vivo said it partnered with Chinese firms to equip their workforce with Vivo phones.
Once they enter the office, a simple tap on an NFC device art the door switches the profile on their devices to work from personal, Vivo said.
Aside from gaming and scene recognition, Vivo's AR glasses can also be used for productivity such as managing emails, using the phone as a track pad.
Targeting industrial problems tied to file swapping and sharing in the age of wireless, Vivo said it combined 5G with the cloud for Easy Share and Screen Mirroring.
Easy Share allows devices to swap files regardless of size or distance as long as there is a 5G connection and Screen Mirroring, which lets a user see the display on another person's screen in real time.
Ahead of the MWC event on Wednesday, Vivo also unveiled in Manila on Monday its newest Apex concept phone, which has no ports and buttons.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
