- Vivo launches the flagship X500 series of phones, with three new models
- A new monitor screen comes in the X500 Pro Max Photographer’s Kit, or it can be purchased separately
- At launch, all phones and accessories will be China-only, with a wider rollout TBD
Vivo is quietly launching a really neat accessory alongside its new flagship X500 series of phones – an ultra-slim and light Bluetooth monitoring touchscreen – and, after pairing it with the new X500 Pro Max, I wish it was compatible with my phone.
The surveillance touchscreen, aka selfie screen, mirrors your phone’s camera app, complete with touchscreen control over key camera settings and subject tracking, and can be magnetically attached to the phone or used as a remote monitor within its Bluetooth range.
Why not just use your phone’s selfie camera instead, you ask? Well, the quality of the rear selfie camera is always worse than the front cameras, as are the camera settings available.
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A selfie screen, on the other hand, unleashes the superior front cameras of the device – in the case of the Vivo X500 Pro Max, a triple array with a 50MP main camera and a 200MP 3.5x telephoto camera.
We’ve seen this type of selfie screen tech before; Insta360’s Snap Selfie Screen comes to mind. However, it requires a cable to connect to a phone, it has an annoying protective cover that flaps around when the screen is in use, and the screen is smaller and harder to see. The new Vivo accessory, however, is better and more sophisticated in every way.
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Vloggers should take note of Vivo’s new selfie screen. For one, it can be magnetically clipped to the device, or used by hand, as long as a Bluetooth connection is possible. No cable needed.
Used as a remote monitor, you can position your phone somewhere, say, on a tripod, and then go into the shot and see what your phone sees, no cameraman needed. (Also great for group photos, by the way.)
It’s clearly a trend – the Insta360 Luna Ultra vlogging camera has a removable touchscreen and controller module (which also has a built-in mic), while DJI has launched a remote control with a screen for its Pocket 4 series.
Whether used remotely or magnetically attached, the 3.92-inch AMOLED display of the Vivo selfie screen with 419 pixels per inch (PPI) is clear and crisp. It’s also super light and thin, measuring just 5.65mm thick and weighing 68g – you’ll barely feel it on the phone.
It has a USB-C port for charging, plus three side buttons, including a recording button and one to adjust the brightness levels of the screen. Otherwise, that’s it.
What is unclear at this stage is which devices will be compatible with the watch screen, besides the Vivo X500 series, if any.
There is a big downside to using it with the Vivo X500 Pro Max – neither device is MagSafe, which means you need a dedicated case for the phone and monitor to stick together!
Vivo sells a case (and the monitor) separately, or they are included in a photographer’s kit, which also includes two teleconverter lenses. Meanwhile, the monitor comes with a magnetic MagSafe-style rubber case. Vivo says the monitor will cost 699 Chinese Yuan (a price conversion is $105 / £78 roughly, although international prices are higher).
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(Image credit: Tim Coleman)
Compared to the other similar devices I’ve tried, I found the Vivo Vlogging Monitor to be lighter, has a clearer display, and I appreciated its wireless connectivity, with options for remote or MagSafe-style setups.
If you ever shoot selfie content and wish you could more easily use your phone’s superior front-facing camera, then a selfie screen is a great option, and Vivo looks like it just made the best of it. If it turns out to be compatible with your device, it could be the best phone accessory you buy all year – I’ll update this page once I know more about the screen’s availability and compatibility.
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