“WE will upgrade some new versions, new features in our phone, especially for Asean markets,” said vivo Imaging Products Senior Director Li Zhuo in Mandarin during an exclusive interview with The Manila Times at a global media conference held by the brand on Oct. 15, 2024, as part of its launch activities for the flagship x200 series, powered by ZEISS imaging technology.
Li said this in response to The Times’ question on whether the leading China smartphone brand had special technological strategies for Southeast Asian markets, particularly the Philippines, based on insights into consumer behavior patterns in terms of photography and videography.
While the vivo X200 Pro, X200 and X200 Pro mini variants were formally launched in the China market by vivo Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Hu Baishan at the Water Cube at the Olympic Green in Chaoyang, Beijing, on Oct. 14, 2024. Li granted the interview at the Sheraton Grand Beijing Dongcheng Hotel on the following day during the exclusive media event.
“We’ve noticed that SEAs (Southeast Asians) — including Philippine users — they love innovative technologies. They love innovation,” added Li.
The vivo Imaging Products senior director explained that vivo had a user research group that did a lot of studies on worldwide users, especially Southeast Asians, particularly those in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Li Zhuo (right), the vivo Imaging Products senior director, is interviewed by Dafort Villaseran (center), The Manila Times Supplements & Special Projects editor, with translation from Mandarin into English by a vivo Beijing marketing officer (left) during the global media conference at the Sheraton Grand Beijing Dongcheng Hotel in China, held during the launch activities of the flagship X200 series from Oct. 14 to 15, 2024. PHOTO BY JHUN CABAWATAN
“For example, for the overseas markets, India users like festivals. So, [the vivo research group] has some features especially designed for those users. This also works in [the] Philippines,” Li continued.
In his talk during the global media conference, Li spoke about bringing value to vivo X200 series users through four key pillars, namely, landscape, portrait, telephoto and videography.
For landscape innovations, Li highlighted the imaging stabilization, capabilities and quality of the X200 Pro, X200 and X200 Pro mini, showcasing to the international media representatives how the new series captures vivid starry nights with crystal clarity.
The vivo x200 Pro comes in four colorways along with the Zeiss 200 million APO telephoto camera, 50 MP VCS super true color main camera, 50 MP ultrawide angle lens, and 6 nm architecture V3 imaging chip. PHOTO BY DAFORT VILLASERAN
Then, Li proceeded to feature the portrait innovations, focusing on the X200 Pro’s 135-millimeter new focal length for portrait mode. For the telephoto key pillar, he underscored the 20x digital zoom capabilities of the entire X200 series.
Li attributed these innovations to vivo’s commitment in developing its own independent imaging chips, citing the modestly named V1, V2, V3 and V3+.
During his speech for the international press, Li touched upon the unique user behavior and quirks of the Southeast Asian market.
“Southeast Asian user preferences involve brighter, more vibrant colors as that involve natural-looking enhancement effects,” he said.
The vivo Imaging Products senior director showcases the proprietary Beach Portrait and Festival Portrait modes of the vivo X200 series that are based on insights by the vivo user research group that has done a lot of studies on worldwide users, especially Southeast Asians, particularly those in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. PHOTO BY DAFORT VILLASERAN
He then flashed several samples on the widescreen of the proprietary Beach Portrait and Festival Portrait modes of the vivo X200 series, where the “after” photos were warmer and more brilliant than the shadowy and hazy “before” photos.
Acknowledging that brilliance was often achieved as a collaborative effort among experts in related fields, Li revealed the illustrious creators that played a part in the conceptualization, design and real-world optimization of the X200 Pro, X200 and X200 Pro mini. Dozens of world-class photographers were tapped, including Alex Webb, Bertram Honlinger and Quan Xiao.
However, beyond technology innovation and creator collaboration, Li said, what lies at the core of the X200 series’ genius is the empowerment of the users to become storytellers themselves and share their irreplicable voice through the language of imagery.
The vivo Imaging Products senior director even quoted Webb, who said, “A photograph does not only reflect the world around us, but it also reflects our interior worlds, which are rich in emotion and memory.”
Hu Baishan, the vivo executive vice president and chief operating officer, leads the formal launch of the X200 series at the Water Cube at the Olympic Green in Chaoyang, Beijing, on Oct. 14, 2024. PHOTO FROM VIVO BEIJING
Thus, Li pointed out, the vivo X200 series represented the cross intersection between technology and humanity, which appeared to be part of the rationale for the “X” designation and key visual of X200 Pro, X200 and X200 Pro mini launch.
More specifically, he said it was about “empowering experience through digital, humanizing technology for all.”
Furthermore, he intimated that the vivo X200 series sought to be on the cusp of the three emerging trends of imaging security, 3D imaging and health imaging.
Of course, the first trend meant safeguarding user image data and privacy, preventing the misuse of image information and avoiding the spread of misinformation. Thus, the ZEISS-technology-enhanced X200 Pro, X200 and X200 Pro mini were stacked with features for this.
The second trend meant that vivo ushered in a new era of visual experience by unlocking the full potential of 3D visual experiences, and this led to the teasing of the next generation of vivo wearables to be launched in 2025.
Finally, the third trend led to vivo’s empowerment of ophthalmic health — an underserved but critical concern in the Philippines and Southeast Asia that was spearheaded by Beijing — where the brand’s first venture into smart health care was announced.
This eyeing of emerging trends proved that innovative technology suitable for SEA markets was among the focal points of the ZEISS-augmented vivo X200 series.
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