vivo lets people touch - but not see - its button-less, port-less APEX 2019

21 January 2019
Described as "metal soap", the phone will be completely smooth - no USB ports, no hardware buttons, nothing of the sort.

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s-pen pusher, 22 Jan 2019there is an existing protocol for allowing wireless connect... moreI didn't actually know that; that's great and solves a lot of my problems with this design.

Mostly I enjoy haptic feedback because it's just nice to have a reassure that your press actually registered, especially if you're doing something without looking or multitasking. Also, small icons and UI elements that you might not be able to see under your finger would benefit from haptic feedback.

Sadly wireless charging just isn't at the level we need right now. The technology will come, but for right now it isn't sufficient. However a day long battery would work well, it would mean you can just wirelessly charge at night and you're good to go. Shame we can't get 40W wireless charging just yet.

    s-pen pusher, 24 Jan 2019we do tend to hold onto processes we are more familiar with... moreWell , looks like Meizu beat Vivo to it with the Meizu Zero!

    I don't really disagree with the points you make, although I question why it should be one or the other and not both. A smartphone ideally should be able to output video through a port and also have wireless capability. Its one small port which most smartphones already have in the form of a type C/Micro usb port. I have an old LG G pro 2 which can do BOTH seamlessly and effortlessly.

    And also i think you are underplaying the robustness and superiority in quality of wired video out protocols. The latency in video output as well as consistency of frames are big issues, especially if you want to play android games on a big screen TV. With a slimport connection I can connect it to a TV with minimal latency and play with a bluetooth controller without delays, framedrops and skips. I play a lot of old games on emulators and the ability to play fast reaction games like super mario without latency issues is a big plus.

    It is physics, a wired connection will ALWAYS give better quality output than a comparable wireless one.

    Yes, you can use a smart box/stick to run some of those games, but most of them have chipsets from the likes of Rockchip and Allwinner, which have many compatibility issues.

    For example i can simply connect my old LG to a any hotel room TV, even basic ones, as almost all of them will have HDMI in. I cannot do that with a wireless only solution. My S9 and OP5T are useless there.

    Also, the ability to connect external data drives and peripherals via USB otg will NEVER be as good in a port-less setup. Too many advantages to lose and too little to gain.

    As far as I am concerned, they can make phones thicker if it means more ports and connectivity.

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      • s-pen pusher
      • PMT
      • 24 Jan 2019

      Aslipundit, 22 Jan 2019Companies are going about it completely wrong in their atte... morewe do tend to hold onto processes we are more familiar with and we know works better compared to one we are presented as a new way. changes are inevitable and it has always been in the hands of the capitalists rather than us consumers; and the bad thing is the change is not always for the better- case in point- betamax vs vhs or hd-dvd vs blu-ray wherein the former was better but eventually it was the latter that prevailed.

      as i have commented before- our future is wireless. with the examples that you have mentioned- mhl and slimport being a hundred times better than wireless solutions, i would have to disagree with it. various screen casting protocols now allow video output as high as 4K and 60fps (example Chromecast Ultra), which is pretty much the same as wired connections you have mentioned. besides, smart tvs/boxes are ubiquitous nowadays even here in the Philippines and those can let you view contents in 4K and high bitrates. yes, the wired solution is not susceptible to interference but then again you are tied down to a cable in one place. remember, we are talking about smartphone here- a device that is supposed to be portable, thus the solution being pushed by oems- wireless. there is also the wiifi ac or 5GHz addressing the issue of interference.

      all i am trying to say is that this actually is a forward-looking device. again, a smartphone is supposed to be a portable wireless device. given that technologies now exists, albeit not that good yet, to allow for a smartphone to be portless or totally wireless, i am guessing vivo is just out to demonstrate the possibilities.

      i'm finding it strange that i am actually defending a chinese manufacturer here. for the years they have been in the industry of producing smartphones i have always seen them as copycats. i think this device changes everything.

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        • s-pen pusher
        • iny
        • 23 Jan 2019

        Anonymous, 22 Jan 2019If they weren't would you give examples?oppo was the first to remove the headphone jack. i think it was the r5 in 2014 because the device was so thin it didn't have the room for the jack.

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          • AnonD-731363
          • SH3
          • 23 Jan 2019

          Definitely it will be better than foldable phone by samsung which actualy broken instead of folding into two parts at CES2019.

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            • lolme
            • 8mp
            • 22 Jan 2019

            kudos for them trying something new. who knows... it could end up being an inspiration for other companies to transform their current line ups. Does look like the next logical step tbh with everything tending towards wireless and features being integrated in the body instead of a mechanical interaction. Whether we are actually ready for it is another question. time will tell i suppose.

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              • lolme
              • 8mp
              • 22 Jan 2019

              Anonymous, 22 Jan 2019This is way too much!! I thought (Cr)Apple would be the one... morehmmmm heard of wireless charging?

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                • Anonymous
                • PGq
                • 22 Jan 2019

                This is way too much!! I thought (Cr)Apple would be the one, but it seems Vivo wants to shove PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE down our throats. Remember the Smosh YouTube video parody about iPhone 8 being port-less? Now it is becoming a reality which is scary. This isn't progress!! It's simply one of the MOST draconian ways for you to buy a phone every day once the battery runs out is the ultimate aim for PROFIT$$!!

                  Aslipundit, 22 Jan 2019Companies are going about it completely wrong in their atte... more110% agree

                    Anonymous, 22 Jan 2019Vivo and Oppo are not the same company. At the operational ... moreThey're owned by the same company though and do share components from time to time

                      Geraldinho , 22 Jan 2019If there isn't any button at all on the phone hoe do you sw... moreVia the touchscreen. Long finger press exactly as for a power button followed by an off/restart/cancel dialogue.
                      Have an underscreen fingerprint sensor permanently awake to detect long presses.

                      I mean yes it might be a gimmick, but it's possible. Years ago before there was any kind of security on laptops I modified one to replace the on/off switch with a magnetic sensor, and had the magnet on my keyring.

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                        • Matjazz
                        • MmT
                        • 22 Jan 2019

                        Metal soap bar. It means it's without camera bump thus thicker than today's average.
                        Obviously the screen was of so it may just as well be a metal soap for marketing and not the actual phone. Didn't anyone take a spy IR camera in?

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                          • Genius
                          • J{x
                          • 22 Jan 2019

                          Anonymous, 22 Jan 2019If you think Apple was the first to remove the headphone ja... moreman, this fone looks like not having a hole at all, not even for charging

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                            • Anonymous
                            • gLN
                            • 22 Jan 2019

                            Anonymous, 22 Jan 2019If you think Apple was the first to remove the headphone ja... moreIf they weren't would you give examples?

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                              • Anonymous
                              • i5V
                              • 22 Jan 2019

                              If you think Apple was the first to remove the headphone jack and home button maybe you shouldn't work for a website about phones.

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                                • Geraldinho
                                • fCI
                                • 22 Jan 2019

                                If there isn't any button at all on the phone hoe do you switch on and off this is ridiculous

                                  Just having a beer, 22 Jan 2019Button-less is possible today also, but no one had the cour... moreThey did, sort of. With their iPod Shuffle 3rd generation, that cute little thing only has one port (3.5mm jack) and buttons on top, clips on the back. From the front view, it got its metallic aluminum bar look. Sleek and svelte.
                                  But this Vivo ticked my inner curiosity. It's never been done on any gadget before. It is the next "courage".

                                    Button-less is possible today also, but no one had the courage to try it. Pixels have active edge just like HTC had something similar. Active sides could be all over. Even apple used this in their iPod? if I remember well...

                                      Companies are going about it completely wrong in their attempt to remove all wired interfacing capability of smartphones. It should be the other way around, with more ports for maximum usability and versatility.

                                      We used to have wired video output standards such as MHL and Slimport, which are STILL a hundred times more useful than a wireless solution. We used to dedicated 3.5 mm ports with the ability to simply connect it to a multitude of devices. We used to have IR blasters, another very useful feature....

                                      All these features have become extinct and our smartphones have lost capabilities. How is that 'rpogress'??

                                        Here it is people as usual people resisting a new idea

                                        This happened with airplanes ("man should not fly")

                                        Skyscrapers ("nothing should be taller than trees")

                                        Automobiles ("it is unnatural for mankind to move that fast")

                                        All the nay sayers talking about how impractical this phone might be just like they laughed at the first modern day smartphone because we have up hard strong plastic with removable batteries

                                        Now we have glass smartphones that people call "premium" and practical plastic is considered cheap .. the irony

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