Vivo announces V11 with in-display fingerprint sensor and yet another notch shape

Vivo has announced the V11, a new phone bound for India. The V11 follows the V9 from earlier this year, and combines elements from Vivo’s X21 and sister company Oppo’s new F9.

Like the F9, the V11 has a new slimmed-down design for the display notch; while Oppo calls its version the “Waterdrop Screen,” Vivo’s take is called the “Halo Fullview Display.” The shape is actually a little different on the V11, with a more acute angle on the curve that stays closer to the circle of the selfie camera lens. I’d say it’s the smallest notch I’ve seen yet.

The other feature that helps Vivo maximize screen-to-body ratio is the in-display fingerprint sensor, which at this point is basically the company’s trademark. It works the same way as on other Vivo phones like the NEX and X21; it’s slightly slower than a traditional fingerprint scanner, but more convenient to use than a scanner on the back of the phone. Vivo still hasn’t shipped a phone using the wider scanning area shown on the Apex concept model, however — you still have to press your thumb on a thumbprint-sized icon.

In-display fingerprint scanning technology only works with OLED screens, so this represents a upgrade for the V series following the V9’s LCD panel. It’s a really good screen, covering 99.5 percent of the P3 color gamut and offering great contrast and viewing angles. While the bezel on the bottom edge is slightly bigger than on the other three sides of the phone, it’s noticeably thinner than the “chin” on other notched Android phones and isn’t at all distracting.

Vivo is continuing this year’s trend of Chinese phone manufacturers experimenting with gradients and patterned finishes; the two options for the V11 are “Starry Night” and “Nebula Fusion.” I have the Starry Night model, and it fades from dark to light blue with a glitter effect. It looks pretty cool, though the plastic feels a little cheap and collects fingerprints easily. (Like most Chinese phones at this level, the V11 does come with a clear rubber case inside the box.)

Here are the other important specs you need to know:

• Snapdragon 660 processor
• 19.5:9 6.41-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display
• 6GB of RAM
• 128GB of storage
• 3400mAh battery
• 25-megapixel f/2.0 selfie camera
• 12-megapixel f/1.8 rear camera with 5-megapixel secondary sensor
• Funtouch OS 4.5 atop Android 8.1
• Headphone jack
• Dual-Engine fast charging…
• …over a Micro USB port (nooo)

Vivo is bringing the V11 to India and Thailand first, with several other international markets to follow. Pricing and release date information isn’t yet available but will vary by region.