“We pit the latest mid-rangers with large-screen fascia against each other”
Today if you hand someone a smartphone with bezels around the display, chances of them making a face are pretty high. This is because the taller 18:9 displays have really caught on this year, ever since the LG G6 was unveiled back in February. And from top-tier brands like Samsung and Apple to more budget phone makers or even homegrown companies, everyone has joined the club.
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor’s latest – the 7X – also features a bezel-less display. For its price, it goes up against the Vivo V7, which was launched last month and also offers a taller 18:9 screen. If you are looking at one of these for your next purchase and wondering which one is better, then read ahead to find out for yourself.
Table of Contents
Design and display
Let’s get the design aspect out of the way first, both smartphones flaunt a sturdy unibody build and come clad in metal. Therefore, in terms of aesthetics, they are at par with each other. However, the focal point of both smartphones is their 18:9 bezel-less displays. In terms of the size, the Honor 7X ships with a 5.93-inch panel, whereas the Vivo V7 sports a slightly smaller 5.7-inch screen.
Moreover, the 7X comes with a full HD+ resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels, which is better and sharper than the HD+ resolution on the Vivo V7. Needless to say, the Honor 7X is a clear winner here when it comes to the display.
Hardware and software
Coming to the spec sheet, the Vivo V7 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, which is an octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. While the SD450 is no slouch when it comes to the performance, the 64-bit octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor clocked at 2.3GHz on Honor 7X is much better at handling anything you throw at it. Both devices ship with 4GB RAM to offer a smooth multitasking experience. For storage, Honor’s offering comes in two variants of 32GB and 64GB, while the V7 comes with 32GB memory onboard.
Moving on to the software, the Honor 7X boots Android 7.1 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 skin on top, while the Vivo V7 runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat-based FunTouch OS 3.2. Both custom skins offer a number of useful features.
Camera and battery
Speaking of the rear camera, the Vivo V7 ships with a 16MP primary unit flaunting f/2.0 aperture and LED flash. While the camera module is quite good in terms of imaging prowess, it loses to the 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel setup on the Honor 7X. The secondary depth sensor on the 7X allows for some interesting portrait shots. However, Vivo wins when it comes to the selfie camera, which isn’t surprising as the brand has built its reputation around selfie-centric smartphones. The Vivo V7 happens to flaunt one of the most powerful front cameras with 24-megapixels and a Moonlight selfie flash. In contrast, the Honor 7X sports an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. So clearly, if you are a selfie lover, Vivo V7 is the best one to get.
In terms of the battery, the Honor 7X gets a slight edge because of its 3,340mAh battery compared to 3,000mAh cell on the Vivo V7. Sadly, both smartphones are missing out on the fast charging capability.
Closing thoughts
By now, no prizes for guessing which one of the two emerges on top. The Honor 7X tops the chart in almost all aspects, from performance to imaging. However, for selfie lovers, the 24-megapixel front shooter on the Vivo V7 trumps everything else. But Honor’s smartphone also wins when it comes to the pricing as it retails for Rs 12,999 an 15,999 depending upon the storage variant, while Vivo’s offering carries a price tag of ~Rs 17,000. So it boils down to whether you are more of a power user or all you care for is having brilliant and clear selfies. Our money is on the Honor 7X for its all-round, VFM package.
