vivo V11 announced: In-display fingerprint scanner on a mid-range phone

Vivo made quite a splash when it demonstrated the X20 Plus UD and its in-display fingerprint scanner at CES 2018. Now, the company is hoping to bring some of that innovation to a lower price point with the new vivo V11 (known as the V11 Pro in India).

The budget device packs an in-display fingerprint scanner too, which is usually the domain of more expensive phones (like the vivo X21, HUAWEI Mate RS, Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition). The company also tossed in infrared-based facial authentication if you want something more convenient.

Is there such a thing as too much AI?

Aside from the in-display fingerprint scanner, the phone’s other headline-grabbing feature is its 25MP selfie camera. vivo’s got an AI Face Shaping feature to go along with it, for modeling and beautifying your face. The AI branding extends to the rear cameras too, starting with AI Backlight HDR and AI Low Light options.

These modes target different situations (backlit scenes and low-light situations respectively), but they work in similar ways. Use the AI Backlight HDR mode and the phone will take six shots at various exposures (up to 11EV) to create the ideal image. Switch to the AI Low Light mode and the phone will take six shots and combine them to reduce noise.

Read: Does AI matter in the camera? LG V30S vs HUAWEI P20 Pro vs Google Pixel 2 XL

Other noteworthy AI-related camera features include AI scene recognition (up to 18 scenes), AI portrait framing (helping the user frame their shots), and an improved AI selfie lighting mode (think Apple’s portrait lighting).

vivo is even launching an AI assistant called Jovi, which delivers weather forecasts, sports results, and other information. Essentially, if it exists, vivo has slapped “AI” in front of it.

What else to know about vivo V11?

Vivo’s latest phone is firmly in the upper mid-range camp, offering a capable Snapdragon 660 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. Toss in a 3,400mAh battery and 6.41-inch super AMOLED screen (2,340 x 1,080) with the waterdrop notch, and you’ve got a pretty solid spec sheet.

Look a little closer and you’ll notice a few missing features. There’s no USB Type-C port, and NFC is missing. At least we’ve got a 3.5mm headphone jack, so your legacy audio accessories will work fine.

We don’t have an exact price for the vivo V11 just yet, but the brand says it’ll vary by market, from $366 to $440. The phone will be available in colors schemes like nebula (blue and purple) and the gorgeous starry night (black and blue). If you like the idea of an in-display scanner on a cheaper phone (and don’t mind the lack of NFC and USB Type-C support), this might be for you.

What do you think of the vivo V11? Would you buy it? Let us know in the comments below!

Next: vivo V11 specs: A mid-range smartphone with a flagship touch