The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the most anticipated phones right now. As the best Samsung phone that isn't a foldable phone, the current generation Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has held a place in our overall best phones buying guide ever since it launched.
But one brand is looking set to knock the S23 Ultra off its perch. I've previously branded the Vivo X90 Pro+ a "Samsung Galaxy killer" and I stand by that moniker. Okay, the design is a bit outlandish in a world of monotone handsets, but the X90 Pro+ has pedigree where it counts.
Leaked benchmarks show the X90 Pro+ far outperforms the S23 for multi-core performance, and is only marginally behind in the single-core stakes. Now, of course, benchmarks don't tell the full story, but it's interesting to see – particularly as the Samsung should be packing an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that the Vivo is running.
We also know that the camera on the X90 Pro+ is going to take some beating. I've attached a gallery below full of the press shots from the X90. You can see just how good it is. Night shots look brilliantly detailed, colours are vivid and bright, and the composition overall just looks great.
Since the X90 Pro+ was launched earlier this week, one other benefit has come to light: price. The base model, which launched in China, sells for 6,499 yuan. That's equivalent to around $910, or £765.
When it launches in other markets later this year, it's unlikely that the price will be a direct translation. But it's a promising sign. Earlier this year, I wrote about how the Motorola Razr 2022 was set for release at an amazing price. That was based on a similar far eastern launch price, and that retails for £949.
If the Vivo X90 Pro+ can manage that, it would be a serious contender. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has an RRP £200 higher than that figure – the Google Pixel 7 Pro is only £50 cheaper, and that doesn't feature Snapdragon's snazzy new chip.
It's slated for release in other markets in March 2023, so we have a while to wait and find out. But based on what we've seen so far? It's definitely worth the wait.
