What is Vivo?

Headquartered in Dongguan, Vivo is a Chinese electronics brand founded by Shen Wei in 2009. Owned by BBK Electronics, Vivo designs and sells smartphones, software and phone accessories. The company entered India’s smartphone market in 2012 with the launch the Vivo X1, the world’s first smartphone with a built-in dedicated Hi-Fi audio amplifier. In 2014, the company launched in the country the Vivo X5 Max, touted as the world’s thinnest smartphone at the time.

 

As a company, Vivo sponsors various global sports events. In 2015, the company became title sponsor to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament in a two-year deal starting 2016. The deal was renewed in 2017 and the sponsorship was extended until 2022. The same year, the company reached a deal with FIFA for being the official smartphone brand sponsor of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. The company also became a title sponsor of India's Pro Kabaddi League.

 

Like sister concern Oppo, Vivo has been at the forefront of technology innovations in the smartphone space. It was the first smartphone manufacturer to showcase the in-display fingerprint sensor technology, which was later adopted by most smartphone brands. The company was also the first to introduce the motorised pop-up camera module in smartphones with the launch of the Vivo Nex in 2018. In 2019, the company showcased the Nex Dual Display concept with a secondary OLED screen at its back. The phone was just a prototype and did not go on sale, but it gathered a positive feedback from technology enthusiasts. So, there are chances that the company would announce a product with a similar technology sometime in 2019.