Vivo NEX A performance test: not quite powerhouse material

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• How do we test smartphone performance?
• Technical data
• Benchmark results
• Gaming and daily use tests

How do we test smartphone performance?

We’ve selected several benchmarks for our tests, which we run three times in a row on our test devices. We use the following benchmarks:

• 3D Mark
• Geekbench
• Passmark (for memory and RAM performance)

Using these values, we can compare smartphones with one another with the help of measurable criteria. But that’s not enough: what use are benchmark values if the smartphone doesn’t live up to them in everyday life? That’s why we also test real-world scenarios and look at current games like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, Hearthstone or PUBG.

Powerful without special features

Vivo uses Qualcomm’s latest SoC in the NEX A: the Snapdragon 710, the first of the 700 series, which is positioned between the mid-range SoC of the 600 series and the high-end 800 series. Take a look at our comparison table to see how the SoC in the Vivo NEX A performs compared to the SD845 and SD660.

Snapdragon 660 vs. Snapdragon 710 vs. Snapdragon 845

Snapdragon 660	Snapdragon 710	Snapdragon 845
14 nm	10 nm	10 nm
Kyro 260	Kyro 360	Kyro 385
X12, 3x CA, 600 Mbps DL	X15, 3x CA, 800 Mbps DL	X20, 5x CA, 1,2 Gbps DL
802.11ac, 2x2 MIMO	802.11 ac, 2x2 MIMO	802.11 ad, 2x2 MIMO
Adreno 512	Adreno 616	Adreno 630
Spectra 160	Spectra 250	Spectra 280
Hexagon 680	Hexagon 685	Hexagon 685
QHD, 8 Layer	QHD+ 10 Layer, 4K HDR Playback	Ultra HD Premium
QuickCharge 4+	QuickCharge 4+	QuickCharge 4+

The most obvious reason to use the Snapdragon 710 in the Vivo NEX A is to lower the price. As an uncompromising alternative, there will also be the Vivo NEX S, which will feature Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line SoC model, as well as the in-display fingerprint sensor. According to the current conversion rate, the top model will cost around 800 dollars to import via China.

Xiaomi Mi 8 benchmark results

	Pixel 2 XL (Snapdragon 835)	Huawei P20 Pro (Kirin 970)	Galaxy S9 (Exynos 9810)	Sony Xperia XZ2 (Snapdragon 845)	Vivo NEX A (Snapdragon 710)	Nokia 7 Plus (Snapdragon 660)
Geekbench CPU Single core	1867	1920	3645	2412	1879	1634
Geekbench CPU Multicore	6291	6780	8820	8420	5918	5865
3D Mark Sling Shot ES 3.1	3571	2972	3274	4679	1827	1330
3D Mark Sling Shot ES 3.0	4714	3346	3873	6140	2789	2018
3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited ES 2.0	37844	30602	38488	63589	28238	26385
PassMark Memory (RAM)	13836	14087	24721	12418	12421	12495
PassMark Disk (Storage)	47759	64144	72538	73208	67656	49866

So how does the hardware-software combination of the Vivo NEX A compare to current top smartphones? It’s not so bad at all. It’s clear that the A version of the Vivo NEX can’t match the processor and graphic performance of a Galaxy S9 with Exynos 9810 and certainly can’t keep up with the Sony Xperia XZ2 with Snapdragon 845. But at least Vivo can nearly achieve the performance of a top smartphone from 2017. A Pixel 2 XL or Huawei Mate 10 Pro are still faster in our benchmark test, but the Vivo NEX A is not that far behind.

You have to remember that the Snapdragon 710 is also an octacore processor, but compared to the 800 series, the Kirin 970 or Exynos 9810, it functions differently. Instead of combining four energy-efficient cores with four high-performance cores as usual, the Snapdragon 710 is based on a cluster of six ARM Cortex A55 cores that are trimmed for efficiency and then just two high-performance ARM Cortex A77 cores. From this alone, you could classify the performance of the SoC in the new Vivo NEX A as “very good”.

Hardly any difference in everyday performance!

Even if the Vivo NEX A can’t keep up with the current flagships in the benchmarks, it doesn’t mean it’s a slow smartphone. The animations on the home screen and throughout Funtouch OS, Vivo’s UI, run smoothly and without visible jerks. Of course, you have to get used to the peculiarities at first, but there shouldn’t be taken into account in this kind of test.

The new Qualcomm SoC can deliver consistently good results in games. Even at maximum resolution in PUBG Mobile, Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition and similar graphic-intensive games, the gaming experience was smooth. In terms of performance reserves, the Snapdragon 710 in the Vivo NEX A has plenty of room to effortlessly bring the latest games onto the huger Super AMOLED screen for the coming 12 to 18 months.

What do you think of the Vivo NEX A? Is this variant enough for you, or does it have to be the S version with Qualcomm's best SoC and a fingerprint sensor installed under the display? Let us know what you think!