With the smartphone market being as crowded and competitive as it is, manufacturers are always looking for a way to make their device stand out. Vivo is doing just that by packing its new Xplay5 full of RAM.
The Vivo Xplay5 is a new Android 5.1 flagship that boasts a whopping 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM under its hood. To compare, other recent Android flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and LG G5 have 4GB of RAM. Only the “Flagship Edition” of the Xplay5 offers 6GB of RAM, though, as the standard model drops down to 4GB. The Flagship Edition Xplay5 also includes a Snapdragon 820 processor and “HiFi 3.0” setup with two DAC chips and three amps.
In addition to its 4GB of RAM, the standard Xplay5 also steps down to a Snapdragon 652 chipset. After those few differences, the two Xplay 5 models are largely the same. They both offer a 5.43-inch 2560x1440 Super AMOLED display that’s curved on both sides, similar to the screen used by Samsung on its new Galaxy S7 edge. The two phones also include 16-megapixel rear cameras with Sony IMX298 sensors and dual-tone LED flashes, 8-megapixel front-facing cams, 3600mAh batteries and rear-mounted fingerprint readers. Unfortunately, two features that didn’t make it into the Xplay5 are NFC and USB Type-C.
As for pricing and availability, Vivo will ask 4,288 yuan ($654 USD) for the RAM-stuffed Flagship Edition of the Xplay5, but there’s no word yet on when it’ll be available. The standard model is now available for pre-order at a price of 3,698 yuan ($564 USD). Both Xplay5 models will be sold in gold and pink color options.
It’s kind of crazy to think that there’s now a smartphone that includes 6GB of RAM, which is more than some laptops. Spec increases like this are inevitable, though, as technology continues to improve and manufacturers continue to look for ways to make their devices stand out. And while the Vivo Xplay5 may not be easy to buy outside of China, folks that live in other countries will likely see smartphones with 6GB of RAM soon enough.
