vivo Announces “VISION+” Initiative to Promote the Culture of Mobile Photography

Hi Everyone,

vivo has just announced “VISION+”, a global initiative that will build a visual content ecosystem, reaffirming the brand’s long-term commitment to user-centric design and leadership in mobile photography technology. The VISION+ ecosystem is composed of the vivo VISION+ Mobile Photography Awards, launched jointly with National Geographic, along with the vivo VISION+ Mobile Photography Academy, the vivo VISION+ Master Class, the vivo VISION+ Youth Program, and the vivo VISION+ Photographers Federation. 

vivo VISION+ centers around “JOY IMAGE” as its core foundation and will form a new visual content ecosystem through initiatives including content co-creation, education and cultural exchanges. The strategy fuses vivo’s product innovation leadership with the evolving needs of smartphone users who view mobile photography as an important part of culture and everyday life. 

“The genesis of vivo VISION+ is derived from the dedication our brand has placed on mobile photography technologies and culture for many years. We aspire to give more people tools of visual self-expression and the opportunity to document highlights in their lives. We hope to collaborate on more authentic and personalized content with creators to illustrate our brand culture. These initiatives are an opportunity to educate users on our technological advancements and visual aesthetic exploration," said Michael Chang, vivo’s General Manager of Branding, at the vivo VISION+ launch event at Enjoy Art Museum in Beijing. Tang Qingliang, Senior Director of Imaging Product, Li Zhuo, Director of Digital Imaging Product, and An Yiran, Manager of Digital Imaging Product, were also in attendance. 

Wang Yan (left) and Michael Chang (right) announce the vivo VISION+ Mobile Photography Awards 

At the event, vivo announced a partnership with National Geographic to launch a global mobile photography competition, the vivo VISION+ Mobile Photography Awards. Global smartphone users will be invited to showcase their photography skills, and outstanding entries will be submitted for international photography awards. The theme and progress of the contest will be published on the official websites of both parties, and the world's top photographers, such as Steve McCurry and Michael Halsband, will be invited to partake. 

“As an internationally recognised media brand, National Geographic has always embraced the diversity of humanity in order to deliver excellent content. vivo shares these values, which has resulted in our successful partnership over the years,” Wang Yan, Head of National Geographic Branded Content and Partnership, said at the event. As early as 2014, the two brands initiated an image co-creation activity to promote the technological advances of mobile photography. Since then, the technology has seen groundbreaking advancements, and this new cooperation will allow the two parties to explore further, she said. 

The vivo VISION+ Mobile Photography Academy is a public photography education initiative, providing an artistic and cultural exchange platform for the masses. At the Academy, photography enthusiasts will learn to discover, understand and convey the creative spirit of mobile photography. The vivo VISION+ Mobile Photography Academy will invite world-class photographers to teach master classes to vivo users and photography enthusiasts. Photographer Xiao Quan, who attended the VISION+ launch event, is one of the participants in this program. vivo will conduct the VISION+ Master Class, providing a cultural exchange platform for photographers and users. vivo will also launch a youth training camp, the VISION+ Youth Program, for aspiring photographers in colleges and universities. By providing a platform where young people can learn, communicate, create and practice, vivo will contribute towards cultivating creativity and talent. 

vivo and National Geographic representatives and photographer Xiao Quan (second from the left) hold a panel discussion on mobile photography. 

The core foundation of the “VISION+ Photographers Federation” is JOY IMAGE, uniting like-minded and excellent photographers around the world. vivo hopes to collaborate with more creators to explore the limitless possibilities of mobile photography, which will ultimately contribute towards the technological advancements and aesthetic developments of vivo product design. 

Based on comprehensive consumer research and a user-centric design approach, vivo is a pioneering innovator of mobile photography technology. This has translated into vivo’s cutting-edge offerings such as the world’s first pop-up front camera featured in vivo NEX, or the revolutionary Gimbal Camera System of the vivo X50 series and the use of the 50MP GN1 sensor. In the future, vivo shall continue to flourish in categories such as night photography, digital portraits, sports imaging, telephoto lens, videography, and other mobile photography features. vivo will pursue innovation based on users’ insights, enhancing the technical capabilities and heightening the standards of mobile photography universally. 

In order to attain these goals, vivo is vigorously carrying out technical development processes. At the event, Li Zhuo, Director of Digital Imaging Product of vivo, said the industry’s first state-of-the-art sensor with RGBW matrix and CFA filter has been discreetly developed by vivo for one year. Its photosensitive efficiency is 200% higher than the conventional RGGB matrix and 60% higher than the RYYB matrix, addressing the issue of RYYB technology being prone to color casting. This technology will push the photosensitivity of smartphones to a new level, capturing precise and clear images under various adverse light conditions. Li also revealed that new devices adopting the RGBW sensor are already under development and are forecasted to hit the market next year. He concluded that for the progression of future technologies, the ultimate objective is to allow novice users to effortlessly achieve visual effects on par with professional photographers. vivo is committed to making mobile phones a tool for users to create, so that everyone can take photos that exceed expectations and have wonderful experiences.