The Vivo G5i and Vivo G5z have launched in China as two new additions to the brand's G-series lineup, which is meant for the brand's offline retail market. What makes this launch unusual is that the two phones aren't just similar, they're essentially the same phone sold under two different names, right down to the model number.
Vivo G5i and Vivo G5z Specifications and Features
Both the Vivo G5i and Vivo G5z share the same V2531A model number and even the license number "02-B220-253548", suggesting they're built off an identical hardware platform rather than being distinct Vivo phones.
Under the hood, the smartphones are powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, which is an octa-core chipset built on a 4nm process with a peak clock speed of 2.2 GHz and paired with an Adreno 613 GPU. The chipset is paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.
On the front, both the Vivo G5i and G5z feature a 6.75-inch 120 Hz HD+ (1570 x 720 pixels) LCD display with a 240 Hz touch sampling rate. The panel also offers an 83% NTSC colour saturation and a pixel density of 256 PPI. To make binge-watching shows more enjoyable, there are dual stereo speakers as well.
In terms of optics, the phones sport a single 50 MP rear camera lens with an f/1.8 aperture, autofocus and up to 10x digital zoom. At the front, there's an 8 MP selfie shooter with an f/2.05 aperture and 2x digital zoom.
As for durability, both the Vivo G5i and Vivo G5z come with a 5-star SGS drop and shock resistance certification, along with IP68 + IP69 ratings. Vivo is also touting a six-year battery rating on both phones.
Fueling both phones is a large 7,200mAh battery paired with 44W fast charging support. Rounding out the feature list, the phones include NFC, an infrared sensor, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and facial recognition.
Vivo G5i and Vivo G5z Price in China and Availability
The Vivo G5i and G5z are available in two identical memory configurations. The 6 GB + 128 GB variant is priced at 2,199 Chinese yuan (approximately Rs 31,000), while the 8 GB + 256 GB variant costs 2,899 Chinese yuan (approximately Rs 41,000).
Vivo has skipped multiple colour options here, with both phones arriving in a single Obsidian Black finish.
Given that both phones share the same specifications, design and pricing, the decision to launch them as separate models appears to be more about giving Vivo's offline retail partners distinct SKUs to sell. There's no word yet on whether either phone will make its way to India or any other market outside China.
