Prolific leaker Ice Universe has posted a photo of what they claim is the outer glass covering the display of the Vivo Nex 3, the presumed name of the next phone in the lineup that’s traditionally been a technology showcase for the Chinese company. The leak shows what appears to be two panes of glass, with their edges curved around 90-degree angles to completely encase the front, back, and sides of the unannounced handset. According to Ice Universe, the handset will have “no hole” and “no notch,” and the phone’s curved sides will give it a screen-to-body ratio of “over 100 percent.”
If what Ice Universe says about the phone is accurate, it means that Vivo might be the closest phone manufacturer yet to deliver on Jony Ive’s ambition to produce a phone that resembles a single sheet of glass.
However, the leak leaves plenty of questions unanswered about the design of the Vivo Nex 3. For example, how has the phone’s selfie camera overcome the need for a notch or a hole-punch cutout? Does it feature a pop-up selfie camera like the Vivo Nex, or does it use an under-display camera like the recently announced prototype from Oppo? Oppo is owned by the same parent company as Vivo, BBK Electronics, so it’s entirely possible the two companies could share the underlying technology. Otherwise it could omit the selfie camera entirely, like Vivo’s port-less Apex 2019 concept phone.
It’s also unclear exactly what Ice Universe means when they said the phone is a “complete screen.” Does this mean it has a second screen on the rear like the Vivo Nex Dual Display Edition. And what about that “no hole” claim? If it applies to the glass on the back then where is the main camera and flash located? Will it again feature Vivo’s “body soundcasting” technology, allowing it to omit the earpiece and speaker by vibrating the screen? Where’s the mic?
Questions aside, if the leak is accurate it’s an intriguing tease for the new Vivo handset.