Vivo steps up its game! It will introduce a top-tier camera with 200MPx resolution and gimbal stabilization

DJI had barely introduced the more advanced Osmo Pocket 4P in Cannes when new competition emerged from another side. According to a fresh leak, Vivo is also preparing its own pocket gimbal camera. The working name is simply Vivo Pocket for now, and it is said to have hardware inside that is unparalleled in the segment. It’s starting to look like DJI’s multi-year near-monopoly in the category of pocket filmmaking cameras is coming to an end.

The information comes from an insider who has been accurate several times in the past. Besides Vivo, Oppo is also expected to have its own competitor for the Pocket 4, with the temporarily nicknamed model Fuyao, and the premium Insta360 Luna Ultra, collaborating with Leica, is also on customers’ radar. The market that DJI practically occupied without resistance a few years ago is suddenly filling up.

200 megapixels and a 1/1.1″ sensor

The hardware foundation is the most interesting part of the leak. Vivo is expected to use the Sony LYT-901 in its pocket camera, the same sensor the company deploys in its best X-series phones. Its parameters are above standard for this category.

Firstly, there’s the chip size of 1/1.1″, which is comparable to the 1″ format commonly used in high-end pocket cameras. A larger sensor area traditionally means better light capture and a wider dynamic range. Secondly, there’s the 200 Mpx resolution, which serves for lossless zoom using crops from the image. For comparison: the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 takes a maximum of 37Mpx photos.

If the hardware arrives as announced, the Vivo Pocket would produce the most detailed static images ever for this category and would have significantly better digital zoom available. The question is how the manufacturer will handle processing such a large resolution — the Sony LYT-901 generates substantial files, and such a sensor usually cannot handle full-resolution video recording. So, in static photo mode, we will likely achieve 200 Mpx, and in video, 4K (or potentially 8K) output with pixel binning.

According to the leak, Vivo is not targeting a cheap alternative but a premium segment comparable to DJI. Power will be provided by a powerful image processor, the construction is expected to be metallic, and the overall craftsmanship on the level of flagship smartphones. So don’t expect a plastic toy for five thousand — if any of this leak is true, the price tag will be heading towards twenty thousand, if not more.

DJI suddenly becomes just one of four players

For the Czech consumer, the context is important. Vivo sells its smartphones officially in our market and has established service facilities. If the brand decided to bring its Pocket to Europe, it should be a relatively painless process — unlike some Chinese competitors who do not have official representation in the Czech Republic.

The situation in the pocket gimbal camera market for the end of 2026 looks as follows:

• DJI Osmo Pocket 4 — available, proven, single-lens
• DJI Osmo Pocket 4P — freshly introduced, dual-lens, price currently unknown
• Insta360 Luna Pro — single-lens
• Insta360 Luna Ultra — dual-lens, in collaboration with Leica
• Vivo Pocket — leak, end of 2026, 200 Mpx
• Oppo Fuyao — leak, end of 2026

Thus, within a few months, a monopoly is transforming into a full-fledged competitive market where customers will have choices. This is always good news in the tech segment — competition drives prices down and innovation up. DJI can no longer sell the same hardware recipe five times with minor modifications.

However, Vivo has a lot of catching up to do. While DJI builds on decades of experience with stabilization, gimbal mechanisms, and image processing in drones and cameras, smartphone manufacturers come from the opposite direction. They have excellent sensors and smart algorithms from the cameras in their phones, but a mechanical gimbal is a different discipline.

Do you follow the pocket camera market, or is the camera in your smartphone enough for you?

Source: Notebookcheck