When Apple launched the iPhone X (Review) with a notch on its display, it was met with mixed reactions. Some liked how the company implemented FaceID and reduced the borders around the screen, while others hated that it dug into screen space. However, this didn't stop other manufacturers from copying the design. We have already seen Asus implementing notches for its upcoming Zenfone 5 and the Zenfone 5z, and now Vivo has joined the list with the new V9. With this launch, Vivo has become the first manufacturer to actually launch an Android smartphone with a notch in India. We got to spend some time with the Vivo V9 prior to the official launch, and here are our first impressions.

The first thing you will notice about the Vivo V9 is its design. At first glance, it looks like any other phone with a taller display. Power the phone on and the notch becomes visible. The Vivo V9 has thin borders on the sides and top of the screen and a slightly thicker one at the bottom. The notch sits at the top and houses the 24-megapixel selfie camera, earpiece, notification LED, and other sensors. Vivo has managed to cram in a 6.3-inch display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels. The "ears" on either side of the notch are used to show system status icons. The smartphone is 75.03mm wide and 7.89mm thick, which makes it comfortable to hold. It is light at 150g, but it is hard to reach the top of the display when using this phone with one hand.