Inside vivo’s Push Towards Global Technology Leadership
vivo uses its debut at Mobile World Congress to signal its global ambitions, imaging-led innovation depth and intent to compete as a leading international technology company in a maturing smartphone market.
vivo is using its first-ever MWC 2026 debut to announce bigger global ambitions, bringing the X300 Ultra to a wider stage and staking a claim in the premium segment as phone growth slows.
To fund that push, it is scaling a “More Local, More Global” playbook, deepening footholds in fast-growing markets including an India lead since 2024, and shifting more revenue abroad, now over half outside China.
The advantage it is betting on is imaging-led innovation, a vertically integrated stack with ZEISS plus in-house chips and algorithms, then extending that into an AI device platform via BlueOS and new bets like robotics.
vivo uses its debut at Mobile World Congress to signal its global ambitions, imaging-led innovation depth and intent to compete as a leading international technology company in a maturing smartphone market.
For years, one of the world’s largest smartphone makers has focused on execution rather than attention. Across Asia, Europe, and emerging markets, vivo ships hundreds of millions of devices annually, using its flagship X-series and a sustained partnership with ZEISS to establish credibility in premium imaging.
That foundation is now supporting a broader imaging-led shift.
As the global smartphone industry matures, leadership depends on the ability to compete at the high end, sustain innovation and operate across international markets. vivo’s debut at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 signals its intent to compete on those terms.
A Global Market Defined by Premium Experience
Global smartphone shipments have largely plateaued, even as competition intensifies. According to Counterpoint Research, shipments rose just 2% in 2025, underscoring how incremental growth has become.[1] Value creation, however, is shifting toward higher-end devices, with consumers increasingly willing to pay for premium experiences.
This dynamic has reshaped what leadership requires. Companies now need to sustain innovation at the premium end and operate across markets increasingly shaped by geopolitics and supply-chain realignment.
Geography adds another layer of complexity. Demand in the US is cooling from a high base, while future growth is tied more closely to emerging markets across Asia Pacific and Latin America. These regions bring opportunity, but also demand flexibility, localized execution, and credible positioning across very different consumer segments.
vivo’s commitment to value along with its “More Local, More Global” strategy of adapting its portfolio, marketing, service and production based on each market's needs underpins its success across Asia. In India, vivo has been the leading smartphone brand since 2024 and accounted for 24% of shipments in 3Q25.[2] vivo also ranks among the top five brands in Southeast Asia with around 11% market share.[3] The company aims to extend that success around the world.
Pushing the Boundaries of Technology on a Global Stage
vivo’s presence at MWC reflects a decisive move in its global ambition. For the first time, vivo brought the most advanced model in its X-series flagship lineup, the X300 Ultra, to a global audience. Previously reserved for the domestic market, the international debut of the device underscores vivo’s readiness to compete at the highest level worldwide.
That decision comes from a position of strength. According to Counterpoint Research, vivo finished 2025 as the world’s fourth-largest smartphone maker, growing 3% on year.[4] The performance was driven by a steady move upmarket, strong offline execution in key emerging markets, and a more focused portfolio that captured both premium upgrades and resilient mid-tier demand. More than half of vivo’s revenue now comes from outside China, a figure the company expects to rise.
Against that backdrop, MWC offered the right setting to engage the global industry. “Our ambition is to build a truly global technology company,” says Baishan Hu, President & COO at vivo, President of vivo Central Research Institute. “Our presence at MWC means competing at the highest level, with products, technologies and partnerships that can stand on the world stage.”
A Disciplined Approach to Innovation
In a more demanding phase of the smartphone industry, vivo’s approach to innovation has become increasingly disciplined. Research priorities are shaped by long-term user needs, with a focus on building durable capabilities that can scale across products and platforms.
Imaging offers the clearest illustration of that approach. For vivo, imaging research reflects a long-standing commitment to understanding how people capture and experience the world as well as its belief that visual technology will define its future. Years of investment have gone into building a vertically integrated stack that spans optical design, dedicated imaging chips, and proprietary algorithms. Co-engineering hardware with partners such as ZEISS and developing in-house imaging chips gives vivo deeper control over performance and creative expression.
“For vivo, imaging is a long-term commitment,” says Hu. “Our ambition is to become one of the world’s leading imaging technology companies, with capabilities that extend far beyond smartphones and into the wider visual fields that will matter in the coming decades.”
The same thinking extends into adjacent fields. In 2025, vivo established a Robotics Lab within its central research institute, exploring how imaging, AI models, and mixed reality can support practical applications such as home robotics and elderly care. BlueOS, the company’s self-developed operating system, underpins these efforts with a secure, AI-native foundation designed for multi-device interaction.
Across these initiatives, the emphasis remains consistent. Technology development starts with people, advances through collaboration with global partners and aims to address real-world challenges. Imaging sits at the center of that roadmap, as both a defining capability and a long-term axis for future expansion into visual-related fields such as healthcare and other new-economy applications.
Paving the Path to Success Through Collaboration
As vivo’s global footprint expands, the company is also investing in something harder to build: influence within the technology ecosystem underpinned by collaboration.
That approach is reflected in vivo’s deepening partnerships with nearly 400 industrial partners, covering everything from imaging and display to structural components, semiconductors and more. These relationships allow vivo to integrate hardware, software and services more tightly while ensuring its imaging and AI capabilities remain compatible with global platforms and standards.
For Hu, this ecosystem mindset is becoming central to vivo’s next phase. “To compete globally, no company can innovate in isolation,” he says. “Our focus is on building open, trusted partnerships that allow technology to evolve faster and serve users better, wherever they are.”
By strengthening global partnerships and contributing to the industry’s shared infrastructure, vivo is positioning itself to play a larger role in shaping the future of mobile and visual technology.
