This year, we saw a lot of brands coming up with a sliding design. The addition of moving parts has never been a bright idea for a portable device like a mobile phone, but companies still went ahead and added sliding camera modules to eliminate the notch.

The elimination of the notch meant a better screen-to-body ratio, and we gotta say, the automatic pop-up camera did look cool. 

Vivo was among the first few to come up with a sliding camera phone, and the NEX was one of them. Now, the brand is back with the successor of the phone, and the idea of a sliding camera module has been completely eliminated. We expected the successor to be called NEX 2 but instead, it has been dubbed the Vivo Nex Dual  Display Edition. 

© Vivo

Now, Vivo wants to try something new and has added a huge display on the back of the phone a well. While we've seen a similar concept onboard the Russian Yotaphone, the NEX stands apart thanks to its 3D TOF stereo camera. 

The front has a 6.39-inch bezel-less display while the rear has a 5.49-inch screen and both have an AMOLED panel and Full HD resolution. As expected of a flagship device, the Vivo NEX Dual is powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset and will be available in 10GB of RAM coupled with 128GB of non-expandable storage. 

© YouTube/Engadget

The back has some space on the top where the camera module, consisting of a 12-megapixel primary sensor backed with a 2-megapixel secondary lens, is located. A "Lunar Ring" on the back of the device is functional as well and acts as a soft flash for low-light selfie shots. The ring also changes colour to signify app notifications. 

Another unique addition to the phone is a time of flight (TOF) 3D module. It maps objects by firing pulses of light and then measuring the time taken for that light to return, which will allow for accurately modeling your face for more secure facial recognition, as well as for personalized beautification. 

© Vivo

The phone runs on Funtouch OS 4.5 that's based on the latest Android 9 Pie. The phone is also equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader and the phone is expected to go on sale in various regions soon. In China, it is priced at CNY 4,998 (Rs 52,000).