In a world that never stands still, travel stories take shape in an instant. And smartphones are almost always there, capturing moments as they unfold.
Within this evolving visual language, vivo has carved out its place by pushing the boundaries of smartphone imaging. Co-engineered with ZEISS it has elevated smartphone photography into a serious creative medium, enabling travellers and creators to preserve moments with professional-grade quality, spontaneity, and authenticity. From low-light cityscapes to wide cinematic landscapes and immersive video, vivo’s technology encourages a more expressive and confident way to see and capture the world.
Driven by its creative philosophy, #TheJoyOfImagination, vivo believes technology should spark imagination. This vision finds expression in vivo’s Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards, a photography competition hosted by the brand to celebrate everyday creators and help transform simple moments into powerful visual narratives.
For today’s traveller, a phone is more than a gadget. It is a travel companion, a journal, a documentary tool, and sometimes a creative collaborator. What once required bulky DSLRs, tripods, and multiple lenses can now be managed by a single device that adapts to changing light, moving subjects, and unpredictable environments.
This shift is made possible by the evolution of smartphone camera technology and by brands like vivo that push mobile imaging forward. Within this ecosystem, the vivo X300 Pro demonstrates significant advancements in smartphone photography. Its 200MP ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera brings distant subjects into sharp, true-to-life focus, while the 50MP ZEISS True Color Main Camera, refined through ZEISS optics, preserves natural tones, light, and contrast across changing environments. The ultra-wide camera captures sweeping landscapes without distortion, from open highways to crowded city squares.
Low-light streets, glowing traffic trails, and night skies are handled through dedicated night and astro modes. For video, 4K HDR Dolby Vision and 4K 120fps allow cinematic storytelling straight from a phone. Smart tools like AI Photo Enhance and AI Erase help refine frames instantly, while a 6510 mAh battery with 90W fast charge ensures long travel days aren’t interrupted mid-shoot.
Today, many of our most meaningful travel moments are first captured through a smartphone lens, whether it's a sunrise, a city stirring to life from a hotel balcony, or the energy of a market unfolding in colour and chaos. With each advancement in smartphone camera technology, these moments are preserved with greater clarity, depth, and emotion than ever before.
The evolution of mobile camera technology has transformed photography from a specialised skill into an accessible form of expression. Years ago, capturing a well-lit night shot or a stable video in a bustling street required heavy gear. Today, even an entry-level smartphone can do what once required an entire kit bag.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Imaging noted that 91 per cent of people take photos using smartphones, while only 7 per cent rely on digital cameras or tablets. Using forecast figures by Ericsson and the Radicati Group, the research suggests this number will rise from 91 per cent in 2022 to an estimated 94 per cent by 2026.
This growing access to image-making also drives platforms like the vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards, where everyday smartphone users now find a national stage for their work.
Spontaneity is what sets smartphone photography apart. It has changed not only how we shoot, but what we choose to preserve. A 2016 HolidayIQ survey revealed that 67% of Indians prefer using a smartphone over a DSLR, largely because it allows them to respond to life as it unfolds.
No lens changes. No heavy settings. No delay between seeing and capturing.
It’s why so many of today’s most honest travel moments feel unplanned: a sudden turn of light in a quiet lane, a laugh caught mid-motion, a fleeting exchange between strangers. Smartphones let us follow our instincts instead of interruptions. In that freedom, the most authentic stories often emerge. Hosted by vivo, the vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards celebrates this impulse to notice and preserve, giving everyday creators a platform to bring their skills forward and transform spontaneous moments into shared stories that linger long after the journey ends.
While smartphones have made it easy for everyone to capture moments, the real challenge today is not taking photographs but giving them meaning. That is what the vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards sets out to celebrate: stories from everyday life, told through meaningful images.
The awards bring together travellers, emerging creators, hobbyists, and professionals who use their phones to turn ordinary scenes into emotionally resonant frames. More than a competition, it is a learning space where participants grow with mentorship from acclaimed photographers, experiment with technique and perspective, and refine their ability to translate imagination into imagery.
At its core is vivo’s larger creative vision of #TheJoyOfImagination, the idea that powerful stories begin not with perfect conditions, but with the freedom to see differently.
1. How have smartphones changed travel photography?
Smartphones have made photography more accessible, allowing travellers to capture high-quality images instantly without carrying heavy equipment.
2. Are smartphone cameras good enough for professional travel photography?
Advancements in mobile imaging, optics, and video features now allow smartphones to produce professional-grade visuals in many situations.
3. Why do travellers prefer smartphones over DSLRs?
Smartphones offer convenience, speed, portability, and the ability to shoot, edit, and share content instantly.
4. How does smartphone photography support storytelling?
Phones enable spontaneous captures, authentic moments, and immersive video, helping travellers tell more natural, real-time stories.
5. What role do photography awards play in smartphone creativity?
They provide recognition, mentorship, and platforms for everyday creators to showcase smartphone-shot visual stories.
This article is in collaboration with vivo.