The Vivo X100 Pro Might Be the Greatest Camera-Focused Smartphone Available

Another year, another Vivo flagship, Vivo X100 Pro with an amazing camera setup, a high-quality display, and an alternative high-end chipset: the X100 Pro has just gone global. The latest and greatest in the company’s X-series, with a trio of 50MP cameras, an alleged 3000-nit peak brightness screen, and an all-big-core Dimensity SoC, sounds fascinating, and we’ve got the review.

The camera system is fronted by a 1-inch sensor, which vivo lists as 1/0.98″. A periscope telephoto camera increases optical zoom to 4.3x, and an autofocusing ultrawide camera completes the competent triple configuration on the other end.

The display keeps the previous generation’s 6.78-inch diagonal, as does the resolution, but vivo claims a peak brightness of up to 3000 nits – we’ll see. The Dimensity 9300 chip is also a major thing, as the little cores are now big, and the larger big cores are four times as numerous as the current Snapdragon. It won’t be four times as powerful, that much is certain, but how does it truly compare?

Another notable addition this time around is the increased battery capacity – the Vivo X100 Pro has a 5,400mAh power pack in a sea of 5,000mAh-or-less competition. Is it merely to keep up with that beast of a Mediatek chip, or are we in for some record-breaking longevity? Before we get into the more pressing questions, here’s a quick review of the major specifications.

Price when reviewed: $929 | Check price at Amazon

Vivo X100 Pro KEY FEATURES

The main camera on the Vivo X90 Pro was already one of my favorites, but now that it’s accompanied by a better resolution ultra-wide and an astonishing 100mm equivalent telephoto, the creative possibilities have grown significantly. The Vivo X100 Pro is powered by MediaTek’s latest flagship SoC, the Dimensity 9300, which competes with, and often outperforms, the best Qualcomm has to offer. The maximum charging speed has been reduced from 120W to 100W, however on the older model, I could only get maximum charging speeds using the provided wall adapter. The Vivo X100 Pro compatibility has been greatly improved, allowing it to charge faster with power banks and automobile adapters.

Vivo X100 UNBXING

The X100 Pro comes in the customary flat squarish package that we’ve come to expect from Vivo flagships. Inside, there are the standard accessories.

Even though the phone is rated for up to 100W charging, it comes with a 120W converter. The package also includes a USB-C cable. A snap-on protective rear cover is also included; our black review device had a black one, but we’ve seen transparent ones with other hues on the internet.

CAMERA

The cameras are unquestionably the highlight of this handset, and I’m delighted to report that they don’t disappoint.

The main camera is largely identical to that found in the X90 Pro. It retains Sony’s IMX989 sensor and features a 23mm equivalent focal length and an aperture of f/1.75. However, Vivo claims that the Zeiss T* coating on the X100 Pro has been enhanced, leading to a 50% reduction in reflection and improved image quality.

However, the most significant improvements are made to the auxiliary cameras. The ultrawide has been increased to 50MP from 12MP, and it is slightly broader, with a 15mm comparable focal length. It’s still the poorest of the three lenses, but it’s a significant improvement over its predecessor and comes in quite helpful for photographing architecture.

The true star of the show is the new telephoto camera, which features a 50MP sensor and a 100mm equivalent lens. This 4.3x telephoto replaces the 2x camera on its predecessor; it’s considerably more helpful for my requirements and retains the earlier model’s close-focusing capabilities, making it ideal for macro photographs.

Similar to the iPhone 15 Pro, the Vivo X100 Pro includes some intermediate digital focal length presets between the physical lenses and employs pixel binning to provide a near-lossless digital cut. So, if you liked the 2x camera on the earlier model, you can have the same focal length using software.

This means you have a big zoom range on a device that fits in your pocket. It’s extremely versatile. I enjoyed using it for candid street photography because no one looks twice at a smartphone, and the reach of this camera array allows you to capture photos that other systems simply cannot.

The main camera outperforms the other lenses at night due to its big 1-inch sensor, but when in night mode, the auxiliary cameras hold their own – you’ll just have to sit still for a little longer until they gather enough light. I was delighted with the telephoto camera’s stability in these settings; stabilizing a 100mm equivalent lens is no easy task, and whatever magic Vivo has accomplished with its floating periscope design works wonderfully.

Around the front, the punch-hole selfie camera is solid but not as impressive as the back cameras. It appears to be unaltered from the previous version, with a 32MP resolution and f/2.0 aperture. The results are fine, but I was hoping it would inherit the amazing selfie camera seen on Vivo’s mid-range V29 handsets, which is currently the greatest selfie camera on the market.

The Vivo X100 Pro selfie camera’s negative point is that it has a fixed focus, which means you can’t capture close-up photographs, and large group shots may appear soft. This is not unique; most flagships are the same, with the Pixel 8 Pro being the only mainstream alternative to offer this capability.

When it comes to video recording, the main camera can record at up to 8K30, while the two rear cameras are limited to 4K60. Meanwhile, the selfie camera only supports 1080p at 60fps.

The stability is superb in all settings, including 8K, where many phones skip stabilisation. The main and ultra-wide lenses produce the smoothest results, and while the telephoto lens performs admirably given its length, expect some jitter as the stabilisation tries to keep up with your movements.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

The almost ridiculously enormous camera hump is the first thing that comes to mind when discussing the design of this phone. The circular array is centrally located, occupying nearly the full width of the back panel and practically doubling the device’s thickness. It implies that this smartphone resembles a camera more than a phone, and it will undoubtedly divide opinion. I think it’s rather cool, but I’m a fan of unusual designs.

Aside from the huge camera, the design is very similar to the previous iteration, with significant curving at the edges of the display, which is mirrored by the curves of the back panel. I normally like a flat display, but the curviness works well here because it makes the phone appear thinner than it is and more comfortable to hold. The vegan leather rear has been replaced by Vivo’s distinctive AG frosted glass back panel. I adore the silky-smooth feel of this material, and the fact that it is resistant to fingerprint smudges is a huge bonus. My only complaint is how slippery it is; you’ll need to have your wits about you if you intend to use it without a case.

Thankfully, a case is included in the box, and instead of the normal transparent TPU cover, this model comes with a textured black case that looks and feels great while still providing adequate protection. It’s more crucial than you might think because Vivo cases are difficult to come by unless you import them from China.

My test unit arrived in the professional-looking Asteroid Black color scheme, although a more whimsical Startrail Blue option is available for those who like a more colorful phone. The box is almost entirely made of cardboard, which is good to see, and it has a high-quality textured touch throughout. The package includes the phone, a 120W wall charger, a USB-C cable, a black TPU case, and a manual. The display is very amazing; it’s huge, extremely bright, and creates superb colors. With the X90 Pro, I discovered that when I used a low brightness setting, the colors suffered; happily, this is not the case with the Vivo X100 Pro. It looks fantastic in every setting.

This panel can produce up to 3000 units at its peak, making it one of the brightest panels available, and you can tell the difference when watching HDR video. It just looks great. It’s an LTPO display, which means it can modify its refresh rate based on what’s on screen. To save battery life, this model employs a feature known as the V Frame Rate Management System, which adjusts the refresh rate based on the pace with which your finger swipes.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The vivo X100 Pro is powered by the Dimensity 9300 chipset, which is yet another first for us after the iQOO 12 introduced a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to the office just last week.

The high-end chip is built on TSMC’s third-generation 4nm+ technology, and Mediatek claims it provides a 40% boost in peak performance over last year’s Dimensity 9200 while using 33% less power.

The chip’s CPU has four Cortex-X4 cores (one clocked at up to 3.25GHz and three at up to 2.85GHz) and four Cortex-A720 units (up to 2.0GHz) compared to the SD 8 Gen 3’s CPU design of 1×3.3GHz Cortex-X4, 5×3.2GHz Cortex-A720, and 2×2.3GHz Cortex-A520.

The GPU is Immortalis-G720 MC12, which has one more core than the G715 MC11 in the Dimensity 9200 and two more than the G715 MC10 in the Pixel 8 Tensor G3.

The Mediatek top dog also supports LPDDR5T RAM, however, according to Vivo’s published specs, only the 1TB storage version has it (16GB). There are three more memory configurations available: 12GB/256GB, 16GB/256GB, and 16GB/512GB, all of which are expected to feature LPDDR5X RAM. Storage is UFS 4.0 in all versions. Our review unit is the 16GB/512GB configuration.

In GeekBench, the Vivo X100 Pro lags significantly behind the iQOO 12 in the single-core test, which reflects the 3.25GHz vs. 3.30GHz clock speed differential on the prime Cortex-X4 cores.

In the multi-core test, the positions are reversed, and the Dimensity-powered vivo leads by about 6%. The new processor outperforms the Dimensity 9200+, as represented by the Xiaomi 13T Pro, by more than 50%, which is at least somewhat noteworthy.

Overall, we’d conclude that, at least in the X100 Pro implementation, the Dimensity 9300 is very stable while also being quite robust. The phone did heat up while benchmarking, but not excessively. So far, the new MediaTek chip has performed admirably.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Vivo X100 Pro is an outstanding smartphone. It has the most adaptable camera system I’ve ever used, and it’s complemented by a beautiful display, lightning-fast speed, and a wonderful design.

It leaves me with almost nothing to complain about. My only true desire is that the selfie camera was slightly better. Vivo has been using one of the most impressive selfie cameras in its mid-range V-series phones for years, so it only makes sense to have it here as well.

Otherwise, our readers’ biggest issue will be getting their hands on it. While it has been launched internationally, it is unclear which European nations will have a proper release, and if previous releases are any indication, the UK and US are unlikely to receive a look. However, if you live in a supported region, I highly recommend the Vivo X100 Pro. It may be worth the effort of importing.

Buy it if...

• A standout design.
• Excellent presentation.
• Longer battery life and faster charging than the average.
• Super-powerful chipset with surprisingly good stability.
• Excellent camera system, particularly the telephoto for both distant and close scenes.

Don't buy it if...

• As slippery as it gets (in the reviewed colorway).
• Ultrawide cameras are not particularly wide.
• Uninspiring selfie camera with 1080p video only.

FULL SPECIFICATION