This is Vivo’s New Classical Smartphone with 200MP Camera, and I am using it for the last month. The main reason I carry on this review is that it’s being called the “best phone of 2024” by so many people. Almost everyone I’ve heard agrees that it’s the top camera phone of 2024, and while I’d agree as well, saying it’s the best phone of 2024 could be a stretch. I will elaborate more soon. But, as with any other phone, this isn’t a perfect device.
Design
Let’s start with the design. The Vivo X200 Pro looks like a typical smartphone, but it has one notable feature: a massive camera bump on the back. I understand why this is necessary — the camera sensor inside is huge, over an inch in size. It is slightly annoying while holding the phone. The phone is top-heavy and rests on the table at a very dramatic slant, like a skateboard ramp. However, it stands firm, not rocking as it rests for everyday use. The sides are done in brushed aluminum, which feels premium, but I’m not a fan of the curviness of the edges. I much prefer flat displays.
Build and Durability
The phone’s front is made of ordinary glass, but the back is made of frosted glass. There’s a SIM slot and USB-C port on the bottom, and I’ve tested it with a Canadian carrier (Teles SIM), and it works just fine with 5G. The phone weighs 223g, making it a bit heavier than most. However, it is IP69 water-resistant, which offers extra protection compared to the usual IP68 rating.
Display
The display is another standout feature. This OLED screen measuring 6.78 inches diagonally, 2800 x 1260 pixels, and 120 Hz refresh rate brings alive beautiful and sharp colors. The LTPO panel is capable of varying its refresh rate from 1 Hz to 120 Hz, with a peak brightness of 4500 nits. Outdoors, I measured it at 2000 nits, which is extremely bright for a smartphone.
Front-Facing Camera
The front camera makes every photo 32Mp and 4K videos can also be captured with it. Well, selfies are way better than any other device according to the X200 pro; gives a softer, natural look to the selfie. I mean I compared it with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and I will just leave it to you and your brain to decide on which performs better now.
Performance
The performance of this phone really surprised me. I expected the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 to lag behind Snapdragon chips, but it’s actually fantastic. It’s fast and competes with the best, including the iPhone. It does heat up a bit faster than Snapdragon-powered phones, and I noticed some throttling, but in everyday use, it’s more than adequate. The phone can be configured with up to 1TB of storage and 12GB to 16GB of RAM, which is more than enough for most users.
Battery Life
The battery life on the X200 Pro is exceptional. The 6,000mAh battery lasts a couple of days of regular use, and in my experience, I could leave the phone unused for five or six days and still have a lot of battery left. There’s also 9W fast charging and 30W wireless charging, which is quicker than many other phones on the market.
Software
However, one area where the Vivo X200 Pro doesn’t shine is the operating system. It runs Android 15 with Vivo’s FunTouch OS, which feels a bit basic. I prefer more polished systems like Pixel OS, One UI, or Oxygen OS. The icons in the notification center feel too small, and the overall interface could be more refined. The phone will get four major Android updates, which isn’t terrible but is fewer than offerings from Samsung or Google.
Camera System
What’s more, now, let’s dive into the heart of the Vivo X200 Pro – the camera. Huge 50MP wide-lens camera, 200MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.7x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide camera are its wonderful lenses. It shoots 8K video and features astonishing fast, consistent lens-switching. The colors are much brighter than that of iPhone, but at times, the X200 Pro has also been found to oversaturate its images – especially in bright photographs. Another key feature of this camera has got to be definitely dynamic range, because it has done big justice to high-contrast scenes in saving details well. The zoom capabilities of this camera are also impressive, from 0.5x till 100x zoom. This mobile phone surely has a remarkable zoom than an iPhone, whereby it also employs a periscope lens to take clearer shots denser than that of an iPhone.
Zoom and Image Quality
The zoom performance is remarkable, particularly at 100x. I took this phone to a hockey game, and it captured clean shots from a distance that the iPhone couldn’t match. However, the X200 Pro does apply heavy AI processing to smooth skin and details, which can sometimes result in unnatural images that resemble oil paintings, especially with faces. While it’s good at making the images look cleaner, it sometimes removes too much detail.
Video and Nighttime Photography
When it comes to video, 4K footage from the Vivo X200 Pro is excellent. Although I still slightly prefer the iPhone for video quality, the stabilization on the X200 Pro is superb, and the footage is sharp. In terms of nighttime photography, the X200 Pro excels with sharper, brighter photos and better bokeh effects compared to the iPhone, even in low light.
Conclusion
I would say that for overall photo click, the Vivo X200 Pro ranks top in my list, but when it comes to video, I still avail of the iPhone. The camera module on the Vivo X200 Pro is indeed phenomenal and perhaps a future-defining factor in the field of smartphone cameras. But when it comes to the best phone of 2024, it is still the more rounded choice for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Good camera system, great software, and support for longer periods; these make it really stand out. But, if you are talking cameras, I don’t think the Vivo X200 Pro is going to let you down. Follow for more updates on Tech Education.
