Vivo X200 FE Review
Our in-depth vivo X200 FE review explores the ultimate compact flagship. Discover its massive 6500mAh battery, powerful Dimensity 9300+ performance, and impressive Zeiss camera system to see if this is the small phone you’ve been waiting for.
Vivo’s high-end smartphone family welcomes a new and intriguing addition: the vivo X200 FE. While the “FE” moniker might bring another brand’s “Fan Edition” to mind, vivo has crafted a device that is anything but a scaled-down model. This phone is a rare and powerful combination of a top-tier cameraphone, a performance-driven flagship, and a compact handset that somehow houses a massive battery. It’s a unique blend of qualities that is seldom seen in the market.
The vivo X200 FE makes a striking first impression. It is a vibrant and pocket-friendly device, measuring just 8mm in thickness and weighing 186g. It features a bright 6.31-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, is powered by the flagship-grade MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset, and is kept alive by an enormous 6,500 mAh battery. As part of the prestigious X-series, its photographic capabilities are a key focus. The spec sheet is impressive, boasting a Zeiss-enhanced 50MP main camera, a 50MP 3x telephoto lens, an 8MP ultrawide shooter, and a high-resolution 50MP selfie camera. While not quite at the “Ultra” level, this camera setup is remarkable for a phone of this size.
Designed for the global market, the vivo X200 FE runs on Android 15 with Funtouch 15. It also features a robust IP68/IP69 rating for superior dust and water resistance and comes in several eye-catching colors, including Blue Breeze, Yellow Glow, Pink Vibe, and Black Luxe.
vivo X200 FE specs at a glance:
- Body: $150.8 \times 71.8 \times 8.0$ mm, 186g; Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back; IP68/IP69 dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min).
- Display: $6.31″$ LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 4500 / 5000 nits (peak), $1216 \times 2640$px resolution, 19.54:9 aspect ratio, 461ppi.
- Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ (4 nm): Octa-core (1×3.4 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×2.85 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A720); Immortalis-G720 MC12.
- Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
- OS/Software: Android 15, up to 4 major Android upgrades, Funtouch 15.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.7, 70mm, 1/1.95″, 0.8µm, PDAF (15cm – ∞), OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 1/4.0″, 1.12µm.
- Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.0, PDAF.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS, HDR; Front camera: 4K, 1080p.
- Battery: 6500mAh; 90W wired, 100% in 57 min, Reverse wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD; NFC; Infrared port.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.
The overall specifications are highly impressive for its category, though the absence of wireless charging or a higher-resolution ultrawide camera are minor compromises in an otherwise stellar package.
Unboxing the vivo X200 FE
The vivo X200 FE comes in a substantial retail box that includes more than just the basics. Inside, you’ll find the phone itself, a powerful 90W charging adapter, and a USB-A to USB-C cable. Vivo also thoughtfully includes a protective case that matches the color of the phone, adding extra grip and security from day one. To top it off, a screen protector is pre-applied to the display, offering immediate defense against scratches.
Design, build quality, handling
The vivo X200 FE follows the classic glass-sandwich design, but executes it on a more compact scale. It is constructed with flat glass panels on the front and back, held together by a flat aluminum frame. This premium build is further enhanced by its IP68 rating for dust and water submersion, along with a rare IPX9 rating for resistance against high-pressure water jets. Vivo has also reinforced its durability, stating the phone is MIL-STD-810G drop-resistant and SGS certified.
The phone’s display is protected by what vivo calls “Shield Glass,” with an additional plastic film applied at the factory. Both the glass back and the frame feature a frosted matte finish, which is excellent at resisting fingerprints and smudges, though it can feel a bit slippery.
The 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED screen dominates the front of the device, framed by remarkably thin bezels and featuring a small punch-hole for the 50MP selfie camera. The earpiece, which serves as the secondary stereo speaker, is discreetly integrated above the display. The optical under-display fingerprint scanner is positioned quite low, but it proved to be consistently reliable during our testing.
On the back, the clean design is punctuated by an elegant oval camera island housing the 50MP main and 50MP telephoto lenses, along with a laser-focusing system and the iconic ZEISS logo. The 8MP ultrawide camera and a ring-style LED flash sit flush with the back panel, maintaining a sleek profile.
Measuring $150.8 \times 71.8 \times 8$ mm and weighing 186g, the vivo X200 FE is wonderfully compact and feels great in the hand, making one-handed operation a breeze.
Display
The vivo X200 FE is equipped with a brilliant 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display that boasts a sharp $1216 \times 2640$px resolution, 10-bit color depth, and a fluid 120Hz maximum refresh rate. The panel is incredibly bright, with vivo claiming a maximum auto-brightness of 1,800 nits and a peak of 5,000 nits for small HDR highlights. It also supports HDR10+ and uses high-frequency 2160Hz PWM dimming for eye comfort.
In our tests, we measured a maximum manual brightness of 617 nits and an impressive 1758 nits in auto mode under bright light. The LTPO technology works flawlessly, smoothly dropping the refresh rate to 1Hz to conserve battery when viewing static content. The screen also intelligently matches the refresh rate to video content for a stutter-free experience.
Max display brightness test
| White test pattern, 75% fill (nits) | Manual mode | Auto mode |
| :— | :— | :— |
| iPhone 16 Pro | | 1764 |
| vivo X200 FE | 617 | 1758 |
| iPhone 16 | | 1708 |
| vivo X200 | | 1563 |
| Xiaomi 15 | | 1517 |
| Sony Xperia 1 VII | | 1475 |
| Galaxy S25 Edge | | 1416 |
| Galaxy S25 | | 1395 |
vivo X200 FE battery life
One of the most remarkable features of the X200 FE is its massive 6,500mAh Si/C Li-Ion battery, an incredible capacity for a phone of this size. In our comprehensive testing, the phone achieved an excellent Active Use Score of 15 hours and 16 minutes. It excelled across the board, providing nearly 30 hours of call time, 14.5 hours of web browsing, and over 17 hours of video streaming.
Active Use Score
| | Total | Calls | Web | Video | Gaming |
| :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— |
| vivo X200 FE (6500 mAh) | 15:16h | 29:37h | 14:27h | 17:09h | 9:46h |
| vivo X200 (5800 mAh) | 14:51h | 23:44h | 12:53h | 18:07h | 10:30h |
| Xiaomi 15 (5240 mAh) | 16:28h | 38:33h | 14:10h | 19:39h | 10:28h |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 (4000 mAh) | 13:09h | 27:40h | 9:52h | 17:29h | 9:25h |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro (4700 mAh) | 13:11h | 27:13h | 11:41h | 14:29h | 9:03h |
Charging speed
The vivo X200 FE supports 90W FlashCharge and comes with the necessary power adapter in the box. While fast, the charging speed isn’t class-leading. In our tests, the phone reached 48% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking 58 minutes. This seems to be a trade-off for the exceptionally large battery capacity. Vivo also includes several battery health features, like optimized charging and the ability to limit the charge level to 80% or 90%.
Charging speed (from 0%)
| | in 15 min | in 30 min | Time to full charge |
| :— | :— | :— | :— |
| Xiaomi 15 (90W) | 65% | 83% | 29 min |
| iPhone 16 | 32% | 59% | 1h 29min |
| Galaxy S25 Edge (25W) | 32% | 59% | 1h 19min |
| vivo X200 FE (90W) | 24% | 48% | 58 min |
Speakers
The X200 FE provides a solid audio experience with its hybrid stereo speaker setup. The bottom-firing speaker is the primary driver, complemented by the earpiece. While the earpiece isn’t as powerful, the overall sound is well-balanced. The speakers achieved a “Good” rating for loudness in our tests. The audio quality is commendable, with clear high frequencies, decent vocals, and a hint of bass.
Android 15 with Funtouch 15
The device runs Android 15 with vivo’s Funtouch OS 15 on top. Vivo promises a strong software commitment, offering 4 major OS updates and an additional year of security patches. Funtouch 15 is packed with modern features, including large folders, intuitive split-screen functionality, and a host of AI tools. It comes with Google’s Circle to Search and the Gemini AI assistant. Other AI features include live call translation, note summarization, and AI-powered photo editing tools in the gallery.
Performance and benchmarks
Powering the vivo X200 FE is the flagship-tier Dimensity 9300+ chipset. This 4nm chip features a powerful octa-core processor with four high-performance Cortex-X4 cores and four efficient Cortex-A720 cores, paired with an Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU. In our benchmarks, the phone delivered excellent results, positioning itself firmly in the flagship category.
GeekBench 6
| | Multi-core | Single-core |
| :— | :— | :— |
| vivo X200 | 8014 | 2289 |
| vivo X200 FE | 6606 | 2119 |
| Xiaomi 14T Pro | 7081 | 2244 |
AnTuTu 10
| | Score |
| :— | :— |
| vivo X200 | 2,632,874 |
| Xiaomi 15 | 2,534,638 |
| vivo X200 FE | 1,805,009 |
Under sustained load, the phone maintained about 53% of its peak CPU performance and 60% of its GPU performance. While not the best thermal management we’ve seen, it’s a respectable result for such a powerful chip in a compact body.
Triple setup on the back, unusual selfie camera
The vivo X200 FE manages to pack an impressive camera array despite its small size.
- Wide (main): 50MP Sony IMX 921, f/1.88, OIS
- Telephoto 3x: 50MP Sony IMX 882, f/2.65, OIS
- Ultrawide: 8MP OmniVision OV08D10, f/2.0
- Front camera: 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1, PDAF
The main and telephoto cameras are highly capable, but the 8MP ultrawide feels like a compromise. On the other hand, the 50MP autofocusing selfie camera is a standout feature, promising some of the best self-portraits on the market.
Daylight photo quality
- Main Camera: In daylight, the 50MP main camera captures fantastic photos. They are detailed, sharp, and exhibit great dynamic range and pleasing colors.
- 3x Telephoto Camera: The telephoto lens is also a strong performer, delivering sharp and detailed results with excellent colors that are consistent with the main camera.
- Ultrawide Camera: The 8MP ultrawide camera is the weakest link. Its photos are not particularly sharp and the lack of autofocus limits its versatility. However, colors and dynamic range are still decent.
- Selfies: The 50MP front camera is simply awesome. The wide 20mm lens captures incredibly detailed and sharp selfies, and the autofocus works perfectly.
Low-light photo quality
- Main Camera: In low light, the main camera continues to shine, producing superb images with excellent exposure, well-developed highlights and shadows, and great detail.
- 3x Telephoto Camera: The telephoto camera also holds up very well at night, capturing detailed and clean shots with great dynamic range and color.
- Ultrawide Camera: The ultrawide camera struggles in the dark, producing soft images that lack detail.
Video recording
The X200 FE records video up to 4K at 60fps with its main, telephoto, and selfie cameras. The ultrawide is limited to 1080p. Overall video quality is decent but not class-leading, with processing that can look a bit artificial due to heavy sharpening. Stabilization is generally excellent across all cameras.
Competition
The vivo X200 FE’s main competitors include the Xiaomi 15, which offers better overall cameras and faster charging, and the Samsung Galaxy S25, which is even more pocketable and offers the popular One UI experience. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is another alternative, excelling in camera performance but lagging in battery life.
Verdict
The vivo X200 FE successfully delivers on its promise of being a pocketable phone with a huge battery and a great camera system. It excels with its long battery life, superb main and telephoto cameras, top-class selfies, and a beautiful display, all packed into a compact and durable body.
However, it’s not without its compromises. The ultrawide camera is underwhelming, video quality could be better, and the wired charging is merely average, with no wireless option.
Despite these drawbacks, the vivo X200 FE is a compelling and welcome option in a market segment that is often overlooked. For anyone seeking to reduce the bulk in their pocket without sacrificing performance or battery life, this phone is an excellent choice. This Vivo X200 Fe.
Pros
- Compact, lightweight design with excellent IP68/IP69 protection.
- Beautiful and bright LTPO AMOLED display.
- Outstanding battery life.
- Best-in-class selfie camera performance.
- Excellent photo quality from the main and telephoto cameras.
- Modern connectivity options including Wi-Fi 7 and an IR port.
Cons
- Relatively slow wired charging and no wireless charging.
- The ultrawide camera is mediocre.
- Overall video quality is not at a flagship level.
Pricing
| Model | Price |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | ₹ 54,998 / € 679.15 |
| 512GB 16GB RAM | ₹ 59,998 |
