vivo X300 & X300 Pro: A New Era of Flagship Power and Design
Our hands-on review of the vivo X300 & X300 Pro is here! Discover the incredible power of the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, a refined camera system, and vivo’s new true compact flagship. Vivo has officially unveiled its X300 series, presenting a powerful new two-pronged strategy for the flagship market. Headlining the launch is the vivo X300 Pro, a direct successor packed with the latest tech, alongside the vivo X300, a compelling compact flagship that finally gives fans of smaller phones a no-compromise option.
Both devices are powered by the monstrous new “All Big Core” MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset, a 3nm powerhouse promising to push performance benchmarks to new heights. Let’s dive into our hands-on look at what could be two of the most significant phones of the year.
Key Specs at a Glance
| Feature | vivo X300 | vivo X300 Pro |
| Display | 6.31″ LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz | 6.78″ LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (3nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (3nm) |
| Main Camera | 200MP, f/1.7, 1/1.4″ | 50MP, f/1.6, 1/1.28″ |
| Telephoto | 50MP, 3x optical zoom | 200MP, 3.7x optical zoom |
| Battery | 6,040mAh | 6,510mAh |
| Charging | 90W Wired, 40W Wireless | 90W Wired, 40W Wireless |
| Key Highlight | A true compact flagship experience | Ultimate camera & performance |
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✨ Design: A Premium, Matte Finish
The most immediate change in the X300 series is the design philosophy. Moving away from the steep curves of last year, both the X300 and X300 Pro feature a flatter, more modern aesthetic with a subtle 3D edge where the glass meets the frame.
Vivo calls the new back panel its Coral Velvet Glass Technique, and it truly feels soft and velvety to the touch. This matte texture is excellent at repelling fingerprints, keeping the phones looking clean. The frame is also now matte, providing a comfortable and secure grip.
The 6.31-inch vivo X300 feels fantastic in the hand—a proper compact flagship that is small and light without feeling cheap. The larger 6.78-inch X300 Pro feels balanced and premium, with its design refined for a more sophisticated look. The Pro model also includes a customizable multi-function button, similar to Apple’s Action key, adding a layer of convenient functionality.
🚀 Performance: The Dimensity 9500 Beast
At the heart of both phones is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, built on a cutting-edge 3nm process. This “All Big Core” chipset features a new Arm CPU core configuration, headlined by a C1 Ultra core clocked at a staggering 4.21GHz.
What does this mean for you?
- Blistering Speed: In benchmarks, the X300 series shows a roughly 25% performance uplift over the previous generation. It comfortably outperforms rivaling Snapdragon 8 Elite chips and even comes close to the performance of the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
- Sustained Performance: Thanks to close collaboration between vivo and MediaTek, along with innovations like vivo’s V3+ imaging chip being integrated into the SoC, the phones handle long workloads and intense gaming sessions with impressive stability.
- Next-Gen Graphics: The new Arm G1-Ultra GPU delivers a solid 19% increase in graphical performance, with improved efficiency and ray tracing capabilities for stunning gaming visuals.
📸 Camera Deep Dive: Pro Power in Two Sizes
Vivo continues to push the boundaries of mobile photography with the X300 series.
vivo X300 Pro: The Ultimate Camera System
The X300 Pro refines its already legendary camera setup. The main camera is a new 50MP Sony LYT-828 sensor, but the star of the show is the 200MP ISOCELL HPB telephoto camera. This custom sensor, co-developed with Samsung, sits behind an 85mm Zeiss APO lens, delivering incredible zoom stability and clarity, perfect for capturing fast-paced action from a distance.
Video capabilities have also been enhanced, with support for 8K recording, 4K at 120fps in 10-bit Log, and Dolby Vision HDR, making it a true tool for content creators. For enthusiasts, an optional Photography Kit adds a battery grip and a telephoto extender lens, pushing the optical reach to an incredible 200mm.
vivo X300: A Compact Camera Powerhouse
The compact X300 doesn’t skimp on camera hardware. In a brilliant move, its main wide-angle camera uses the same 200MP 1/1.4-inch sensor found in the Pro’s telephoto lens. This is a massive upgrade over its predecessor and allows for stunningly detailed photos with excellent in-sensor crop results.
It also features a capable 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and the same powerful 50MP autofocus selfie camera as the X300 Pro, ensuring you get flagship-quality photos from every lens.
🔋 Battery & Software
Both phones introduce vivo’s 4th-gen Silicon Anode tech in their new semi-solid-state batteries. The X300 Pro packs a massive 6,510mAh cell, while the compact X300 gets a very generous 6,040mAh unit. Vivo claims that hardware and software optimizations deliver endurance equivalent to much larger batteries, promising all-day power and then some.
Running the show is OriginOS 6 (or Funtouch 16 internationally) on top of Android 16, which vivo says has been reworked from the ground up for better efficiency and to extract the maximum sustained performance from the Dimensity 9500 chip.
💰 Pricing and Our Final Verdict
The vivo X300 series is now official in China, with pricing as follows:
- vivo X300 Pro: Starts at CNY 5,299 (~$745) for the 12/256GB model.
- vivo X300: Starts at CNY 4,399 (~$620) for the 12/256GB model.
After our hands-on time, we are thoroughly impressed. The vivo X300 Pro is a refined, powerful flagship that improves on its predecessor in meaningful ways. However, the real star might be the vivo X300. It finally delivers a true compact flagship experience without major compromises, making it a standout choice in a market starved for smaller, powerful phones.
While a global release is not yet confirmed, the quality of these devices makes us hopeful. The X300 series feels more complete and competitive than ever before.
