Vivo X200 FE Review: Small however Mighty Telephone for Photographers

Being small is what makes the Vivo X200 FE stand out from a crowd of larger telephones, because of its spectacular knack for capturing photographs that others can’t or received’t.

Using the time period “FE” seems like Vivo is ripping off Samsung, which makes use of the acronym to spell out “Fan Edition”, a means of giving shoppers a mixture of premium and inexpensive design and options. In this case, it’s reportedly presupposed to imply “Fashion Edition” due to the brighter pastels (amber yellow, blue breeze, and pink vibe) Vivo makes use of to make this cellphone. There can also be a luxe black (luxe gray is an India-exclusive) variant for individuals who desire one thing much less flashy.

The naming conventions apart, the true draw right here is the X200 FE’s extra diminutive stature, which cuts down on measurement as a solution to the ever-increasing our bodies and screens of right this moment’s telephones. The secret’s that, in contrast to different manufacturers who do that, Vivo manages to not neuter the cell images aspect of issues an excessive amount of to make room.

Vivo X200 FE Review: Design and Build

I lined among the design factors when Vivo first launched the X200 FE in India and different world markets in June 2025. The gist is that it has a 6.31-inch AMOLED show (2640 x 1216) and weighs 186 grams, making it heavier and taller than an iPhone 16 (which has a 6.1-inch show). I make that comparability off the bat as a result of folks talked about it to me, however I additionally see an apt comparability with the Samsung Galaxy S25 and its 6.2-inch display.

Thankfully, it’s a flat show right here, with a 120Hz refresh fee and glorious 1,800 nits brightness (5,000 peak). The built-in display protector is fabricated from what Vivo calls “Shield Glass”, which is principally a spinoff of Gorilla Glass display safety. There’s glass safety on the again as effectively.

In spite of the comparisons to the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25, the X200 FE smashes each in battery, cramming in a 6,500mAh pack — virtually double what the iPhone has. A giant cause why is as a result of it’s a silicon-carbon battery that packs in additional power density right into a smaller body. The additional benefit is a decrease thermal load when utilizing the included 90W charger to cost it again up. Vivo’s estimates additionally grow to be fairly correct, even after utilizing an adapter with the European charger. I used to be capable of go from zero to 100% in simply 32 minutes.

The MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor is extra of a 2024 chipset, nevertheless it ought to serve this cellphone effectively in most situations. Configurations additionally range between 12GB or 16GB of RAM and between 256GB or 512GB of inside storage. Expect some sturdiness to go along with that by the use of the IP68/69 mud and water resistance — sufficient that Vivo claims you’ll be able to go away it out within the rain for as much as 12 hours.

Vivo X200 FE Review: Camera Features

There’s a good triple digital camera format within the rear led by the 50-megapixel important (23mm equal) Sony IMX921 picture sensor with f/1.9 aperture. Perhaps extra fascinating is the 50-megapixel “Zeiss Super Telephoto Camera” (70mm equal) utilizing the IMX882 sensor. While it employs a periscope design, we’re sadly not handled to the very good Samsung Isocell HP9 sensor that was so impactful on the X200 FE and Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

It’s apparent that the 8-megapixel ultra-wide is the hanger-on of the group, as implied by its placement off to the aspect. With a 108-degree area of view (cropped from 120 levels), the 15mm equal makes use of an OmniVision OV08D10 1/4.0-inch sensor with neither autofocus nor picture stabilization.

Interestingly, Vivo chooses to make a change on the entrance digital camera by going with the identical Isocell JN1 sensor, albeit with a special lens that widens the focal size to 20mm (from 25mm). It in any other case retains the identical f/2.0 aperture and autofocus. Ironically, it’s the identical sensor Vivo used for the ultra-wide digital camera for the X200 Pro, solely with a wider 15mm lens in that case.

Under the ultra-wide digital camera within the rear is the Aura Light, the LED ring mild Vivo has geared up in its V Series telephones for the final couple of years. It’s much less pronounced right here, because the ring itself is smaller however no much less vivid. You can alter the colour temperature slider between cooler and hotter tones, together with the brightness degree to melt the impact. Vivo significantly likes it for Portrait mode, nevertheless it’s accessible in most modes do you have to wish to attempt it.

As is at all times the case, images are pixel-binned to 12.5 megapixels for the principle and telephoto cameras (and the entrance digital camera, too), although Vivo provides you the choice to go full-res with each in High Resolution mode. Unfortunately, there’s no solution to shoot in RAW that means in Pro mode.

Vivo X200 FE Review: Software Features

Vivo’s collaboration with Zeiss performs a job right here, which is why the latter’s photographic type is without doubt one of the default presets. As normal, a number of modes within the digital camera app provide selection, like Snapshot, Stage, Astro, Food, and ZEISS Multifocal (inside Portrait), amongst all of the others. Zeiss’ totally different portrait “lens kits” use a mixture of the principle and telephoto cameras to take images at 23mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm equal focal lengths.

Tap the arrow pointing up in Photo mode and Street Photography slides in, a particular interface Vivo first launched within the X200 Pro and Ultra that mixes collectively components of Photo, Portrait, Pro, and the principle photographic types to spur some creativity at road degree. The normal thought is you could go a extra retro route or give photographs a contemporary look based mostly on the settings you employ. It’s neat and value experimenting with.

I do discover it odd that Night, Food, Astro, and Supermoon can be found as particular person modes right here when Vivo folded all of them into an all-in Landscape mode within the different X200 fashions. Why not simply do the identical factor right here?

Snapshot is without doubt one of the greatest I’ve seen for freezing motion, particularly on a cellphone this measurement. It works on all three rear lenses and helps burst taking pictures (max 20 frames), turning out to be a dependable software for occasions and performances the place retaining a transferring topic in focus is the precedence. Stage is designed to do one thing related, although it focuses much less on freezing motion and extra on capturing the spirit and atmosphere across the present. Using these together at a live performance might result in fabulous outcomes. Face detection kicks in with each modes, although I want to see a extra superior utility that acknowledges a transferring physique and permits AF monitoring of some type.

The Album app has a fairly sturdy enhancing suite that features a variety of filters and adjustment sliders. Unlike different manufacturers, Vivo tends to bury a few of its AI options inside all this. As an instance, AI Erase additionally consists of 4 other ways to take away objects, folks, or reflections — to varied ranges of efficacy in observe.

Vivo X200 FE Review: Image Quality

Main Camera

Vivo does one factor higher than simply about anybody else, and that’s dynamic vary that adapts to the scene within the body. It’s very a lot the identical story with the X200 FE, outputting photographs that impress extra typically than competing telephones of an analogous measurement. This additionally applies to various lighting situations, which is the place it really shines, fairly than going robust in daylight situations and faltering in low-light ones like others do. The consistency is a significant energy.

From what I can inform, the imaging pipeline largely resembles that of the opposite X200 fashions, making use of bracketing and HDR results as you seize the picture. Vivo’s extra restrained sharpening, beforehand seen within the Pro and Ultra, can also be evident right here.

The better part is in the way it manages to do that throughout the totally different modes, so for those who seize an motion scene in broad daylight, it received’t look radically totally different from a static one in the identical place. While it’s debatable that shade saturation is a tad excessive, Vivo’s enhancing suite presents methods to mitigate that in put up afterward. It even throws in just a few movie simulations inside the digital camera app to supply totally different outcomes, solely including to the extent of experimentation right here.

I’m additionally a fan of the optics and picture stabilization. The X200 FE has the identical Zeiss T* Coating as the opposite two fashions to assist improve readability and scale back lens flare, doing its job beautifully. The incontrovertible fact that Vivo maintains a glare discount toggle within the settings exhibits it’s going to do no matter it takes to beat back undesirable ghosting.

Telephoto

While it could not have the identical telephoto lens as its X200 brethren have, there’s lots to love about this one, as is. Its default 70mm vary is versatile sufficient to warrant utilizing it each time the inventive temper strikes, and because the similar processing applies, you’ll be able to anticipate consistency with the principle digital camera. There are not any wild swings in tone, shade, or white steadiness when capturing the identical scene with both digital camera.

That additionally goes for low-light pictures regardless of the tighter aperture. I’m not fully positive how Vivo does it, nevertheless it manages to drag off bracketing in its processing with out noticeable shutter lag. You see the processing at work after snapping the pic, however no less than you don’t lose useful seconds in that essential hole between urgent the shutter and capturing a completed picture.

Anecdotally, I blew folks away with the pictures I used to be getting, together with in Snapshot, the digital camera’s “action mode.” One man initially thought it was an iPhone due to the cellphone’s measurement, solely to return away stunned that the wonderful outcomes got here from a cellphone and model he’d by no means heard of.

Even higher, the 10x hybrid zoom is able to glorious outcomes, as evidenced by the close-up of the rabbit. I tried that very same shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and it wasn’t even shut in matching what Vivo does right here. From road images to portraits and images of youngsters taking part in, the telephoto digital camera earns its stripes.

Snapshot

This action-oriented mode is a star of the entire digital camera bundle merely due to how reliable it’s. It’ll present its limitations in more durable lighting situations, nevertheless it’s not far off from how good the mode performs within the X200 Pro. You can shoot in burst at a cap of 20 frames, although it’s possible you’ll not have to. I quickly pressed the shutter, attempting to freeze a scene, and got here away with spectacular outcomes by cell requirements.

Not solely had been topics frozen, however you can even make out facial options and expressions. You lose a few of that after you enter hybrid zoom territory, nevertheless it’s exhausting to not just like the capabilities going as much as 10x zoom no less than. Moreover, the AI within the software program is wise sufficient to acknowledge that there’s one thing transferring within the body and tries to lock focus there.

It’s largely center-weighted, although, so composition would possibly change in case your perspective locations the topic off to the aspect. This is why repeatedly urgent the shutter, aiming on the heart of the body, can yield such nice outcomes. Even so, the mode does its greatest to freeze no matter is occurring. I’m impressed on the sheer lack of blur, besides actually quick topics undoubtedly pose a problem to the mode’s skills.

I captured varied scenes at a pool social gathering with mother and father and children, together with freezing one adolescent who did a somersault dive, and one other of a father playfully lobbing his son (carrying a life jacket) upward into the pool. The element in each the pores and skin tones, hair, and splashing water was among the most spectacular I’ve seen on any cellphone, particularly on this measurement. Since they requested me to not put up them, I can’t share them right here.

Pro and High Resolution

Sadly, Vivo doesn’t allow you to shoot in RAW at full decision — a horrible choice in mild of it opening that door with the X200 Pro and Ultra. Nor are you able to shoot 14-bit SuperRAW photographs, leaving you solely commonplace pixel-binned 12.5-megapixel captures. Otherwise, Pro mode stays the identical with the same old settings and options.

That additionally extends to taking pictures JPEGs in Pro mode. The different two fashions allow you to make the most of all of the guide controls in Pro, however not right here. You need to go along with High Resolution mode to get all of the pixels accessible. The excellent news is you will have the prospect to take action with each the principle and telephoto lenses, supplying you with an opportunity to go high-res from two focal lengths. I like this mode for the enhancing flexibility it supplies in Lightroom, and it’s not unhealthy in the appropriate static low-light situations.

Video Features

I leaned on nonetheless images however gave video a go a number of occasions to get a way of what to anticipate. You can document in 4K at 30fps or 60fps with the principle and telephoto cameras, capping at 1080p/30fps on the ultra-wide. Pro video (inside Pro mode) provides you all of the guide controls, together with the choice to document in 24fps, 25fps, and 50fps. No Dolby Vision right here as one other cost-cutting transfer, neither is there LOG video for that additional little bit of management in put up. Generally talking, footage will look wonderful as long as you’re okay with the lacking options.

Vivo X200 FE Review: Diminutive Prowess

The Vivo X200 FE is a compromise in some respects, weighed down by a paltry ultra-wide digital camera and extra restricted video options, however that’s additionally a testomony to how a lot Vivo has historically included in its in depth digital camera setup. The issues which might be lacking are additionally typically nowhere to be present in competing telephones. And once we discuss “small” telephones, the “best” choices we’re sometimes used to in North America would have just about no probability outshooting the X200 FE.

Trusting a cellphone for its imaging potential is a giant deal for some greater than others, which is why I can see self-respecting cell photographers loving the mix of measurement, perform, and output.

What they could not love is Vivo’s Funtouch OS Android pores and skin. I say this on a regular basis with each Vivo assessment, and it’s exhausting to relent as a result of it’s a key drag on what’s in any other case stable {hardware} and software program. It is getting higher, although, and as long as Vivo retains that up, there’s an opportunity we’ll get one thing nearer to OnePlus’ OxygenOS, Nothing OS, and Google’s inventory Android. Vivo is providing 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of safety updates, matching what it does with the opposite X200 telephones.

In an age the place tariffs and commerce uncertainty by no means appear to finish, bringing within the X200 FE is likely to be more difficult than it was. That doesn’t seem to cease on-line distributors from promoting and delivery them to North American shoppers as of this assessment.

Are There Alternatives?

Smaller telephones have their followers, which explains why manufacturers received’t completely abandon these type elements. The apparent ones are the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16, each of which the X200 FE outclasses on the images aspect. Then there’s the Google Pixel 9a with its budget-friendly worth and Google’s glorious computation software program. Again, although, the Pixel 9a can’t match the flexibility Vivo employs right here.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if the scale issues. Pricing can vary between $650-830, relying on the place you discover it, so it’s neither low-cost nor prohibitively costly relative to different fashions.