The vivo X200 Ultra is finally official today, after a big event in China. The phone aims to be a beast of a camera phone with two ISPs and a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. We also saw the arrival of vivo X200s – another premium device with a thin, compact body and huge battery.
vivo X200 Ultra
The Ultra stands as the definitive flagship of the X200 series. The Qualcomm chipset is coupled with 12 GB or 16 GB LPDDR5X Ultra RAM, while storage is UFS 4.1, with three options – 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB.
There is a 10-bit 6.82” LTPO AMOLED at the front with QHD+ resolution, 4,500 nits peak brightness and up to 120 Hz refresh rate.
The camera is what makes the X200 Ultra extraordinary. The phone now has a V key on the right side, right where the index finger usually goes with digital cameras. Its goal is simple – it is a customizable button best used as a shutter trigger.
On the inside, vivo equipped not one but two dedicated camera chips. There is the vivo V3+, which is a classic ISP for post-processing, but vivo is now also introducing vivo VS1. The new platform aims to enhance exposure and focus and take care of image stacking – that’s when it will forward the data to the V3+ for the more computationally intensive tasks such as noise reduction and sharpening.
The cameras on the back are three: a 50 MP main camera with a Sony LYT-818 sensor that is 1/1.28” big and has an f/1.7 aperture at the front; a 200 MP long telephoto camera with a Samsung ISOCELL HP9 sensor that is 1/1.4” and has an 85 mm equivalent focal length; and another 50 MP Sony LYT-818, which takes care of the ultra-wide shots.
All cameras support 4K video recording at 120 fps for slow-motion shots, while the 4K at 60 fps video recording is supported by Dolby Vision for true colors. The selfie camera is also 50 MP.
In today’s world of smartphones, even these specs are not intriguing anymore. That’s why vivo brings an optional add-on zoom lens that brings extra 2.35x zoom to the telephoto camera, allowing for images with an equivalent focal length of 200 mm. It comes in a special Photography Set that has several lenses, straps, a case that attaches to a grip with USB-C, and a separate 2,300 mAh battery.
The vivo X200 Ultra is great as a camera, but it is also a neat smartphone with the latest OriginOS and Android 15 on top. There is a 6,000 mAh battery inside that supports 90W wired and 40W wireless charging.
vivo X200 Ultra
The vivo X200 Ultra comes in Black or Red, and there is also a White version that imitates the design of Rimowa suitcases. Starting price is CNY 6,499 ($900/€775) for 12/256 GB. There is a 16 GB + 1 TB version that supports satellite communications and costs CNY 7,999 ($1,100/€950).
It is the only one available with the Photography Set, with the price for the whole package set at CNY 9,699 ($1,350/€1,150). We don’t expect vivo to launch the X200 Ultra outside China.
vivo X200s
The X200s may be part of the current flagship portfolio, but vivo said it is the natural evolution of last year’s vivo X100s smartphone (there is no X200s Pro variant now). It is a smaller handset with a 6.67” AMOLED screen with 1260p resolution and up to 120 Hz refresh rate.
The chipset here is a Mediatek Dimensity 9400+, coupled with 12/16 GB RAM and 256 GB/512 GB/1 TB storage in five different memory combinations.
The X200s might be smaller in size than the vanilla X200, but the phone has room for the same mighty cameras. The trio of shooters on the back is a 50 MP f/1.6 main + a 50 MP f/2.6 telephoto with 3x optical zoom + a 50 MP f/2.0 ultrawide. A 32 MP selfie camera sits behind a punch hole.
The battery is the key selling point of the vivo X200s. It has 6,200 mAh capacity – the most for any vivo X smartphone, ever. It supports 90W fast wired charging and 40W wireless charging with the appropriate charger or stand.
The X200s arriving in China means it has OriginOS on top of Android 15. It has an AI filter for spam calls, a homework assistant, and the Chinese version of Circle to Search, where the device can directly look up whatever is on the screen on the Internet.
Other features vivo brought to this phone are 360-degree NFC, a big vapor chamber for cooling, and boosted connectivity options with improved antenna design and an intelligent switch between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
vivo X200s
The vivo X200s is up for pre-order, with first sale scheduled for Friday, April 25. The phone comes in Black, White, Green, and Lavender Purple with a starting price of CNY 4,199 ($575/€500). Just like the X200 Ultra, we doubt this phone will ever make it outside of China.
