vivo X100 review
The Vivo X100 Ultra is the top-tier camera phone in the X series, boasting impressive specs but limited availability in China. Despite its exclusivity, this flagship deserves consideration for its exceptional camera capabilities. The device's main features include a unique 200MP telephoto cam with a large sensor and close focusing capability, an ultrawide camera upgrade, and a high-end curved screen with HDR10+ video support. The phone also boasts a top Qualcomm chipset, premium build, and waterproofing rating of IP69. In our tests, the X100 Ultra performed well, with smooth UI and gaming experience, good thermal management, and a long-lasting 5500mAh battery. Wireless charging is supported, but it's not as fast as expected. The cameras are undoubtedly one of the phone's strongest features. The main cam excels in daylight photos, capturing crisp details and wide dynamic range. In low light, it produces expressive shots with nicely boosted shadows. The 200MP telephoto camera delivers superb zoomed-in images at 3.7 times, while the ultrawide camera has excellent dynamic range but falls short in terms of sharpness. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra is a top-class flagship camera phone that deserves consideration despite its limited availability. Its exceptional camera capabilities make it stand out from its peers, and those willing to take on the risks of importing may find themselves with an excellent device.
Build Quality and Design
The Vivo X100 Ultra boasts an impressive build quality and design that's worth noting. The phone's back is made of glass with a smooth satin finish, curving into an aluminum frame with flat sides and a concave top and bottom. This design language is sleek and premium, giving the device a solid feel in hand. One of the standout features of the X100 Ultra is its camera hump. A large circular module houses the main camera, accompanied by a textured ring that adds visual interest to an otherwise minimalist design. The phone's overall size is substantial, but it feels well-balanced and sturdy. The Vivo X100 Ultra also boasts waterproofing at a higher standard than most phones, with an IP69 rating that can withstand high-temperature jets of water. This level of protection suggests a commitment to durability and reliability. The device's screen is another highlight, featuring a curved 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display with a high 1440p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The color accuracy and brightness are impressive, making for an engaging visual experience. Other notable features include stereo speakers with a grill in the top of the frame, which earned good ratings for loudness and sound quality. An ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader provides fast and responsive biometric authentication. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's build quality and design make a strong statement about its premium status. While it may not be perfect, this phone feels solidly constructed and visually appealing, making it a compelling option for those seeking a high-end device.
Battery Life
The Vivo X100 Ultra boasts a generous 5500mAh battery, which is expected to deliver impressive battery life. In our tests, the phone managed an active use score of around 13 hours, indicating that it can easily last a day with moderate usage. One notable omission, however, is the charging speed. While the phone supports up to 80W fast charging, it doesn't quite live up to expectations. Charging from 0 to 65% took around half an hour, while a full charge required about 48 minutes. This is not significantly faster than many other flagships on the market. Wireless charging is also supported, which is always a welcome feature. However, the charging speeds are not particularly impressive, making it harder to fully charge the battery in shorter periods of time. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's battery life is solid, but its charging capabilities leave something to be desired. While it may still manage to get through a day with moderate use, those who need more juice or faster charging speeds may find themselves wanting more. In an era where high-capacity batteries and rapid charging are becoming increasingly common, the X100 Ultra's battery life feels somewhat average. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but it's worth considering if you're someone who needs to top up their phone frequently throughout the day.
Display
The Vivo X100 Ultra boasts an impressive display that's sure to catch your eye. The curved 6.78-inch LTPO OLED screen offers a high-resolution 1440p display with a crisp pixel density of 517 PPI. This results in excellent contrast and sharpness, making it ideal for watching videos or browsing through vibrant graphics. One notable feature is the screen's ability to dial down to as low as 1Hz when not in use, which helps conserve battery life. In auto mode, however, the display can boost up to 1800 nits in bright light conditions, ensuring that content remains easily visible even in the most demanding situations. HDR10+ video and Dolby Vision support are also present, making this phone a great choice for media enthusiasts. The screen's brightness is quite high, measuring around 560 nits with the manual slider. However, it can reach up to 1800 nits when exposed to bright light. The display also supports a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which results in seamless scrolling and swiping. Additionally, stereo speakers are provided for an immersive audio experience. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's display is one of its standout features, making it a great choice for those who value a high-quality visual experience.
Camera
The Vivo X100 Ultra boasts an impressive camera setup, making it a top-tier camera phone in Vivo's X series. The device features a unique 200 megapixel telephoto cam with a large sensor and close focusing capability, which sets it apart from other flagship cameras. The main camera is capable of capturing excellent detail rendition in daylight photos, with crisp and natural results. The dynamic range is wide, and the colors are pleasing, with well-judged saturation and dependable white balance. Shots of people look great too, with some extra warmth and lushness in greenery compared to the X100 Pro. In low light conditions, the main camera's photos have great detail and a rather expressive look, with nicely boosted shadows and well-preserved highlights. The colors are vibrant, and there are subtle differences between the Ultra and the Pro model here, mostly in color rendering. Both sets of photos would be perfectly happy with either result. The telephoto camera is another standout feature, capable of capturing superb photos at 3.7 times zoom. They're finally detailed and noise-free, with excellent dynamic range and color reproduction. The camera does an awesome job with portraits, too, outperforming the X100 Pro's 4.3 time zoom in some aspects. One of the telephoto camera's unique features is its close focusing distance, allowing for impressive macro shots with a shallow depth of field and natural bokeh behind your subject. There's also an option to add digital zoom on top through the super macro mode. At night, the Ultra telephoto captures excellent detail across both shadows and highlights, delivering solid results even in dark scenes. The 200 megapixel telephoto camera is truly one of the best around, with performance that outshines many other cameras, including the X100 Pro's own telephoto lens. When it comes to 4K videos, the telephoto performance is also up to a high standard, with plenty of detail and pleasant colors. The Ultra wide cam does remarkably well with excellent dynamic range and likable colors, but photos are not quite as sharp as those from the X100 Pro. However, exposures are well-judged, and colors are hard to find fault with. 4K footage from the ultra-wide cam is good overall, but detail level isn't as high as some competitors. The Selfies from the X100 Ultra are very good, with skin tones that are lifelike and colors that are vibrant. Overall, it's a proper flagship camera setup, with top-class hardware and great performance. The only disappointment comes from the ultra-wide cam, which falls a bit behind its competitors in terms of detail level.
Price and Value
The Vivo X100 Ultra is undoubtedly a top-tier camera phone in the company's X series. On paper, its specs look incredible, but what about its price? Unfortunately, this powerhouse device is currently only available in China. One of the major drawbacks to its exclusivity is that it may not be worth importing for many users outside of China. Despite its impressive features and performance, the phone's value proposition begins to waver when considering the costs associated with bringing it into other markets. The X100 Ultra boasts Vivo's most advanced camera tech yet, including a unique 200-megapixel telephoto camera with a large sensor and close focusing capability. The phone also features a high-end curved screen, top-notch Qualcomm chipset, and premium build quality. However, the price for these cutting-edge specs is likely to be steep. In comparison to the globally available Vivo X100 Pro, which has a similar spec sheet but without the 200-megapixel telephoto camera, the Ultra's value proposition becomes less clear-cut. The X100 Pro already offers an excellent camera experience, so it may not be necessary to upgrade to the Ultra for those who want a flagship device with great cameras. For users in China or those willing to import the phone at their own risk, the Vivo X100 Ultra might be worth considering. However, for others, the X100 Pro could offer a more reasonable option with similar performance and camera capabilities but without the need to navigate international importing hassles. Ultimately, the price of exclusivity is that many users may not find the X100 Ultra's benefits outweigh its costs, especially when compared to other options available in their local markets.
Performance
The Vivo X100 Ultra is a flagship phone that boasts an impressive camera setup, powered by Qualcomm's top-notch chipset, the Snapdragon hn3. In our testing, the phone delivered flagship-grade performance, with smooth and fluid user interface and gaming experience. Benchmarks showed that the X100 Ultra performed as expected, without outdoing its peers. However, it did score well in terms of thermal management, maintaining high performance throughout prolonged stress tests. The phone's 5500mAh battery also earned a good active use score of about 13 hours, with support for 80W charging. One area where the X100 Ultra excelled was in camera performance. The 50MP main cam delivered excellent detail rendition, with crisp and natural images. The dynamic range was wide, and colors were pleasing, with well-judged saturation and dependable white balance. Low-light photos also impressed, with great detail and expressive look. The telephoto camera, with its 200MP sensor and close focusing capability, took superb photos at 3.7x zoom, with excellent dynamic range and color reproduction. Close-ups were also impressive, with the ability to take macro shots and a natural bokeh effect. While the ultra-wide cam performed well in terms of exposure and colors, it did fall behind its competitors in terms of detail level. However, 4K footage from the ultra-wide cam was good overall, if not class-leading. The selfie camera also impressed, with very good skin tones, vibrant colors, and great dynamic range. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's performance was solid, with a flagship-grade experience that matched its impressive camera hardware. While it may not have outdone its competitors in every aspect, it was still a worthy consideration for those looking for a top-class phone.