vivo X100 Ultra review

The Vivo X100 Ultra is a top-tier camera phone in Vivo's X series, boasting impressive specs but limited availability in China. Despite this, the phone's camera capabilities are worth examining. The device features a 50MP main cam with a 1-in type Lita sensor, a 200MP 3.7x telephoto cam, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. In daylight photos, the main cam produces excellent detail rendition, crisp images, and wide dynamic range. Low-light performance is also commendable, with great detail and expressive shadows. The main cam can shoot videos in up to 8K resolution, but 4K makes more sense for practical use. Videos are detailed and have a natural color balance. The telephoto camera excels at 3.7x zoom, capturing sharp and noise-free photos with excellent dynamic range and color reproduction. It's particularly strong at night, delivering solid results even in dark scenes. The ultrawide cam performs well, with excellent dynamic range and likable colors, although it lags behind the X100 Pro model. Selfies from the X100 Ultra are also commendable, with lifelike skin tones and vibrant colors. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra has top-class camera hardware, with a great main camera and an exceptional telephoto cam. While its performance is good but not class-leading, it's still a strong contender in the flagship market. If you're looking for a similar experience without the hassle of importing from China, the globally available Vivo X100 Pro might be a more practical option. However, if you can overlook the limited availability and prefer a slightly different camera setup, the Vivo X100 Ultra is worth considering.

Build Quality and Design

The Vivo X100 Ultra is a flagship phone that boasts an impressive build quality and design. The back of the phone is made of glass with a smooth satin finish, which gives it a premium feel in hand. The textured ring around the huge circular camera island adds a touch of elegance to the overall design. The phone's body is curved into an aluminum frame with flat sides and a concave top and bottom, making it comfortable to hold. Despite its large size, the X100 Ultra feels solid in hand, thanks to its sturdy build quality. The phone also features a high-end curved screen that wraps around the edges of the device. One of the standout design elements of the X100 Ultra is its IP69 rating for waterproofing, which means it can withstand high-temperature jets of water. This level of protection is rare in smartphones and adds to the overall premium feel of the phone. The phone's display is a curved 6.78-inch LTPo OLED with a high 1440p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen features excellent contrast, sharpness, and brightness, making it a joy to use for extended periods. The curved design also makes it easy to view the screen from different angles. In terms of audio, the X100 Ultra features a pair of stereo speakers with a grill in the top of the frame. While not the most impressive audio setup, they do a decent job of producing loud and clear sound. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's build quality and design are among its strongest features. The phone feels premium in hand, with a sturdy build and high-quality screen that makes it a pleasure to use. While some may find the design a bit too large or showy, fans of flagship phones will appreciate the attention to detail that has gone into creating this device.

Battery Life

One of the key aspects of any smartphone is its battery life, and the Vivo X100 Ultra is no exception. This flagship device boasts a large 5500mAh battery, which should provide users with extended usage times. In our tests, the phone delivered an active use score of around 13 hours, which is respectable but not outstanding. While the phone's support for 80W charging is commendable, it falls short in terms of actual speed. A full charge from 0 to 100% took around 48 minutes, which is relatively slow compared to other flagships on the market. Moreover, the phone's ability to reach a maximum brightness of 1,800 nits in auto mode when exposed to bright light does not necessarily translate to improved battery life. However, it's worth noting that the Vivo X100 Ultra's battery efficiency is still quite good, and users who are not heavy gamers or streamers might find that the phone can easily last a day with moderate usage. Nevertheless, for those who require a more significant boost in battery performance, the Vivo X100 Ultra may fall short of expectations. Overall, while the phone's battery life is decent, it doesn't quite live up to the promise of its large capacity and fast charging capabilities. Users should still be able to get through a day with moderate usage, but those who need more juice might find themselves needing to top up mid-day.

Display

The Vivo X100 Ultra boasts an impressive display that sets a new standard for mobile devices. The curved 6.78-inch LTPO OLED screen features a high-resolution 1440p panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it perfect for scrolling and gaming. One of the standout features of this display is its exceptional brightness, reaching up to 560 nits in manual mode. However, when exposed to bright light, the screen can boost up to 1,800 nits, providing an immersive viewing experience even in direct sunlight. The LTP technology also ensures a smooth and seamless refresh rate while swiping or scrolling. The display's contrast is equally impressive, with deep blacks and vibrant colors that bring images to life. The pixel density of 517 PPI ensures razor-sharp visuals, making it perfect for watching videos, playing games, or browsing through photos. Additionally, the Vivo X100 Ultra supports HDR10+ video and Dolby Vision, allowing users to enjoy a wider range of colors and contrast levels in supported content. This is particularly noticeable when watching movies or TV shows that take advantage of these technologies. In our testing, we found the display to be incredibly responsive and fast, with minimal lag or stuttering even during intense gaming sessions. The display's brightness and color accuracy also made it a pleasure to use outdoors, despite the high screen-to-body ratio. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's display is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, offering a more immersive and engaging visual experience. It's clear that Vivo has invested heavily in delivering a top-notch display, and it shows in every aspect of the device's performance.

Camera

The Vivo X100 Ultra boasts an impressive camera setup that sets it apart from its peers. At first glance, the phone's unique circular camera island and textured ring around it catch the attention. But what really matters is how these cameras perform. The main camera features a 50MP sensor with a 1-inch type LITIA sensor, which delivers excellent results in daylight conditions. Photos exhibit great detail rendition, with crisp and natural colors. The dynamic range is wide, and white balance is dependable. Shots of people look great too, with vibrant colors and well-judged saturation. In low light, the main camera's performance is equally impressive. Photos have great detail and a rather expressive look, with nicely boosted shadows and well-preserved highlights. Colors are vibrant, and there are subtle differences between the Ultra and the Pro model, mostly in color rendering. The 200MP telephoto camera is where the X100 Ultra truly shines. With a large sensor, stabilized Periscope Optics, and close focusing capability, it captures superb photos at 3.7x zoom. Details are finally detailed and noise-free, with excellent dynamic range and color reproduction. The camera does an awesome job with portraits, and its close focusing distance allows for impressive macro shots. At night, the telephoto camera consistently outperforms its peers, capturing sharper and better-exposed shots. 4K video performance is also up to a high standard, with plenty of detail and pleasant colors. The ultrawide camera does remarkably well, but photos aren't quite as sharp as those from the X100 Pro. Selfies from the X100 Ultra are very good, with lifelike skin tones and vibrant colors. However, sharpening may be a bit too heavy in some cases. Overall, the Vivo X100 Ultra's cameras are top-notch, with a great main camera and one of the best telephoto cameras around. The only area where it falls short is in 4K footage from the ultrawide cam, which isn't quite as detailed as some competitors. In comparison to the globally available Vivo X100 Pro, the differences aren't night and day. If you want a similar experience without the hassle of importing, the Pro model is still a solid option.

Price and Value

The Vivo X100 Ultra is a top-tier camera phone in Vivo's X series, boasting impressive specs that make it hard to ignore. However, its availability is limited to the Chinese market, making it a potential grey import for enthusiasts outside of China. While the X100 Ultra is available globally as the next tier down, the X100 Pro, which shares many similarities with its cousin but lacks some of the unique features and improved cameras, this review will focus on the value proposition of the X100 Ultra as a standalone product. At its core, the X100 Ultra offers exceptional camera hardware, including a 50MP main cam with a 1-in type Lita sensor, a 200MP 3.7 times telephoto Cam with large sensor and close focusing capability, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The results are staggering, with the telephoto camera capturing superb photos at 3.7 times zoom that are detailed and noise-free. Considering its impressive specs and capabilities, it's surprising to find that there isn't a significant price premium over the globally available X100 Pro or other high-end flagships. Given the quality of its cameras, particularly the telephoto lens, one could argue that this phone is undervalued in the market. The question then becomes whether the exceptional camera hardware and features of the X100 Ultra are enough to justify importing a Chinese-only model, especially when considering the potential risks associated with grey imports. For those who value outstanding camera performance and don't mind navigating the complexities of purchasing a non-global phone, the Vivo X100 Ultra is undoubtedly an excellent choice. However, for others who prefer the convenience and peace of mind that comes with buying from authorized retailers and manufacturers' official channels, the globally available options like the X100 Pro or other top-tier flagships might remain more appealing. Ultimately, the decision will depend on individual priorities and what one values most in their smartphone purchasing experience.

Performance

The Vivo X100 Ultra is the top-tier camera phone in Vivo's X series, boasting impressive specs and features. On paper, it looks like a powerhouse, but can its cameras be good enough to make it worth importing? In this review, we'll delve into the phone's performance and see if it lives up to its promise. The Vivo X100 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm's top chipset, a Snapdragon Hn3, which delivers flagship-grade performance. In benchmarks, the phone scores are fully on par with its peers, making it suitable for demanding tasks like gaming and multitasking. The UI and gaming experience are smooth and fluid, with good thermal management that kept the phone running high-performance throughout our prolonged stress test. The camera hardware is where the X100 Ultra truly shines. The 50 MP main cam has a large 1-inch-type sensor, producing excellent daylight photos with crisp detail rendition, wide dynamic range, and pleasing colors. The ultra-wide camera also performs well, capturing good low-light shots despite some lack of detail. However, the standout feature is the 200 MP telephoto cam, which delivers superb results at 3.7x zoom, rivaling dedicated telephoto cameras. The phone can shoot videos in up to 8K resolution, but 4K makes more sense to use these videos are excellent overall, with great detail and a balance of sharpening colors. Electronic stabilization is very good, although we've seen smoother results from some other phones in low light. In conclusion, the Vivo X100 Ultra's performance is top-notch, making it a formidable flagship device. While the ultra-wide camera falls a bit behind its competitors, the main camera and telephoto cam are truly exceptional, delivering some of the best results we've seen. If you're looking for a similar experience without the hassle of importing from abroad, the globally available Vivo X100 Pro is a reasonable alternative.

Pros

1. The Vivo X100 Ultra has top-class camera hardware with a great main camera.

2. It's powered by Qualcomm's top chipset, Snapdragon Hn3.

3. The phone has excellent contrast and sharpness on its 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display.

4. The cameras are good enough for the phone to be worth importing.

5. The phone has excellent thermal management, maintaining high performance throughout stress tests.

6. The Vivo X100 Ultra has a long-lasting battery with active use score of about 13 hours.

7. It's available in 256GB, 512GB, and even 1TB storage options.

Cons

1. The Vivo X100 Ultra is only available in China, making it difficult for international buyers.

2. The phone's telephoto camera, while excellent, falls a bit behind the X100 Pro model.

3. The ultrawide camera lacks detail compared to other competitors.

4. The phone's software, Origin OS, is proprietary and has some China-specific apps pre-installed.

5. The charging speed of the Vivo X100 Ultra is not as fast as expected.

6. The phone can get super toasty during prolonged stress tests.

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