Vivo X100 Pro Review Peak Camera Performance

• Vivo X100 Pro is equipped with Zeiss optics with Zeiss T* lens coating technology
• It is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9300 SoC
• Starting from ₹89,999

It's been 8 months since Vivo got their hands on the X90 series of smartphones and the brand has already launched the X100 series. In general, this means incremental changes rather than big updates that attract consumer attention. I felt the same way until I got the X100 Pro. While the new smartphone is similar in terms of design, it is a step forward, especially in the camera department. Honestly, this is what makes the X-series smartphones stand out: the new camera setup deserves your attention. However, is the camera good enough to be your next flagship? I will talk about this in my detailed analysis.

Price and Availability
Vivo X100 Pro is available in 16GB RAM and 512GB internal storage variants. It is priced at Rs 89,999.

Camera performance

Since the X100 Pro offers the biggest upgrade in the camera department, it's important to cover that aspect first. The X100 Pro has a 1-inch 50MP primary sensor with laser autofocus and OIS. It is also a floating lens. It is paired with a 50MP 100mm periscope telephoto sensor with OIS and 4.3x optical zoom. Finally, there's a 50MP ultra-wide sensor. These cameras are packed into a fairly large round camera module at the back. It's worth noting that all three cameras have the Zeiss flavor and it shows.

You can see all camera samples here: Hong Kong with Vivo X100 Pro!

Starting with the X100 Pro's daytime performance, it's excellent. The freedom to point and shoot simply adds to the excitement as the camera captures rich and accurate color detail. Dynamic range is very good with very good reflections. Outdoor white balance is not a concern because it is perfect.

I took several photos with this smartphone on the streets of Hong Kong with lots of moving objects and the results did not disappoint. Image noise is minimal and depth of field is satisfactory. Stock photos are 12.5MP, which is good enough, and I don't feel the need to take a full 50MP photo unless I need to edit the photo later.

Using periscope lenses with different focal lengths also provides consistent and powerful results. Especially at the 4.3X/100mm focal length, I assumed the camera would fail, but it didn't. The resulting images were perfect and there was almost no focus shifting which surprised me. Dynamic range is excellent and I didn't notice any noise.

However, 4.3X doesn't stop there; In fact, you can increase it up to 100 times. Is he the best in the business? It's controversial, but does it work? Yes. At maximum zoom, the image is, as expected, grainy; However, if you're trying to capture the action with it, you're in good hands. You can see the example below for reference.

Now if you zoom out and switch to an ultra-wide sensor, it will work in manual format. This means that even though it doesn't offer anything extraordinary, it manages to deliver the expected results. It's awesome. Here, the color accuracy remains unchanged.

Now the X100 Pro also makes heavy use of algorithms and I find it effective as well. It is visible in full screen when we shoot in low light. There is a night mode that turns on automatically. When you take a picture, it takes 3-4 seconds to process and display the results. This is a great product and I am very surprised with the results we have seen. Detail is excellent with a satisfying dynamic range. Image results are the same in all photo modes, ultra-wide or telephoto, and the camera delivers detailed results.

Now let's talk about close-ups and portraits. Starting here with portraits, we progress further with the various filters we get on the X100 Pro. My favorite is the monochrome filter because it produces sharp portraits with great edge detection. Here we get 5 focal lengths for portraits: 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 100mm. Meanwhile, the first 4 use a main camera using a 100mm telephoto lens. For me, the 50mm focal length produces the best results, as it balances what I expect from a portrait.

Super macro mode lets you play with different focal lengths, namely 25mm and 46mm. You can zoom up to 4.3X and 8.6X if you want. Here you can see how the camera changes from a normal to a telephoto lens. I saw better results with the 8.6X. It not only allows me to keep my distance from the subject, but captures the action in detail.

There's also a Pro mode that lets you play with every aspect of the camera. From ISO to focal length, there are plenty of options for learning professional photography and terminology.

Now let's talk about the videos, here the main camera is capable of recording videos up to 8K at 30 FPS. You can do this with 1X and 2X. The rest of the cameras can also record in 4K at 30 and 60 FPS. Electronic stability is always present here.

The X100 Pro's video performance gave me real confidence when shooting content. With output that shows color accuracy and optimal brightness. However, I found that the camera struggled to capture action shots and the audio output wasn't always the best from the original camera.

The selfie camera on the X100 Pro is a 32-megapixel camera capable of recording videos at up to 1080P resolution at 30fps. The selfie camera is where the X100 Pro falls short, as it packs an AI filter to soften skin. You can turn it off and there will be a significant change that you will notice right away. Skin tones are generally accurate and dynamic range is good.

If you want to vlog using the camera, videos from the front camera are good enough, but the size of your smartphone may prevent you from recording them all day. However, as a multimedia device in general, the X100 Pro has a lot going for it thanks to a wide selection of cameras and batteries to support it.

Now that we've discussed the camera aspect, it's time to discuss the other aspects.

Design

Vivo X100 Pro does not depart from the design language we know today. This is supported by a more curved display design. The build quality is also commendable as it has an IP68 waterproof rating.

However, I want to emphasize that this is a very large phone and if you have small hands, it will take some getting used to. Especially for writing.
The right edge of the smartphone has the usual button layout with power button and volume rocker. At the bottom is the Type-C port, speaker grill and SIM card slot. X100 Pro supports 2 nano SIMs.

The variant available in India is the Black Asteroid which I am considering. The back has a matte finish that resists fingerprints. However, I really hope Vivo brings more popular colors to India like the orange we see in the international market.

The X100 Pro comes with an infrared transmitter that lets you use the device as a remote control. This feature recently returned, which is a welcome addition and definitely useful in multiple situations.

On the back, as I mentioned in the camera section, there is a large camera module that takes up half the space. It's also quite a bit different, which is a small bonus to the camera performance we experienced here. I also like the ring around the module which gives the smartphone a vintage look. The new flash placement is on the top right and is becoming more common on cameras as sensor sizes increase. We observed this on the OnePlus Fold as well.

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The X100 Pro features a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a maximum brightness of 3000 nits and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. As expected, this display is of flagship caliber.

I've been using the X100 Pro as my primary controller for about a month now and overall my experience has been good.

I am one of the majority of people who like to watch content on their smartphones and here I am doing it. The X100 Pro is the perfect viewing companion, supporting HD content across all platforms As I write this, I'm watching season 2 on Disney Plus Hotstar. Animated shows look vivid on the screen without HDR and white noise. Projection is crisp and stays that way across all platforms.

It doesn't support Dolby Vision, which makes no difference. However, it's surprising that we haven't seen this on a flagship device.

I also read content on my smartphone, and the large 6.7-inch display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz is useful for web browsing. I tried using a smart switch here which worked fine. However, I prefer to use the highest refresh rate because it doesn't affect the battery too much and makes it smoother.

Refresh rate is definitely useful during gaming. I play Genshin Impact and COD Mobile here regularly and it's the best experience ever. There is no ripple or lag.

Auto-brightness is something I think Vivo could do with, since I often change brightness manually. Especially indoors.

You have an always-on component with a nice selection of widgets.

The display is paired with dual speakers that are loud enough to enjoy your content.

Software
Vivo X100 Pro runs on Android 14 with Vivo's Fun OS skin. It's true, Vivo doesn't have any software. I mention this because sometimes we see third-party software leaks on flagship devices.

The experience of using the X100 Pro is a familiar yet new experience. The user interface is easy to understand with the addition of common Android plugins. We have the familiar arrangement of drop-down menus and shortcuts, such as a three-finger swipe to take a screenshot.

It has additional features in the sound section, for example, you can customize the sound for different applications. It adds a customization aspect to the smartphone.

Vivo also promises 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security updates on the X100 Pro.

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of life

So far, the flagship processor has topped my day-to-day experience. So far this smartphone works fast without any kind of lag. Programs launch quickly and switching between windows is very easy.

In every game I tested, I increased settings and optimized performance. The consistency in terms of temperature management and HD graphics delivery is impressive.

For reference, I also ran the Geekbench 6 test on the smartphone. The single-core score is 2181 and the multi-core score is 7263 These are pretty good numbers that are in the expected range for a flagship smartphone

My variant has 16GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. It is the only variant launched in India. I think a 1TB variant should have been released as well, I realize that might be too much for most people. This particular sheet is suitable for most buyers and offers enough space to store your apps and pictures

There's also a RAM upgrade feature that adds another 16GB, but I don't see the benefit of that. 16 GB base RAM is enough for heavy work.

This smartphone is powered by a 5400mAh battery and supports 100W flash charging. It takes no more than 35 minutes to charge a smartphone from 0 to 100%, so it's handy. The average screen-on time during my testing was around 7 hours, which is still a decent number to calculate.

consideration
Not only does the X100 Pro promise to offer a solid camera, it also manages to impress in other ways. You can expect impressive battery performance, a gorgeous display and an intuitive user interface, and the most impressive camera I've ever seen on a Vivo smartphone.

If optics are your top priority and you don't want to compromise, the X100 Pro is definitely on your list.

iPhone 15 Pro VS VIVO X100 Pro - Camera Comparison! Amazing results!