vivo X100 Pro review

Competition

The X100 Pro is one of the first entrants into the 2024 flagship race and as such it's hard to compare it to anything directly. You see, last year's models will always be handicapped by being a year old, and next year's models are either not out yet, or we haven't gotten a chance to test them. Then again, some of the current flagships will remain current well into next year, and we can certainly do some decently well-founded theorizing about the imminent releases and their relation to this vivo.

First on the list of potential alternatives would be one of our favorite cameraphones, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Possibly the only handset with a more diverse camera system, the 13 Ultra scores points with its more extreme ultrawide, a dual-aperture main camera, and two telephotos, though we'd pick the vivo as the better option for close-ups. The non-camera bits aren't as important here, we reckon, but the vivo does have the beefier chipset, while the other fundamentals can barely split the two.

Another camera enthusiast phone that isn't to be replaced any time soon is the Pixel 8 Pro. The balance of imaging prowess is similar here - the Pixel's ultrawide has an edge, but the vivo's winning in telephoto and closeups. This dilemma is more nuanced outside of cameras too, with the vivo being notably better in performance, battery life and charging speed, but the Pixel appealing to Android purists (or Pixel diehards, depending on how you look at it).

Closely related to the X100 Pro, but still different enough, the iQOO 12 has a few things going for it and price is certainly one of them. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will appeal to traditionalists and so too will the flat display, while the vivo still has the upper hand in the camera department (plus an IP68 rating).

Transitioning towards hypotheticals, the OnePlus 12 brings a similar camera system to that of the iQOO 12 and one we've more or less experienced and loved on the OnePlus Open/Oppo Find N3. We'd still pick the X100 Pro over the OP for camera expertise, though the 12 just might win someone over with 4K selfie videos.

The Xiaomi 14 Pro is in a similarly untested state, but its specs outline some strong points, including a dual-aperture main camera (albeit no longer 1-inch) and a different take on a close-focusing telephoto. Word on the street is that the 14 Pro may not be making it outside of China though, and that might disqualify it entirely from this comparison.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra • Google Pixel 8 Pro • vivo iQOO 12 • OnePlus 12 • Xiaomi 14 Pro

Verdict

Another installment in what's become one of our favorite lineups for camera greatness. The vivo X100 Pro lives up to our expectations and brings a one-of-a-kind imaging experience. Only the ultrawide camera is giving us a little pause by not providing quite wide enough of a field of view, but the spectacular primary camera joined by an impressively capable telephoto snapper more than make up for it.

Initially having us worried, the Dimensity chipset managed to prove its worth during the course of the review with high peak performance and excellent stability under load. It was also efficient enough for the vivo to earn high marks for endurance and the fast charging didn't hurt the X100 Pro either. And just because it's got less than ideal grip, doesn't mean that the X100 Pro isn't easy on the eyes - we can be superficial like that sometimes.

All things considered, you can call us fans of the X100 Pro - vivo made another top-class cameraphone.

Pros

• Standout design.
• Thoroughly excellent display.
• Better-than-most battery life, speedy charging.
• Super-powerful chipset, surprisingly good stability.
• Superb camera system, particularly great telephoto for both far and near subjects.

Cons

• Slippery as can be (in the reviewed colorway).
• Ultrawide camera not all that wide.
• Uninspiring selfie camera, 1080p video only.