vivo X300 Ultra: Design, build quality and scope of delivery
With the vivo X300 Ultra, the camera didn't just define the design, it completely dominated it. The rest of the smartphone almost seems like an accessory to the massive lens on the back.
The circular camera module protrudes a full 8 millimeters from the casing, making it almost twice as thick as the smartphone itself (8,49 millimeters). At its thickest point, the X300 Ultra measures a good 16 millimeters. Pocket-friendly is hardly the word for it, but vivo makes it unmistakably clear, even visually, where its priorities lie.
Our green test unit combines a color-coordinated aluminum frame with a subtly textured glass back. Depending on the light, the surface appears sometimes dark and understated, sometimes significantly more vibrant. The black version is more understated and uses a lighter fiberglass back instead of glass. This also affects its dimensions and weight. The black model is 8,19 millimeters thick and weighs 232 grams.
The Green and White versions, with their glass backs, measure 8,49 millimeters thick and weigh 237 grams. Neither variant is particularly light or compact. The large camera unit also places the center of gravity noticeably in the upper part of the device, but the X300 Ultra doesn't feel uncomfortably unbalanced.
The front and back are completely flat, while the wide aluminum frame ensures a secure grip. The transitions between the materials are cleanly finished, the buttons are firmly in place, and the casing doesn't flex even under pressure. The X300 Ultra feels as solid and premium as you would expect from a smartphone in this price range.
The housing is protected against dust and water according to IP68 and IP69 standards. This means that under controlled conditions, it can withstand not only temporary immersion but also high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. While this isn't a free pass for a trip to the sea, rain or a spilled glass won't easily damage the vivo.
The volume rocker and power button are located on the right side, are easily accessible, and offer a clear pressure point. The X200 Ultra also had a dedicated camera button, but the X200 Ultra has one. vivo X300 Pro (see review here) There is at least one freely assignable shortcut button. Ironically, the camera-focused X300 Ultra lacks both. For quick shots, only the touchscreen and volume buttons remain.
The bottom of the device houses the USB-C port, speaker, microphones, and SIM card slot. The 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is integrated under the display and unlocks the smartphone quickly and reliably.
The European box includes a USB-C cable, a SIM eject tool, a protective case, a pre-applied screen protector, and the usual paperwork. A charger is not included. While this is no longer uncommon, it still seems stingy for a smartphone costing around €2.000 and boasting a 100-watt charging capability.
vivo X300 Ultra: Display
The front is much calmer. The completely flat 6,82-inch display features narrow, uniform bezels and a small cutout for the punch-hole camera. After the rather extroverted back, this is almost surprisingly boring.
The LTPO-AMOLED has a resolution of 3168 x 1440 pixels, achieving a pixel density of 510 ppi, which means that the display of text and images is correspondingly sharp and individual pixels are not visible even from close up.
The panel also excels in terms of color and contrast. Black is deep, as is typical for AMOLED displays, colors appear vibrant and can be adjusted to a more subdued tone using various profiles. It supports the P3 color space, 10-bit color depth, as well as Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR Vivid.
Android Ultra HDR really shines when used in this way. Photos taken with this feature contain additional brightness information, making elements like sun reflections, lamps, or bright clouds appear noticeably more intense. The entire image isn't simply upscaled; only the relevant areas are enhanced. In vivo's gallery and Google Photos, this gives the images significantly more dynamism.
In terms of brightness, vivo boasts a local peak of 4500 cd/m². As is typical, this value only applies to a tiny area of the image and under ideal conditions. In our tests, the display achieved around 1900 cd/m² on a larger white area with automatic brightness control, and up to 3250 cd/m² on a smaller section. This is easily sufficient to reliably assess image composition, focus, and exposure, even in direct sunlight.
The panel can be dimmed down to approximately 1 cd/m². This is pleasant when reading in the dark and prevents a quick glance at your smartphone at night from illuminating the entire bedroom. Additionally, vivo uses 2160 Hz PWM dimming to reduce visible flicker at low brightness levels.
Thanks to LTPO technology, the refresh rate dynamically adjusts between 1 and 144 Hz. For static content, the display drops to as low as 1 Hz, while scrolling and using supported apps increase the frequency accordingly. This results in smooth animations without constantly draining the battery at the maximum refresh rate.
The advertised 144 Hz refresh rate exists more on paper than in everyday use. Most apps run at a maximum of 120 Hz, and some are even limited to 90 or 60 Hz depending on the selected mode. The full 144 Hz is only available in a few supported games and sometimes via frame interpolation. I didn't noticeably miss it, as 120 Hz already looks perfectly smooth.
vivo X300 Ultra: Performance
Beneath the massive camera module lies a powerful processor. It houses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Qualcomm's current flagship model. This chip, manufactured using a 3nm process, combines two Oryon cores with speeds up to 4,6 GHz and six additional cores with a maximum clock speed of 3,62 GHz. Graphics are handled by the Adreno 840, and the system boasts 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB of UFS 4.1 storage.
Storage space should therefore not be an issue for a long time, even with regular use of high-resolution photos, 8K videos, or RAW files. A microSD card cannot be used. With this storage capacity, this should be acceptable for most users.
In everyday use, the X300 Ultra is exceptionally fast. Apps launch without any noticeable delay, large photo galleries can be browsed smoothly, and the interface remains stable even when switching between the camera, image editing, navigation, and messaging apps. Even large RAW files or high-resolution videos don't easily slow the smartphone down.
In Geekbench 6, the X300 Ultra achieves approximately 3488 points in the single-core test, placing it squarely in the current flagship class. In 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, the smartphone achieves approximately 6442 points.
This means the X300 Ultra doesn't win every comparison. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its higher-clocked Snapdragon variant, sometimes outperforms it, while smartphones with the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 also keep up or even surpass it in some tests. In everyday use, these differences are about as relevant as the last decimal place in a sprint from zero to 100 km/h. The vivo is fast in every situation.
Even demanding games run smoothly at high to maximum detail settings. While the high display resolution puts more strain on the GPU than many competitors, this doesn't cause any noticeable problems. Frame rates above 60 fps depend more on the specific game and vivo's refresh rate management than on the available processing power.
Under sustained full load, the smartphone can lose around 35 percent of its maximum performance. While this may sound like a lot, it's within the normal range for current flagship processors. However, it can't completely eliminate the heat. During extended gaming sessions, benchmarks, or lengthy video recordings, the casing gets noticeably warm. The large camera module does at least ensure that your fingers aren't directly on the hottest area while gaming.
vivo X300 Ultra: Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, the vivo X300 Ultra offers almost everything currently available in a smartphone. 5G, dual SIM, eSIM, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, and an infrared transmitter are all included. Only the classic headphone jack and FM radio were omitted amidst all the antennas.
Mobile
The SIM slot accepts two nano-SIM cards. Alternatively, one physical SIM and one eSIM, or two eSIM profiles, can be used simultaneously. 5G works on both lines in dual-SIM dual-standby mode. Most European and international mobile network bands are covered.
The Chinese version is a bit different. It lacks a freely usable eSIM, and some functions relevant to Europe may be limited. Therefore, anyone ordering the X300 Ultra as a significantly cheaper import should pay attention not only to storage capacity and case color, but also to mobile network bands, Android Auto, and Google integration.
In everyday use, the global model provides a stable mobile connection. The voice quality is clear, and the callers sound neither tinny nor as if they are calling from the camera module.
WiFi and Bluetooth
For local networks, the X300 Ultra supports Wi-Fi 7 as well as connections over 2,4, 5, and 6 GHz. 2x2 MIMO and MU-MIMO are also included. With a suitable router, the smartphone achieves high data transfer rates, although the practical advantage of Wi-Fi 7 naturally depends on whether the home network is similarly well-equipped.
Bluetooth 6.0 supports, among others, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and LHDC 5. High-quality Bluetooth headphones can thus be used with decent quality and comparatively low latency. No connection drops or unusually short ranges were observed during testing.
NFC, infrared and USB
NFC covers not only reading and writing tags, but also card emulation and contactless payment via HCE and a compatible NFC SIM. The latter must be inserted in the first SIM slot. For Google Wallet, the standard HCE function is sufficient as usual.
The infrared transmitter is also back, although you won't find it on the casing. vivo has hidden it in the area of the camera module. This allows the smartphone to be used as a remote control for televisions, air conditioners, and other devices. With a camera bump this size, a separate small satellite receiver attachment probably wouldn't have been noticeable anyway.
The fast USB-C port is a welcome addition. Instead of USB 2.0, it uses USB 3.2 with speeds up to 10 Gbps. This allows for significantly faster transfer of large RAW files and 8K videos to a computer or external storage device. OTG is also supported, enabling direct connection of external SSDs, card readers, and other USB accessories. The image can also be output via DisplayPort to a compatible monitor or television.
Position and safety
For location tracking, the X300 Ultra uses GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC. The position is determined quickly and remains stable even while moving. Accuracy can fluctuate briefly between tall buildings, but overall the smartphone navigates reliably.
A 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is located under the display for unlocking. It reacts quickly, has a pleasantly large recognition area, and works more reliably with slightly damp fingers than the optical sensors of many cheaper devices. Facial recognition is also available, but due to the lack of additional depth sensors, it only works via the front camera.
Loudspeakers
The stereo speakers deliver high volume and an overall clean sound. Voices are clearly intelligible, videos have sufficient spatial depth, and even at higher volumes, the sound remains largely controlled. However, in direct comparison with the best flagship models, it lacks a bit of bass and fullness.
OriginOS offers an equalizer, various sound profiles, spatial audio effects, and individual adjustments to suit your hearing. Some functions overlap in their descriptions, so you'll need to experiment a bit. If you already use Bluetooth headphones, you'll probably only open most of these features once and then forget about them.
vivo X300 Ultra: Operating system
Instead of the FuntouchOS used internationally until now, global models will now also receive the significantly more modern OriginOS 6 (Android 16) interface, which was reserved for Chinese devices for a long time.
The interface feels fast, clean, and noticeably more thoughtfully designed in many areas. Animations react to the speed of finger movement, transitions appear smooth, and subtle blurring effects add depth.
Notifications and quick settings are separated by default. Swiping from the left opens notifications, while swiping from the right reveals the control center. Users who dislike this familiar iOS layout can merge both views back into a classic notification bar.
The customization options are extensive overall. Lock screen, always-on display, animations, widgets, fonts, and icons can all be customized to your liking. The Flip Themes, in particular, allow OriginOS to be customized more extensively than many more austere Android interfaces.
Artificial intelligence will of course be a feature of the 2026 model, but its implementation in the vivo X300 Ultra is somewhat more subtle and less comprehensive than that of some other manufacturers. The system offers assistance with writing, correcting, rewriting, and summarizing texts. System-wide subtitles can transcribe and translate speech in real time. The gallery section of the vivo X300 Ultra includes various tools for removing, moving, or optimizing image content.
The vivo Connection Center facilitates collaboration with computers and other smartphones. Features such as screen mirroring, file transfer, and the sharing of ongoing tasks are supported. Depending on the function, an additional vivo app is required for communication with Apple devices.
The standard Google services are fully available on the European X300 Ultra. Play Store, Wallet, Maps, Gemini, Android Auto, and Quick Share all work without manual installation. While this may seem obvious, it's important for the X300 Ultra because the Chinese version is sometimes offered for less than half the European price. Although Google Play and its associated services can be installed relatively easily there, the experience won't be completely identical.
In addition to Google applications, the vivo X300 Ultra also comes with its own apps, but largely avoids the collection of Chinese app stores and third-party services. OriginOS isn't entirely free of bloatware, but most of it can be removed or ignored.
For long-term use, vivo promises five major Android updates and seven years of security updates. While this doesn't quite reach the maximum update duration of competitors like Samsung or Google, it represents a significant step forward compared to previous generations.
vivo X300 Ultra: Camera
Let's get to the most important and exciting aspect of the vivo X300 Ultra. Two 200 MP sensors, an unusually sophisticated ultra-wide-angle camera, and focal lengths from 14 to 85 millimeters should be enough to make Apple, Samsung, and most compact cameras nervously look over their shoulders.
The main camera uses the new Sony Lytia 901 in the large 1/1,12-inch format. In front of it sits an optically stabilized lens with an f/1.85 aperture and a 35mm focal length. Instead of trying to cram as much as possible into the frame, vivo starts where classic reportage and travel photography has been at home for decades.
The telephoto camera combines 200 MP with the Samsung ISOCELL HP0 sensor in a 1/1,4-inch format, an f/2.67 aperture, and an 85mm focal length. This corresponds to approximately 3,7x zoom compared to a typical 23mm focal length. vivo has deliberately omitted a second telephoto camera, leaving the large sensor to digitally cover the longer focal lengths.
It also features a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 14 mm lens, autofocus, and optical image stabilization. Its Sony Lytia 818 sensor measures 1/1,28 inches, which would be large enough to pass as the main camera in some other smartphones.
main camera
The main camera delivers detailed, high-contrast images with a wide dynamic range and typical vivo color reproduction in daylight.
Colors have a certain vibrancy, shadows appear rich, and bright areas are cleanly controlled. The result isn't perfectly neutral in every situation, but usually looks very appealing even without post-processing.
The white balance works reliably. Even in mixed lighting or with subjects containing large areas of light and dark, the colors don't suddenly shift towards yellow or blue. Skies, facades, and skin tones remain largely consistent.
The 35mm focal length clearly distinguishes the X300 Ultra from smartphones, whose main cameras typically range between 23 and 25mm. You capture less of the scene, but subjects appear more naturally proportioned. This is especially beneficial for people, as faces are less distorted at close range.
Test shots taken with the main camera at 35mm focal length:
Additionally, there are digital focal lengths of 50 and 70 millimeters that also look good. Thanks to the high sensor resolution, the main camera can zoom in relatively far into the image before the quality noticeably deteriorates.
The large sensor results in a noticeably shallow depth of field when shooting close-up subjects. Objects and people stand out naturally from the background, without the portrait mode having to artificially define edges. The bokeh is generally smooth and pleasing.
However, shallow depth of field also has a downside. With subjects spread across multiple levels, not everything will automatically be in focus. Therefore, when photographing documents, large groups, or a lavishly set table, it's advisable to maintain some distance or pay closer attention to the focus point.
The camera offers four resolution levels: 12,5, 25, 50, and 200 MP. The 12,5 MP standard mode provides the best balance of detail, processing, and file size in most situations. The higher resolutions offer more flexibility for cropping, but their advantages are most apparent in good lighting conditions, although they also result in larger file sizes.
At night, the main camera handles bright signs, streetlights, and illuminated windows very well without allowing darker areas to simply become black. Colors remain vibrant, the white balance is stable, and image noise is low. Fine details are clearly preserved as long as the subject is not in complete darkness.
Test shots taken at dusk and night:
Telecamera
The telephoto camera frequently took center stage during testing. At its native 85mm focal length, equivalent to a 3,7x zoom, the X300 Ultra delivers exceptionally sharp and high-contrast photos. The color grading matches the main camera well, ensuring that switching between focal lengths doesn't result in a completely different image look.
The subject separation was also impressive. The large sensor and longer focal length produce a noticeable bokeh even without software adjustments. Plants, animals, details, and people stand out visibly from the background, and 85mm is almost ideal for portraits. Faces appear naturally proportioned, the shooting distance remains comfortable, and the background is optically compressed. Head-and-shoulders portraits are therefore among the best shots the X300 Ultra produces.
The additional resolution levels of the main camera are also available with the telephoto camera, although the full 200 MP appears noticeably softer, especially indoors or in low light. More pixels don't automatically mean more actual information, no matter how impressive the number on the spec sheet looks.
Even at higher digital zoom levels, the telephoto camera remains impressive. Up to 230mm (10x zoom), the images taken in good light appear almost as if they were taken with a dedicated optical lens. Only beyond this point does the image processing become significantly more noticeable. The up to 105x zoom is then more suitable for identifying distant subjects than for actual photographic purposes.
With a minimum focusing distance of around 15 centimeters, the telephoto camera is also suitable for detailed close-ups with a soft background. Even at night, it impresses with high sharpness, vibrant colors, and good dynamic range up to 135 millimeters. From 170 millimeters onward, the software noticeably intervenes more, sometimes creating artificial details in fine structures.
Ultra wide angle camera
Thanks to its large 1/1,28-inch sensor, the ultra-wide-angle camera performs significantly better than the usual level for this camera class. In daylight, it delivers detailed images with a wide dynamic range, vibrant colors, and surprisingly stable sharpness right to the edges of the frame.
With its 14mm focal length, it's particularly well-suited for architecture, interiors, and landscapes, while autofocus also enables close-up shots. The 28mm cropped view from the sensor also works well, but falls short of the main camera when it comes to fine details.
The ultra-wide-angle camera also performs exceptionally well at night, but in terms of sharpness and shadow detail, it does not quite reach the level of the main and telephoto cameras.
Front camera
The front camera has a 50 MP resolution, autofocus, and a 24 mm focal length. This means its field of view is slightly narrower than some competitors with 21 or 23 mm lenses. It's perfectly adequate for regular selfies, but for larger groups, you'll need to extend your arm a bit further.
Sharpness, colors, and dynamic range are impressive. Faces are rendered in rich detail and remain reliably sharp even at varying distances thanks to autofocus.
Occasionally, the image processing selectively smooths certain facial features. This is particularly noticeable upon close inspection, while other areas remain very sharp. This is hardly relevant for social media and video calls, but it's worth mentioning for a camera smartphone of this caliber.
The front camera records videos in 4K at up to 60 frames per second. Electronic stabilization keeps the image steady while walking, and autofocus is particularly advantageous for capturing moving subjects.
Video
When it comes to filming, the X300 Ultra boasts an impressively long list of features. All three rear cameras record 8K at 30 frames per second and 4K at up to 120 frames per second.
Dolby Vision is available with numerous resolutions and frame rates. It also supports 10-bit log recording, importable LUTs, and various codecs. Even Samsung's professional-grade APV codec can be used for log videos.
The Pro Video mode offers manual control over exposure, white balance, and focus. Audio levels and waveform displays help to set up recordings precisely. Depending on the mode, frame rates such as 24, 25, 50, or 100 fps are also available.
The stabilization is top-notch. Videos recorded while walking appear smooth, without any unnatural image static. Shaking, wobbling, and the typical small jumps with each step are largely absent.
Colors and dynamic range are very good on all three cameras. The images appear vibrant without being oversaturated, and bright areas are mostly preserved cleanly.
vivo X300 Ultra: Photography Kit
The optional Photography Kit transforms the vivo X300 Ultra into a compact camera with interchangeable lenses. This includes a special protective case with a bayonet mount, various teleconverters, and a separately attachable camera grip. For our test, however, only the case and the large 400mm lens were available, not the grip. Alternatively, vivo offers a significantly more compact second-generation 200mm lens, but this is primarily intended for Asian markets.
The lens attaches to the protective case's bayonet mount, sitting directly in front of the 85mm telephoto camera and optically extending its focal length. After mounting, simply tap the corresponding icon in the camera app to select the lens. The 400mm model also offers digital zoom levels of 800mm, 1600mm, and 3200mm.
Even at 400mm, distant animals, architectural details, or aircraft can be captured much more clearly than with purely digital zoom. Beyond that focal length, image processing does become increasingly involved, but as expected, the results remain better with a lens than without one.
The setup isn't exactly compact. The large and heavy 400mm lens makes the already massive X300 Ultra even more cumbersome, not something you'd spontaneously take along for a stroll around town. Handheld shooting is possible, but for longer focal lengths and clean image composition, a stable support or tripod is recommended.
The complete Photography Kit also includes a detachable grip with a two-stage shutter release, zoom lever, control dial, and additional video and function buttons. This makes the X300 Ultra much more like a compact camera in terms of handling. For video recording, vivo also offers a separately available SmallRig cage with handgrips, accessory mounts, and active cooling.
Here is a comparison shot, one with the 400mm lens and one without.
vivo X300 Ultra: Battery
The battery capacity increases from 6000 mAh to 6600 mAh compared to the vivo X200 Ultra. In everyday use, the battery easily lasts a full day with camera, navigation, messaging apps, social media, and streaming. Those who use the X300 Ultra more moderately can even get a day and a half of use out of it. However, extended photo shoots, 4K video recording, and the constantly bright display noticeably drain the battery, so heavy users are unlikely to see two days of remaining battery life displayed by evening.
Charging is done via a suitable power adapter with up to 100 watts. After 15 minutes, the display shows approximately 35 percent, and after half an hour, it's about 65 percent. A full charge takes approximately 45 minutes.
Wireless charging is supported up to 40 watts. Additionally, the X300 Ultra can charge other devices both wired and wirelessly. A charging limit can be set to protect battery health. If desired, OriginOS can also adapt the charging process to individual usage patterns, for example, pausing it overnight.
Fred
Camera or no camera, what's with the price?