This year has been wild for compact, small-sized phones! We have seen lots and lots of mobile brands launching small phones! Just look up online, it’s full of them! But here’s the thing: none of them have hit that perfect mark.
For example, the Galaxy S25 is quite expensive, and the battery life isn’t great here!
We have the iPhone 16 – again, it’s expensive and only has a 60Hz refresh rate! I really liked the Xiaomi 15—it’s priced well, but the software experience and the cameras aren’t that great! Even OnePlus jumped in with their first compact flagship. Reasonable pricing, great performance, but again, the cameras just don’t cut it.
So, yeah, none of the small phones have been perfect so far in 2025, until I started using the VIVO X200 FE! First of all, it’s priced really well — just Rs. 55,000 for the 256GB variant, same as the OnePlus 13s & much cheaper than the other compact phones! And I believe VIVO has made the right compromises in the right areas with the X200 FE. But hang on — before you rush to buy it, there’s one major compromise you need to know about. And trust me, this could be a dealbreaker for some. So you definitely want to stick till the end to find out!
Vivo X200 FE Specifications
Vivo X200 FE Review
Design
Alright, let’s start this review with the design. And as you can see in the image above, this is a nice little phone that feels almost as premium as the OnePlus 13s, and the in-hand feel is really solid too. I did find it to be slightly top-heavy compared to the 13s, and we only get an optical fingerprint sensor here that sits a bit lower than I’d like, but over time, I got used to it. But what I really like about compact devices like this is how comfy they are to hold, especially for someone with smaller hands like me. It just feels right for daily use and is absolutely perfect for long hours of texting, scrolling, or just chilling! Plus, we also get a proper IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, there’s metal frames, and a matte glass finish at the back that looks and feels premium.
It’s still a bit thicker than the Galaxy S25, but that’s totally understandable since we’re getting a massive 6,500mAh battery here, the biggest I’ve seen on a compact phone!
Battery
And the battery life – It’s absolutely incredible here. While I used to get around 8 hours of screen-on time (SOT) on the OnePlus 13s, I’m easily getting over 9 hours on the X200 FE. It’s also better than my S25 Ultra – and just look at their sizes! Vivo also includes a 90W fast charger in the box, which can juice up the phone from 0 to 100% in about an hour. To keep the price in check, there’s no wireless charging support though!
Display
Over on the front, we get a fantastic display experience—almost identical to what we got on the OnePlus 13s. It’s a super bright panel with LTPO refresh rate, vibrant colors, and excellent touch response. There’s HDR10+ support on OTT platforms as well, and this display features high-frequency PWM dimming, making it a flagship-level OLED panel overall.
The only thing that doesn’t quite feel flagship-level is the display protection. Vivo uses something called Schott Xensation Core here, which isn’t as scratch and drop-resistant as Gorilla Glass Victus. But honestly, it’s not a major letdown if you ask me.
Audio and Haptics
The speakers are decent, though, not the loudest out there, and they can sound a bit shallow when playing music. But unless you’re an audiophile, they’ll get the job done just fine. Another thing I really appreciate is that Vivo didn’t cheap out on the vibration motor with the X200 FE. It offers nice, crisp haptic feedback, making typing and overall interaction feel genuinely satisfying.
Performance
Ok, everything until now sounds like a treat on the X200 FE, so where’s the compromise then? Technically, it’s in the chipset. We get the Dimensity 9300+ SoC here. It’s last year’s flagship chip from Mediatek, which just falls behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite or the Dimensity 9400 in raw performance by like 20%.
But in real-world usage, the performance gap isn’t that noticeable. It feels plenty fast for everyday tasks. However, I did notice it gets a bit warm during gaming or when recording videos. The Vivo X200 FE ran about 2–3°C hotter during gaming compared to the OnePlus 13s.
Likewise, we also don’t get 120fps gameplay on PUBG yet. Vivo has limited this game to just 90fps. However, games like Mobile Legends run at 120fps with nice 5% lows, and I also didn’t face any lags or stutters in GPU-heavy games like Genshin. But yes, it does get a bit warmer after like 10-15 minutes of gaming or when I am using 5G data outdoors. The OnePlus 13s is much cooler!
Another thing I’m not a big fan of is Vivo’s UI. It’s completely usable and stable too, but I really wish Vivo would replace Funtouch OS with Origin OS on the global variants of their phones. My current daily driver is this phone – the Vivo X200 Ultra, and the experience with Origin OS on that phone is just so much better, especially when it comes to the notification shade and quick access panel. In comparison, Funtouch OS feels a bit outdated.
On the bright side, Vivo does promise 4 years of OS updates on the X200 FE, so there’s hope that things will improve over time.
Camera
Ok, so far, the Vivo X200 FE scores solid marks across the board — but what truly sets it apart as my best compact phone of 2025 is the camera performance. Because this phone has the same DNA as the more expensive X200 Pro, and we all know how good the X200 Pro’s camera is!
However, the camera sensor here is entirely different compared to that of the X200 Pro, but when I tested it against the OnePlus 13s, I found Vivo to be better in all aspects. Yes, in all aspects!
The main thing that Vivo has worked on is color science. In almost all the instances, you can get natural highlight management, better dynamic range processing and especially the color reproduction is just so pleasing.
The greens are represented so well by Vivo, and these images, Vivo’s processing also appear so damn natural. This is when I am clicking the photos in the Zeiss natural mode, but if you want more vibrancy, you can also go with the Vivid mode.
In any case, Vivo always has better dynamic range and shadow processing, whereas OnePlus has a more contrasty and warm output! Most of the time, Vivo has clearer details too. So, yeah, it’s safe to say that Vivo has a much capable primary camera.
Even during nighttime, the photos from the Vivo X200 FE have better colors and highlight management, whereas the one from OnePlus – sometimes the highlights are messed up, the other times the images come out somewhat warm, it’s just not up to the mark.
Plus, it’s 3X telephoto lens can give you really good portraits too, not as good as the Vivo X200 Pro which has the class-leading 200MP telephoto camera, but its much better than the 2X portraits we get from the OnePlus 13s.
In fact, its portraits are much better than any other compact phones I have tested. Plus, Vivo provides all sorts of focal lengths from 23mm to 50mm to 85mm to 100mm, so that you can get whichever perspective you want.
I like the selfies from Vivo better, they are quite wide, yes the output is quite smoothened, but it looks good nonetheless.
That said, the two aspects where the Vivo X200 FE’s camera falls short is No.1 The 8MP ultrawide is just not good enough. It has soft output with compromised dynamic range – like I am clicking from a 20,000 phone, and No 2. The videos just aren’t that great.
This was something I really missed when I switched from my X200 Ultra to this phone. First of all, the U/W camera can only record in 1080P, so I can’t switch between the primary and ultra-wide while I am taking a 4K video, and the main camera’s output is also nothing extraordinary if I am being honest.
There is 4k 30 and 60 fps recording support from the main camera, but you will notice wobbles and jitters time and again, and the videos aren’t that wide either. Even when it comes to colors, I have felt like the videos are quite generic.
Same with the selfie videos, they lack good stabilisation. The videos from the front camera are wide, wider than OnePlus; the colours are nice too, but I wish they were smoother and more stable.
So yeah, even though the photography prowess on the X200 FE is a solid A, the videography side is just a B at best, and this is the area that I think could be a dealbreaker for some!
Vivo X200 FE Pros and Cons
Pros:
Cons:
Vivo X200 FE Conclusion
But overall, like I said at the start, the Vivo X200 FE just gets the right compromise in the right areas. Sure, there are a few areas where it doesn’t quite reach flagship levels — like videography, the ultra-wide camera, and the slightly less powerful processor.
But let’s not forget — this phone costs just Rs. 55,000.
And for that price, it’s honestly the perfect pick for anyone who’s always wanted a flagship-like experience but couldn’t quite stretch the budget. So, yeah, I think Vivo has delivered something that’s smart, that’s balanced, and genuinely impressive for the money here!
So, what do you think? Would you go for the Vivo X200 FE with its smart compromises and killer price tag, or would you rather spend more on something with stronger brand value, like the Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16? Do let me know in the comments below — I’d love to hear your take!
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