Vivo X200 FE Review: A Phone That Shrinks the Bulk, Not the Features
Compact smartphones may not dominate the shelves anymore, but the category isn’t entirely forgotten. Apple’s experiment with the iPhone 13 Mini and Samsung’s consistent work with the Galaxy S series showed there’s still a market for these phones, even if they are no longer mainstream. Vivo seems to be betting on that demand with the recent launch of the X200 FE, its latest Fan Edition device aimed at those who prefer a more manageable form factor without losing out on flagship-level features.
The timing is interesting, too. OnePlus has just rolled out its 13s series, while Apple is widening its line-up with the iPhone 16e, both of which highlight how brands are trying to segment their premium phones more finely. Vivo’s X200 FE fits into that same narrative by offering a slightly different take on the flagship formula.
As someone who prefers phones that don’t feel like mini tablets, I was curious to see if this one gets the balance right. It’s clearly built for those who want a smaller form factor without giving up on battery life, camera performance, or processing power. You get a triple rear camera setup with ZEISS tuning, a massive 6,500mAh battery, and the new MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ under the hood.
I’ve tested the Vivo X200 FE extensively, and it’s time to separate the facts from the fanfare.
Design and Display
I was really looking forward to the pink version of the Vivo X200 FE. It’s available globally and looks gorgeous in photos, so it was a bit disappointing to find out that it didn’t launch in India. Instead, I got to try the Amber Yellow variant, and honestly, it was a pleasant surprise. The pale yellow finish feels soft and elegant in person. It’s subtle, not loud, and when paired with the glossy black frame, it gives off a premium contrast. What’s interesting is that when the phone is lying face-up, the yellow barely peeks through, which gives it a cleaner, more minimal look.
Using the phone one-handed felt surprisingly comfortable. The weight distribution is spot on, and that makes a real difference in daily use. What stood out to me is how the X200 FE breaks away from Vivo’s usual design style. It doesn’t follow the typical slim and lightweight look we’ve seen from the brand. Instead, it feels a bit chunkier and more solid. The rear camera module has a pill-shaped design that draws attention. I also really like how the flashlight sits flush with the back panel. There’s no awkward bump. It just looks neat and well put together.
Another strong point is durability. The X200 FE is rated IP68 and IP69 for dust and water resistance. For someone living in places like Mumbai, where the weather can flip without warning, that level of protection gives genuine peace of mind.
As for the display, the bezels are impressively slim, and even though the phone is compact, the screen feels immersive. I recently watched Warnings, a short film on YouTube, and the dark scenes really stood out. The bezels seemed to disappear into the background, making the viewing experience more engaging than I expected from a smaller device.
The phone features a 6.31-inch flat AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s smooth, vibrant, and holds up well under different lighting conditions. Colours are punchy, blacks are deep, and brightness levels stay consistent whether I was indoors or outdoors. Additionally, while watching anything, the audio quality remained consistent and impressive. The sound was sharp, free of distortions, and quite pleasant to listen to.
Hardware and Software
The Vivo X200 FE runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC, which is also used in the mid-range premium smartphone: the Vivo T4 Ultra.
In our AnTuTu v10 benchmark, the X200 FE scored 1,992,851 points, coming very close to the 2 million mark. For context, the Vivo T4 Ultra also crossed 1.9 million, but the X200 FE had a slight edge. What really impressed me was that the phone didn’t heat up after running this intense benchmark, which is usually not the case.
To see how it performs beyond benchmarks, my colleague Divyakant took it on a trip to Udaipur during peak summer. He used it constantly to take pictures, record videos, and go about his regular day. The back did get warm after heavy camera use, but that was expected given the extreme heat. Still, it’s not entirely fair to judge thermal performance just on that. For everything else, the phone performed smoothly.
In my own experience, the X200 FE was a delight to use. It’s compact, which made one-handed use super comfortable. I spent time doomscrolling on Instagram, watching YouTube Shorts, and catching up on The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video. Every day use, whether it was texting, calling, or multitasking, was seamless. Even in Delhi’s scorching heat, the phone remained cool to the touch, both indoors and out.
The Vivo X200 FE comes with Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15 straight out of the box. It’s packed with AI-powered features like Live Call Translation, AI Summary, and an AI Assistant aimed at improving both productivity and creativity. While I didn’t find myself using them daily, they’re handy to have around. It’s one of those things you might not use often, but when you do, you’re glad it’s there. Vivo is also offering a solid software commitment: four years of Android updates and five years of security patches. That’s a huge plus if you’re someone who doesn’t switch phones every year and wants long-term reliability.
That said, the software experience isn’t without its quirks. The phone comes with a fair amount of pre-installed apps, which honestly feel a bit out of place in this price range. Most of them can be disabled, which helps, but it is still bothersome.
Overall, the experience with the software was good. It’s smooth, responsive, and has some genuinely useful features. It just would’ve felt more refined if Vivo had cut back on the bloatware.
Cameras
Vivo has built a strong reputation for its camera capabilities, and the X200 FE stays true to that legacy. It comes equipped with a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. It’s a solid setup overall. That said, I did find myself wishing the ultra-wide lens had a higher resolution. Maybe it’s just me being greedy, but when the rest of the setup is this strong, you start expecting more.
As I mentioned earlier, my colleague Divyakant took this phone to Udaipur to test the cameras in real-world scenarios. And spoiler alert: the results were genuinely impressive.
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In daylight, the photos came out crisp and vibrant. The dynamic range was excellent, colours looked punchy without being overdone, and overall image clarity was spot on. Divyakant had a lot of fun playing around with the 3x telephoto lens. He didn’t need to move closer to the subject to get those detailed shots. Even zooming in up to 10x, the photos retained a good amount of detail and accurate colour tones. For someone capturing architecture or scenery, this camera delivers beautifully.
The ultra-wide lens captured broad landscapes with a pleasing field of view. However, its lower resolution showed in the form of slightly grainy edges and a lack of detail in some parts. Colours and contrast remained consistent, though, and it worked well for casual wide-angle photography.
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When the sun went down, the X200 FE still managed to perform well. Low-light images came out sharp and clean without being overly bright or washed out. Even in scenes with strong light sources, there weren’t any major lens flare issues. The colours remained natural, and the shots looked realistic rather than overly processed, which I really appreciated.
Portrait photography is where the X200 FE truly shines. In both daylight and dim lighting, the results were consistently pleasing. Skin tones looked accurate, colours were balanced, and the subject separation was precise. Whether he was shooting people or flowers with tricky edges, the edge detection handled it like a pro. You could even spot individual hair strands in the portraits, which says a lot about the processing finesse.
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The only letdown for me was the selfie experience. I prefer natural-looking selfies, but the X200 FE added a reddish blush to my cheeks and slightly softened my skin, even with all the filters switched off. It looked a little too edited for my taste. That’s something Vivo could improve in future updates.
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All said and done, the Vivo X200 FE delivers a strong camera experience that’s reliable, detailed, and fun to use. If you’re someone who loves photography or makes content regularly, this phone won’t disappoint. In fact, I’d confidently recommend it as one of the best camera-focused phones in its price range.
Battery and Charging
Coming over to the battery, you wouldn’t expect a phone this compact to hide a giant 6,500mAh silicon battery inside, but that’s exactly what the Vivo X200 FE pulls off. Despite packing such a massive battery, the phone doesn’t feel thick or heavy. It still maintains a sleek and handy form factor. To sweeten the deal, Vivo also includes a 90W fast charging adapter in the box, which frankly feels like a rare luxury these days when most brands are charging extra for it.
When it comes to real-world performance, Divyakant put this phone through its paces in Udaipur. Whether he was recording videos, taking photos all day, or just going about regular usage, the phone held up like a champ. In fact, it often powered through an entire day and still had enough juice to keep going the next morning.
My own experience was just as solid. I used the phone to watch series, stream music while commuting, and chat endlessly across WhatsApp. The battery easily lasted more than a full day on light to moderate use. As part of our testing process, we usually run the PCMark battery test to get a solid benchmark score. Unfortunately, I encountered an error while running the test, so I don’t have the official number yet. I’ll make sure to update this space as soon as I have it.
When it came time to recharge, the X200 FE went from dead to full in just 42 minutes during my testing. Plus, it stayed cool while charging. So, if battery life is high on your priority list, this phone delivers solidly.
Verdict
The Vivo X200 FE is priced at Rs 54,999 in India, which puts it in direct competition with the OnePlus 13s. Interestingly, both these phones are compact and clearly aimed at users who prefer a smaller, more manageable form factor.
In my experience, the X200 FE delivers on several fronts. Its camera system is genuinely impressive, the phone feels comfortable to use even with one hand, and the display is easily one of the best I’ve seen in this segment. The bezels are practically invisible, and the battery life is dependable. Vivo has struck a good balance with performance too. Even during long days of photo and video usage, the phone stayed cool and responsive. That said, it’s not exactly built for gaming enthusiasts. You can definitely game on it, but if you’re someone who plays high-intensity titles frequently, you might find the optimisation and frame consistency a bit underwhelming. Also, while the overall software experience is smooth, I wasn’t thrilled to see bloatware pre-installed. Sure, you can disable most of it, but at this price point, it just shouldn’t be there.
There’s no doubt that compact phones are having a moment. And between the X200 FE and the OnePlus 13s, it really comes down to what matters most to you. If you care about camera quality and battery reliability, I’d lean towards the Vivo X200 FE. But if you’re more into raw performance and want a cleaner software experience right out of the box, the OnePlus 13s might suit you better.
Also worth mentioning is the Google Pixel 9a, which falls in the same price range. If stock Android and long-term updates are high on your list, the Pixel 9a could be the perfect middle ground.
The post Vivo X200 FE Review: A Phone That Shrinks the Bulk, Not the Features appeared first on MySmartPrice.
