Ever wondered if there’s a smartphone out there that could give the iPhone 17 Pro a run for its money in the camera department? Well, wonder no more! I took the newly unveiled Vivo X300 Pro to the bustling streets of Shanghai to put it to the test, and let me tell you, this phone is a serious contender.
The Hardware: A Camera Beast
The Vivo X300 Pro is packing some serious heat under the hood. It’s got a brand new processor, the Dimensity 9500, co-developed with MediaTek, and Vivo’s renowned image processing chip right in the SoC. This powerhouse can record 4K video at 120fps with both electronic and optical image stabilization on all rear lenses, and it’s the first to shoot portrait video at 4K 60fps. Gaming enthusiasts, rejoice – early benchmarks suggest this chip is a powerhouse!
But the real star of the show is the camera system. The X300 Pro boasts a brand new 1/1.3-inch main sensor with gimbal-grade image stabilization, and a fresh 200MP 1/1.4-inch 3.5x telephoto. That’s over twice the size and four times the resolution of the iPhone 17 Pro’s telephoto! Vivo worked directly with Samsung to take the quality to the next level, and the results are stunning.
The Photography Kit: Transform Your Phone into a Compact Camera
What really sets the Vivo X300 series apart is its optional photography kit. Snap on a case, an ergonomic grip with physical camera controls, an adapter ring for filters, and a 2.35x Zeiss teleconverter lens, and you’ve got yourself a full-on compact camera. The kit has been improved from the X200 Ultra, with a stronger case, metallic accents, and a new way to access the teleconverter in the camera app.
Camera Performance: A Shanghai Snapshot
I spent days snapping pics and recording videos in Shanghai, and the Vivo X300 Pro did not disappoint. Photos were exceptional in all lighting conditions, with endless tools to refine your images. The 200MP telephoto is a dream for macro and street photography, and portraits look like they were taken with a professional camera. Even in low light, the X300 Pro’s large sensors and clever image processing kept noise to a minimum.
Autofocus has been improved too, making action shots a breeze – even with the teleconverter attached. The only downsides? The ultra-wide isn’t the best in the business, and the selfie camera is good, but not my favorite. Still, as a complete package, the X300 Pro is easily one of the best smartphone camera systems of 2025.
How to Get Your Hands on One
So, you’re sold on the Vivo X300 Pro, but how can you get one? The good news is that it’s launching outside of China, and it seems like it’ll arrive in international markets soon. The bad news? Vivo’s global availability is limited. While it might make its way to certain European regions, the US and UK have never had an official Vivo launch. But who knows? Maybe this will be the phone that changes everything.
Stay tuned for more updates, and if you’re serious about mobile photography, keep an eye out for the Vivo X300 Pro. It just might be the best camera phone ever.
