I tried the Vivo X200 FE for a week; here's why it may be 2025's best compact phone

Indian Express

14-07-2025

We all have favourite smartphone brands, and often that loyalty may cloud our judgement, until a new device comes along that challenges our expectations. I, too, have my loyalties, but I am always up for a challenge. To dive into the unknown, to experience something new, and to be pleasantly surprised. Perhaps this was the reason that piqued my interest when I heard about the Vivo X200 FE.
Admittedly, I have no prior experience with Vivo flagship devices, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I got the Vivo X200 FE in the Luxe Grey shade, a colour that has grown on me. And the icing on the cake was its compact form factor – 6.31-inch size. The size of the phone appeals to me greatly. After the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S25, and Xiaomi 15, I am of the opinion that compact phones are the way to be. They define convenience and everyday smartphone use.
The Vivo X200 FE is shipped in sleek matte black packaging, which looks ultra-premium. For the review, I got the 16GB + 512GB RAM version of the phone. The first thing you notice about the X200 FE is its uncanny resemblance to the iPhones, especially the frame, which is built using aerospace-grade metal. It's got the luxe silky feel with the matte grey on the back, yet it's not slippery and does not attract any smudges, thanks to something the company calls a Metallic Sand AG finish.
The phone has a peculiar camera bump that is much bigger than the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16; however, it seldom feels out of place. The large camera island seems pretty much in harmony with the overall aesthetics of the X200 FE. On the whole, the X200 FE feels great in the hand, and if you are someone who prefers one-handed usage, the phone will not disappoint.
The Vivo X200 FE sports a 6.31-inch flat pOLED panel, which is among its standout features. Additionally, the phone's narrow bezels bring an immersive visual experience despite its smaller footprint. It offers a 5,000 nits peak brightness, which to me is one of the brightest displays I have ever laid my eyes on. It works flawlessly on a warm day under bright sunlight. You no longer need to shade the screen outdoors or squint during daytime photography with this one.
The Vivo X200 FE comes with a 1.5K resolution (around 2800×1260) and 460 PPI, or pixels per inch, that renders a sharpness ideal for reading, gaming, and watching videos. It comes with a P3 wide colour gamut (a wide-gamut colour space designed to deliver richer, more lifelike colours, especially in digital cinema and HDR displays), which offers colour-accurate viewing.
I have been on a spree of watching classic Hollywood movies, especially known for their dreamy cinematography. On the Vivo X200 FE, watching 'A Beautiful Mind', 'Scent of A Woman', and 'Scarface' was a great experience; the picturesque locales felt soothing to the eyes. The device offers deeper blacks and richer highlights, as it offers HDR support for Netflix and other apps.
As we know, with great brightness comes eye strain. However, Vivo has balanced it with some nifty features, like eye protection that reduces strain in low light or bedtime use. It also has a Smart Eye Protection Mode 2.0, which dynamically adjusts contrasts or brightness for comfortable viewing. The phone also comes with IP68/IP69 ratings that assure carefree usage in rain, hail, and storms.
The most noteworthy feature of the Vivo X200 FE is its 50 MP periscope lens with ZEISS tuning. Without getting into the technical details, the cameras are outstanding for a phone this compact. I have been walking around the city with the phone, and it zoomed into streets and buildings just like a DSLR. Some of the features, such as Multifocal Portrait and Aura Light modes, rendered images a studio-like feel.
The ZEISS Multifocal Portraits feature five different focal lengths – 23 mm for landscape or nature photography, 35 mm, which is ideal for street photography, 50 mm for classic portrait framing, 85 mm for intense close-ups, and 100 mm for extreme close-ups ideal for candids, travel, or even weddings. The phone features rear Aura Light that comes with an adjustable colour temperature, adding depth to images in low light conditions. On the front, it features a 32 MP camera with two tiny flashlights, making it the flashiest selfie cam out there.
Some unfiltered photo samples below:
The advanced camera technology is supplemented with some cool AI tools. Vivo has built AI Magic Tools into the albums, and these are AI Magic Move, Image Expander, Reflection Erase, AI Erase, Photo Enhance, Four Seasons Portrait, etc. Since these features are baked right into the albums, you need not rush to third-party expensive photo editing apps. Be it street photography or selfies, the combo of ZEISS colour tuning and some smart AI tools brings out lucid social media-ready images.
The Vivo X200 FE packs a Dimensity 9300+ chipset, which makes daily usage, multitasking, and gaming feel like a breeze. This flagship-grade chipset is on par with flagship Android chips and is even roughly comparable with the standard A18 spotted on the iPhone 16. In real-world usage, the X200 FE feels fluid, fast, and efficient. From my usage, I feel that when it comes to performance, the Vivo X200 FE competes head-to-head with the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15, along with offering a premium photography-first experience with ZEISS cameras.
On the software front, the device runs on Funtouch OS 2.0 on top of Android 14. It feels a lot lighter and cleaner compared to previous Funtouch iterations. The overload of bloatware, inconsistent UI/UX, ads, and aggressive battery management have been pain points for users of Funtouch OS. However, the X200 FE has somewhat eased those concerns. This time, the UI is cleaner, there are integrated AI tools, and more control over app permissions. While it is lighter, for those who are accustomed to Pixel or Galaxy, the Funtouch OS 15 may feel a bit rounded around the edges.
The phone comes with extended UI customisations and some built-in privacy features like spam call blocking, app access logs, and screen share protection. Another major highlight is the built-in Google Gemini assistant replacing the usual Google Assistant in many ways, as it allows Q&A in natural language, Circle to Search directly from the screen, email drafting, etc.
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It is a treat for mobile gamers, as the all-big-core Dimensity 9300+ chip is capable of handling any game, be it Genshin Impact or BGMI. It offers sustained performance, and the phone seldom gets warm during extended sessions. The extraordinarily bright screen, stereo sound, and long battery life are likely to entice avid gamers.
The biggest takeaway from the Vivo X200 FE would be its 6500 mAh battery. I am simply amazed at the battery life of this phone, which is the largest ever in a phone under 6.4 inches in size. I could easily use the phone for around two days after a single charge; this was a welcome change, as you rarely see a phone that sustains power for long. While most companies promise/claim to offer a carefree extended battery life experience, Vivo has actually done it. In real-world use, a single full charge will give you about 1.5 to 2 days of usage where you can easily manage all 5G + camera usage, GPS, Bluetooth, Google Gemini, long video calls, and gaming sessions. The device comes with a 90W FlashCharge (wired) brick that allows up to three hours of video playback with a mere 10 minutes of charging.
The power management on Vivo X200 FE is remarkable, as it comes with features that auto-kill idle apps, shift low-power tasks to less power-hungry cores, and help with extended screen-on time. Despite being a premium device, one should note that the X200 FE does not have wireless charging.
Verdict
I explored the Vivo X200 FE, and I am pleasantly surprised. Everything from its design to build to cameras to performance, the device feels like a lot of thought has been put into understanding consumer needs. What surprised me the most has been the outstanding battery life. In 2025, a phone that features an excellent camera system, offers one of the brightest displays, and has a flagship-grade chipset is bound to throttle. But Vivo X200 FE does not. It is a value-for-money smartphone that I would recommend.