Vivo X Fold 5 review: Folding luxury with camera power to match

Economic Times

2 days ago

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Price & Availability
Design
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The Vivo X Fold 5 stands out with its sleek design, measuring just 9.2 mm folded and 4.3 mm unfolded.
Display
Software
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The Vivo X Fold 5 runs Android 15 with Funtouch OS 15.
Performance
Camera
The Vivo X Fold 5 boasts a ZEISS co-engineered triple rear camera system.
Verdict
Foldables are no longer futuristic novelties, they're fast becoming the new flagship standard. And in that evolving landscape, the Vivo X Fold 5 arrives as a serious contender that blends premium design, stunning displays, reliable performance, and flagship-level features into a surprisingly refined package. Priced well below its closest competition, it offers a gateway into the world of foldables without feeling like a compromise. So, if you're looking to experience the future of smartphones without breaking the bank is this the foldable you should start with?It is priced at ₹1,49,999 for the 16GB RAM + 512GB storage variant and is available in Titanium Gray. You can purchase it from Flipkart, Amazon, the Vivo India e-store, and other partner retail outletsThe Vivo X Fold 5 immediately makes a statement with its design. The first thing you notice is how lean it feels, even when folded. The device has a thickness of 9.2 mm when folded and a remarkably thin 4.3 mm when it's unfolded. It is worth noting that this makes the X Fold 5 slightly thicker than a competing device like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 (which measures 8.9 mm folded and 4.2 mm unfolded), but the Vivo X Fold 5 also comes at a considerably lower price point, starting at over ₹25,000 less. But ofcourse, the comparison stops at the form factor. Since, the Z Fold7 is powered by a more powerful processor. Something we will touch later in this review.This slim profile, combined with its massive, immersive display when open, makes the device feel substantial without being unwieldy. The overall build feels incredibly solid and premium in hand, a testament to the materials and engineering used.A key highlight of this phone is its hinge, a crucial component for any foldable. Vivo has significantly improved this area with a carbon fiber support hinge, which is rated for an impressive 600,000 folds. This durability rating provides a reassuring sense of longevity, suggesting the device is built to last.In terms of protection, the X Fold 5 boasts an IPX8 and IPX9 water resistance rating, along with IP5X dust resistance. This means the phone can withstand submersion and high-pressure water jets, a truly commendable feature for a foldable device.The phone also introduces a new customizable key on the upper edge, similar to the Action Button on recent iPhones . This is a welcome addition that lets you set up shortcuts for various functions, such as changing sound profiles, launching the camera, or triggering AI features. It's a small detail that greatly enhances the user experience and shows Vivo is paying attention to modern flagship features.Finally, while the device is beautiful on its own, it's worth noting that Vivo includes a back panel cover in the box. This is a commendable gesture, providing users with immediate protection for the device's back panel and adding to the overall premium package.The Vivo X Fold 5 offers a truly immersive viewing experience with its dual AMOLED displays. The main, foldable screen is a massive 8.03-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2480 x 2200 pixels. The cover screen is also an impressive 6.53-inch LTPO AMOLED display. Both displays boast a fluid 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring incredibly smooth scrolling and animations. With a peak brightness of up to 4,500 nits, these screens are exceptionally bright and easy to read even in direct sunlight.We believe that the display is definitely best in class, even though it's not a significant upgrade from its predecessor. Be it watching content or working, it's all sorted here. The cover display is wide enough to be used for everything, but you will find yourself opening the main display specifically for multitasking or watching content. We particularly found it useful while traveling.We recommend getting a case for the device that has a built-in stand, allowing you to prop the phone up for a comfortable viewing experience.The Vivo X Fold 5 runs on Android 15 with Vivo's custom skin, Funtouch OS 15, on top for the global version. The software is well-optimized for the foldable form factor, offering intuitive and full-featured multi-window capabilities to take advantage of the large internal display. Features like the Origin Workbench allow for enhanced multitasking by providing a specialized interface for quickly switching between windows.The device also comes equipped with a suite of AI-powered productivity tools that work seamlessly. These include AI Captions for real-time transcription, Smart Call Assistant which provides real-time transcripts and summaries of calls, and vivo DocMaster for easy document management and editing. The AI features are well-integrated and function smoothly, enhancing the overall user experience without being obtrusive.In terms of long-term support, Vivo has committed to a respectable upgrade cycle, promising four major Android OS updates and five years of security patches. While this falls short of some competitors' seven-year pledges, it still ensures the X Fold 5 will remain secure and up-to-date for a significant period.The Vivo X Fold 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, paired with a generous 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. For the vast majority of users, this configuration delivers top-notch performance that is more than sufficient for everything from demanding games to intensive multitasking. The device is not underpowered by any standard and feels incredibly fast and responsive in day-to-day use.However, given its foldable form factor, comparisons with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 are inevitable. While the X Fold 5 is a flagship in its own right, it doesn't come with the very latest generation "flagship" chip, and this becomes evident in benchmark tests.Here is a quick look at how the two devices compare in a few key benchmarks:As the numbers show, the Vivo X Fold 5's benchmark scores fall short of the Z Fold7's. While this doesn't impact real-world performance for most tasks, it's an important consideration for enthusiasts who demand the absolute highest numbers.The device, however, bounces back with a significant advantage in the battery department. It packs a larger 6,000 mAh battery (compared to the Z Fold7's 4,600 mAh), and its charging is considerably faster, supporting 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, far exceeding the Z Fold7's 25W wired and 15W wireless capabilities.The Vivo X Fold 5 features an impressive camera system co-engineered with ZEISS. The rear camera setup consists of a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 64MP ZEISS telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide sensor. This telephoto lens, featuring a 1/2.0-inch OmniVision OV64B sensor, offers a 3x optical zoom and extends up to a 10x high-definition hybrid zoom, and is capable of capturing detailed macro-style shots from a reasonable distance. These lenses are treated with ZEISS's proprietary T coating*, a multi-layer coating that significantly enhances light transmission and reduces reflections, ghosting, and lens flare, resulting in clearer, higher-contrast images.The camera system performs well in a variety of conditions. In low-light scenarios, the phone utilizes its large sensors and AI-powered night modes to capture bright and detailed photos.Video quality on the X Fold 5 is good, with all three rear cameras capable of recording up to 4K at 60fps, and the main sensor even supporting 8K at 30fps. The foldable form factor offers unique creative possibilities for videography. For example, the phone can be propped up in a "tent" or "waist-level" mode, eliminating the need for a tripod and giving users a sense of self-reliance while shooting.One of the most useful features is the ability to use the cover display as a large external viewfinder. This allows you to frame high-quality selfies or group photos using the powerful rear cameras instead of the less capable front-facing shooters. Speaking of which, the device comes with a 32MP selfie camera for each screen. The performance of these front cameras is generally good in daylight, but details can become softer and colors less vibrant in indoor or low-light conditions. Despite this, the option to use the main rear cameras for selfies provides a significant advantage.The Vivo X Fold 5 delivers a near-complete foldable experience at a significantly lower price point, making it one of the most compelling entry points into the foldable segment today. With its slim design, class-leading displays, premium build quality, improved hinge durability, powerful camera system co-engineered with ZEISS, and blazing-fast 120W charging, it covers nearly all bases without major compromises.While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 edges ahead in raw power and benchmark scores, the X Fold 5 offers exceptional real-world performance that's more than adequate for everyday and even demanding tasks. For first-time foldable buyers who want top-tier features without stretching to the Z Fold7's premium pricing, the Vivo X Fold 5 stands tall as the most balanced and well-rounded option.