Vivo X300 FE Review: The Standout Compact Flagship With Very Few Compromises

You’re in luck if you’re in the market for a compact smartphone. No, I’m not talking about those ultra-slim smartphones that have failed to impress consumers across the globe. I’m talking about those smartphones which you can use one-handed, keep in any pocket, and just about do anything a flagship smartphone can do (which includes the ability to impress your friends with all the amazing photos you’ll be taking). 

Yes, I’m talking about Vivo’s brand-new X300 FE. It’s certainly an underdog in Vivo’s flagship line-up, but one to keep your eyes on at all times. As some say, this is the “compact king” and I tend to agree with them. 

The X300 FE is the successor to last year’s X200 FE and it retains the compact screen, large battery, and 3x periscope telephoto camera. There’s also IP68 + IP69 ratings (for water and dust resistance) and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. 

What’s unfortunate, not just for Vivo, but for every smartphone manufacturer, is the fact that memory prices have soared over the last few months. Hence, Vivo had to price the X300 FE above the X300 that launched late last year. Yes, the X300 FE comes in at a whopping Rs 79,999. 

Vivo, for its part, has always maintained that the X300 FE is the “balanced flagship” and not a one-trick pony. 

What is the Vivo X300 FE? 

With the Vivo X300 FE, you get a compact 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 5000 nits of peak brightness and coupled with 12GB of DDR5X RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. The smartphone weighs just 190g, has a glass front and back and an aluminium frame. 

The X300 FE runs on OriginOS 6 (based on Android 16), and Vivo has promised up to 5 major Android upgrades. There’s a 6,500mAh battery under the hood, along with support for 90W wired charging, 40W wireless, and even reverse wireless support. 

What’s most interesting is the new camera island. It consists of a 50MP main sensor, 50MP telephoto, and an 8MP ultra-wide. There’s also an optional add-on zoom lens. That lens is 200mm, 2.35x optional zoom. All lenses are made with the assistance of Zeiss optics. 

What’s good? 

Design: Standing out from the crowd. Rather than the circular camera module as seen in other Vivo flagship smartphones, the X300 FE adopts the pill-shaped (Hello there, Google Pixel or even Apple’s iPhone Air) camera island on the rear with the ZEISS branding. The camera island may protrude a little but there is minimal wobble. WIth new colour options and old favourites - Urban Olive, Lilac Purple and Noir Black - the phone appeals to a wide array of consumers and is very premium. Last but not least, the matte finish on the back helps keep fingerprints at bay. 

Display: The X300 FE retains the 6.31-inch (2640x1216) 1.5K LTPO OLED display (with an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate). And the compactness of this smartphone cannot be understated. It’s a true one-hand wonder. The display is bright enough to use under the harsh sunlight (yes, I went out and tested it in 50*C of Delhi heat), and colours are popping, thanks to ZEISS Master Colour Display. I binge-watched some IPL matches and was pleasantly surprised by how the colours were true-to-life and pleasing to the eyes. 

In-display fingerprint scanner: Yes, Vivo has gone from an optical unit to an ultrasonic sensor and the difference is day and night. It’s fast, reliable, and unlocks your smartphone in an instant. 

Performance: Vivo took a big decision in switching the FE model from a MediaTek processor to a Qualcomm SoC and that has paid off. Couple the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC with 12GB RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, and you have a performance beast upon your hands. It’s a step-below the flagship silicon, but it is quite capable on its own. Yes, it isn’t as fast as the OnePlus 15 (that smartphone is pure speed), it still handles daily tasks with aplomb. The experience is super smooth, while keeping thermals in check, even during demanding workloads. 

The only thing to note here is that the X300 FE is not a gaming smartphone, and does heat up during prolonged gaming sessions. Surprisingly, though, it never got uncomfortably warm while shooting multiple photos in the Delhi heat. 

Camera: The cameras haven’t been upgraded vis-a-vis its predecessor, but there is now the addition of a telephoto lens extender kit. Vivo did not send me the kit, so I couldn’t test it. They did promote it from the stands of a cricket match, but authorities won’t even let you carry it inside. But back to the cameras that are at the back of the X300 FE. 

The daylight shots are absolutely brilliant on the X300 FE. I haven’t found a single thing to complain about. The main lens automatically switches on HDR also, which is a bonus. The focus is quick, and there is no shutter lag. 

The 50MP periscope telephoto camera was a genuine surprise. It offers 3x zoom, 6x losses zoom and can even go all the way up to 100x digital zoom. The quality is good to 20x. Edge detection is also top-notch for the creamy bokeh portraits you all like to take. 

There are a ton of ZEISS-style portrait options and filters in general. Low-light shots also come with a good amount of detail and less noise. 

What’s not good? 

Battery life: With a 6,500mAh silicon-carbon battery I was able to go an entire day without having to plug in the smartphone. Why is it in the “what’s not good” section then, you will be asking. Well, with just 6 hours of Screen-on-time (SoT), the X300 FE lags behind the competition with respect to battery life. If your usage patterns are very moderate, then you can get to lunch on day 2, but that’s about it. 

Charging was good though as the smartphone supports 90W fast charging. A 50 percent top-up takes 30 minutes, and a full charge will require just over an hour. 

Ultra-wide: Yes, as with most smartphones, I was once again disappointed by the ultra-wide lens in the X300 FE. The less said the better. 

Supermoon mode: This seemed like an afterthought to me. I couldn’t get one good photo of the moon, like I did with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (though that uses a little bit of AI). 

Verdict: Best compact smartphone on the market? 

The Vivo X300 FE does stand out with its unique design amongst the other smartphones in the X300 series. It’s compact, powerful, and hardly has any compromises. Vivo did the smart thing here by swapping MediaTek silicon for a Qualcomm SoC. 

For 2026, Vivo added an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and wireless charging. While the cameras haven’t changed, the price has gone up. That’s a pill that may be tough to swallow. Yes, at Rs 79,999, the smartphone is a little bit steep for what it's offering. 

Yet, if you are after a compact smartphone, and don’t want to wait for OnePlus to come out with the OnePlus 13S successor, then the X300 FE should be on top of your list. It’s comfortable to use, has great cameras, and is a true all-rounder. 

Vivo knows its target audience - content creators - and even added a telephoto extender kit for them for extra reach. For them, the smartphone is a good flagship experience.