Just a few months in the past, I wrote that the telephoto digital camera is the one lens that issues any extra, at the least in the case of Extremely-class flagships. As telephones acquired higher, cameras turned the place producers tried to face out. As cameras acquired higher, telephoto lenses turned the following level of focus. The newest Extremely telephones from Xiaomi, Oppo, and Huawei have all made the telephoto, above all, their promoting level. Vivo’s X300 Extremely is doing one thing completely different.
As an alternative of pushing its telephoto {hardware} to additional extremes, Vivo has principally left it’s. The corporate has centered its efforts on a considerably improved 35mm predominant digital camera, distinctive among the many competitors for its slim, pure focal size. Mixed with one of the best ultrawide digital camera in any cellphone and new pro-level video options, the result’s a digital camera system that feels equally balanced between all three rear lenses. It’s a much less flashy strategy, however the whole package deal is extra versatile and helpful than its rivals and my favourite to make use of to this point.
$1829
The Good
- Improbable rear cameras
- Massive battery
- 144Hz show
The Dangerous
- Bland, boring design
- Rivals have higher telephotos
- OriginOS wants enchancment
The primary digital camera is actually one of the best of the three. The 200-megapixel, 1/1.12-inch-type Sony Lytia 901 sensor delivers a critical leap in each measurement and backbone from final yr’s X200 Extremely. Nevertheless it preserves that digital camera’s finest characteristic: a 35mm-equivalent focal size. That’s narrower than most different telephones — 23–26mm is typical — however nearer to what photographers are inclined to search for of their default lens as a result of it feels pure, shut in scope to the human eye. It’s additionally nearer to the focal size many telephones used to make use of. When you’ve ever lamented the truth that your predominant digital camera feels increasingly like an ultrawide, that is the cellphone for you.
The telephoto digital camera additionally has 200-megapixel decision, with an 85mm focal size and 1/1.4-inch sensor, primarily the identical specs because the X200 Extremely. The marginally narrower f/2.7 aperture may make the X300 appear like a downgrade, however improved stabilization and sensor and processing tweaks give this iteration an edge general.
There are three true rear lenses right here, plus a coloration spectrum sensor.
Road Pictures mode is the place you’ll discover the digital camera’s movie simulations.
Then there’s the ultrawide. This additionally hasn’t modified a lot yr over yr, however stays distinctive for its sensor measurement. It’s bigger than the one on the iPhone 17 Professional’s predominant digital camera and helps optical picture stabilization too. It’s in each sense a predominant digital camera spec with an ultrawide lens on prime. No different ultrawide comes shut.
The selfie digital camera is the one one which isn’t particularly spectacular: a 50-megapixel shooter with a relatively small 1/2.76-inch sensor. It’s effective; the opposite cameras are nice.
1/31The X300 Extremely’s predominant digital camera shoots at a natural-feeling 35mm focal size.
Pictures throughout all three rear lenses are of remarkably comparable high quality, in virtually any lighting. About the one distinction I might discover is that the telephoto and ultrawide are extra prone to movement blur when taking pictures quick topics like cats or vehicles, and even then solely when it’s darkish. In any other case, selecting between the lenses seems like selecting the best focal size to border a shot, with out the same old worries about tradeoffs in high quality. Pictures are helped by naturalistic color-processing and a variety of fairly spectacular movie simulations. Vivo’s coloration science is my favourite in any cellphone, and this yr isn’t any exception.
Vivo hasn’t simply centered on nonetheless images. This yr it’s doubled down on video, although the upgrades listed here are actually focused at professionals. Now you can report 4K, 120fps, 10-bit Log video throughout all the three rear lenses, can import customized 3D LUTs, and use a Professional Video taking pictures mode for full handbook controls. When you don’t know what half of which means, you’re not alone! These things is past the wants of most of us, myself included.
Like rival Extremely telephones, there’s additionally a set of digital camera add-ons and equipment. My colleague Allison Johnson has already hung out enjoying round with Vivo’s digital camera grip and separate 200mm and 400mm telephoto extender lenses, which might take extraordinary pictures at vary that no different cellphone might ever handle. Whereas at MWC Barcelona 2026, I acquired to briefly mess around with the customized SmallRig digital camera cage developed for the cellphone too, which squeezes stabilization, cooling, and a fill gentle into a reasonably compact package deal. All of those are offered individually and play into Vivo’s declare that the X300 Extremely may be the bottom of a semi-professional digital camera system if you need it to.
This may be the tallest digital camera island I’ve examined but.
The images equipment is pricey, however that chunky 400mm lens is extraordinary.
It is a cellphone although, not only a digital camera, so I’d higher speak about the remainder of it too. For me the massive letdown within the X300 Extremely is its drab design. My black mannequin is a reasonably dull-looking gadget, and whereas the two-tone results on the inexperienced and white variations are higher, neither is a patch on the camera-inspired aesthetics of the most recent Xiaomi and Oppo telephones. The X300 Extremely’s digital camera island can be exceptionally raised, virtually as thick because the cellphone, and for some motive Vivo has additionally ditched the bodily shutter button, which I miss.
Different specs are on a par with rival Extremely telephones, however spectacular in comparison with Apple and Samsung: a mixed IP68 and IP69 safety ranking, a colossal 6,600mAh silicon-carbon battery, and a 144Hz refresh price for its 6.8-inch OLED show. Then there’s the usual flagship stuff, just like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, as much as 1TB storage and 16GB RAM, and a good promise of 5 years of Android OS updates and 7 years of safety patches. The cellphone runs on Vivo’s OriginOS, a lot improved on its older software program however nonetheless the weakest of the key gamers, with a bland design and too many preinstalled apps and advertisements.
OriginOS continues to be one of many weaker Android skins round.
That “Video games” icon is admittedly an advert for Vivo’s app retailer — happily, it may be deleted.
A promise of 5 years of OS updates is nice, however others provide seven.
Extremely flagships are as a lot tech demos as client merchandise. They’re an excuse for cellphone firms not solely to point out off their technical talents, but in addition to put down a imaginative and prescient for what makes the “finest” cellphone proper now. As processors and shows and water-resistance rankings have coalesced into common requirements which have proved difficult to enhance upon, it’s the cameras the place producers can set out their stalls. And Vivo’s pitch is obvious: One of the best digital camera is the one which’s nice throughout each lens, not only one or two.
As tech demos go, this seems like a reasonably sensible one, value apart. The X300 Extremely isn’t launching in both the US or UK, however is offered throughout Asia, together with a handful of European international locations together with Spain, Italy, and Austria. Its €1,999 (about $2,340) value actually isn’t low-cost, and its images equipment add on a whole bunch extra, although it prices about the identical as a 1TB iPhone 17 Professional Max in those self same markets. It’s costly, however for what you’re getting, it in all probability needs to be.
I don’t assume that is one of the best cellphone you might get for that cash. It’s a excellent cellphone, with a wonderful show, large battery, and flagship efficiency by means of and thru. However the design is cumbersome, and boring, and possibly only a bit ugly. Vivo’s software program usually annoys me too. Xiaomi’s 17 Extremely is a barely higher all-round package deal, with a putting design and extra polished OS. However the X300 Extremely’s three extraordinary lenses are so constant, and so persistently wonderful, that after I use the digital camera all these different worries fall away.
If I used to be placing my very own cash down proper now, I’d purchase the Xiaomi. But when I simply needed to choose who’s profitable this yr’s Extremely digital camera contest, Vivo will get my vote.
Pictures by Dominic Preston / The Verge
Observe subjects and authors from this story to see extra like this in your customized homepage feed and to obtain e mail updates.
- CellShut
Cell
Posts from this matter will likely be added to your day by day e mail digest and your homepage feed.
ObserveObserve
See All Cell
- Telephone EvaluationsShut
Telephone Evaluations
Posts from this matter will likely be added to your day by day e mail digest and your homepage feed.
ObserveObserve
See All Telephone Evaluations
- EvaluationsShut
Evaluations
Posts from this matter will likely be added to your day by day e mail digest and your homepage feed.
ObserveObserve
See All Evaluations
- TechShut
Tech
Posts from this matter will likely be added to your day by day e mail digest and your homepage feed.
ObserveObserve
See All Tech
