Vivo X300 & X300 Pro Review: The Photography Powerhouses Have Arrived

Vivo X300 & X300 Pro Review: The Photography Powerhouses Have Arrived

It feels like we have been waiting all year for this. As 2025 comes to a close, Vivo has finally released its biggest smartphones of the year: the Vivo X300 and the Vivo X300 Pro.

For the last few years, Vivo has built a very strong reputation. They don't just make phones that run apps well; they make phones that act like professional cameras. The previous X200 series was incredibly popular for its amazing portrait photos and low-light capabilities. Because of that success, expectations for the new X300 series were sky-high.

Now that they are here, the big question is: did Vivo deliver? Are these just small updates, or are they giant leaps forward?

We have taken a deep dive into the specifications and features of both the standard X300 and the top-tier X300 Pro. If you are looking for a new premium phone, especially if you love taking pictures, here is everything you need to know in simple terms.

The Main Focus: What’s New in 2025?

Before looking at the individual phones, let’s look at what Vivo changed across the whole "X300 family." There are three main areas of improvement this year:

1. The "Brain": Both phones are powered by the new MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip. In simple terms, this is one of the fastest processors available right now. It makes opening apps instant, gaming incredibly smooth, and helps process complicated photo computations very quickly.

2. The Battery Life: This is perhaps the biggest practical change. Vivo is using new "silicon-carbon" battery technology. This allows them to pack much more battery power into a thin phone. We are seeing battery sizes over 6000mAh, which is a huge jump from the standard 5000mAh we saw for years. This means these phones should easily last for two days of normal use.

3. The Zoom: Vivo has decided that 2025 is the year of the "super zoom." While the main cameras are great, the lenses used for zooming in on distant objects have received massive upgrades.

The Vivo X300 (Standard Edition)

Often, the "standard" version of a flagship phone feels like a downgrade. But the standard Vivo X300 is a powerhouse on its own.

The Right Size for Many

Not everyone wants a gigantic phone that requires two hands to use. The standard X300 features a 6.31-inch screen. In today's market, this is considered a "compact" flagship. It is easy to hold, fits in pockets nicely, and is lightweight (around 190g).

Despite being smaller, the screen is beautiful. It’s a very sharp, bright OLED display that is easy to read even under bright sunlight.

A Surprising Camera Choice

Usually, the Pro model gets the highest resolution camera. Interestingly, this year, the standard X300 comes with a massive 200-megapixel main sensor made by Samsung. This means it captures an incredible amount of detail. If you like to crop your photos after taking them, this camera gives you plenty of room to do that without losing quality.

It also includes a good ultra-wide lens for landscapes and a solid 3x telephoto lens for portraits. For 90% of users, this camera system is more than enough to take stunning photos every day.

The Vivo X300 Pro (The True Flagship)

If you are a photography enthusiast, the "Pro" model is the one you are probably watching. Vivo has thrown everything it has into this device.

Premium Build and Screen

The X300 Pro is bigger and heavier than the standard model. It has a large 6.78-inch screen that curves slightly on all four sides, making it look very modern and premium. It is also brighter and uses stronger glass for better protection against drops.

The Ultimate Camera System

While the standard model has more megapixels on the main camera, the Pro model has better optics (lenses) overall.

Vivo uses a top-tier 50MP Sony sensor for the main camera on the Pro. It has a larger aperture, which means it lets in more light. This makes it better for taking photos at night or in dim restaurants.

But the real star of the show is the zoom lens. The X300 Pro features a massive 200-megapixel periscope zoom camera. A "periscope" lens folds inside the phone to allow for further optical zoom.

Why do you need 200 megapixels for zoom? It allows for incredible clarity when you are far away. Whether you are trying to get a photo of a singer at a concert from the back row, or taking pictures of wildlife without getting too close, this lens is a game-changer. It offers a 3.7x optical zoom, but because the sensor is so high-resolution, it can zoom in digitally up to 100x and still produce usable images.

The Hidden Helper Chip

Vivo doesn't just rely on the main processor for photos. The Pro model includes Vivo’s own custom imaging chip, the V3+. Think of this as a specialized assistant brain dedicated solely to making your photos and videos look better. It helps specifically with processing 4K video at night and creating beautiful, creamy blurred backgrounds in portrait mode.

Comparison Table: The Generational Leap

To really understand how much things have changed, it helps to look at last year's Vivo X200 Pro compared to this year's new X300 Pro.

Here is a quick look at the key differences:

As you can see from the table, Vivo didn't just make small tweaks. The battery size increase alone is a major engineering achievement that solves the biggest complaint people have about modern smartphones: running out of power.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

The Vivo X300 series is an impressive end to 2025. Vivo has clearly focused on what users actually want: better battery life and cameras that can handle any situation, near or far.

You should buy the standard Vivo X300 if:

• You prefer a smaller, lighter phone that is easy to handle.

• You want a flagship experience and a great camera but don't need the absolute best zoom capabilities.

• You want to save a little money while still getting top-tier performance.

You should buy the Vivo X300 Pro if:

• Mobile photography is your passion. The 200MP zoom lens is unparalleled right now.

• You often find yourself needing to zoom in far at concerts, sporting events, or in nature.

• You want the biggest screen and the absolute longest battery life possible in a flagship phone.

• You take a lot of video at night.

Vivo has set a new bar for what we should expect from a "Pro" camera phone. If you have an older phone and have been waiting to upgrade, the X300 Pro is definitely worth a look.