Vivo X200 Ultra: A 2025 Flagship Redefining Smartphone Photography
The Vivo X200 Ultra is a powerful addition to the 2025 flagship lineup, featuring top-tier specs and a unique camera system that sets it apart from its rivals. It comes equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a massive 6,000mAh battery, 90W wired and 40W wireless charging, and a stunning 6.82-inch QHD+ LTPO OLED display with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The phone also carries IP68 and IP69 certifications for water and dust resistance.
A New Perspective on Smartphone Cameras
One of the most distinctive aspects of the X200 Ultra is its rear camera setup. The main camera features a 50MP LYT-818 sensor with a 35mm focal length, deviating from the usual 24mm standard found in most smartphones. This provides a natural 1.4x zoom compared to traditional primary shooters, ideal for more versatile photography.
Camera enthusiasts have praised the 35mm focal length for its balance and usability, making vivo’s decision to adopt it as default feel intuitive—especially with Xiaomi and Apple offering it as a manual option in recent models.
The ultrawide camera also uses the same 50MP LYT-818 sensor, offering impressive light capture and detail. Vivo has showcased astrophotography samples from this lens, indicating a step forward in ultrawide image quality compared to competitors.
Innovative Zoom and Lens Accessories
The X200 Ultra includes a 200MP periscope telephoto camera (Isocell HP9 sensor) with 3.7x optical zoom, f/2.27 aperture, and 15cm macro focus. What truly sets this apart is the optional 2.35x telephoto converter lens and camera grip accessory.
When attached, the converter transforms the telephoto into a native 8.7x (200mm) zoom lens. Vivo also claims that with this setup, users can achieve 35x usable zoom and 70x zoom that rivals 30x quality without the lens. This marks one of the first commercial uses of a detachable lens system for smartphones.
The accompanying camera grip adds a 2,300mAh battery, dedicated photo and video shutter buttons, a customizable control dial, zoom toggles, and even a shoulder strap—mirroring professional camera rigs and competing with Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra grip.
Additional Imaging and Software Features
Other camera highlights include:
- 50MP front-facing camera
- 4K 60fps 10-bit Log video on all rear lenses
- 4K 120fps video on all rear cameras
- Dual imaging chips for pre- and post-processing
- Physical camera shutter button with slide-to-zoom and exposure adjustment
Software and Hardware Extras
The X200 Ultra runs OriginOS 5 based on Android, includes dual stereo speakers, an IR blaster, and a Goodix ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner. Cross-platform integration is also included. Although vivo hasn’t detailed the update policy for this model, the X200 Pro offers four Android OS updates and five years of security patches.
Pricing and Variants
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: 6,499 CNY (~$890)
- 16GB RAM + 1TB storage (with satellite connectivity): 7,999 CNY (~$1,096)
Available in Silver, Red, and Black, the Vivo X200 Ultra is poised to redefine mobile photography in 2025.
