Being small is what makes the Vivo X200 FE stand out from a crowd of bigger phones, thanks to its impressive knack for capturing images that others can’t or won’t.
Using the term “FE” feels like Vivo is ripping off Samsung, which uses the acronym to spell out “Fan Edition”, a way of giving consumers a mix of premium and affordable design and features. In this case, it’s reportedly supposed to mean “Fashion Edition” because of the brighter pastels (amber yellow, blue breeze, and pink vibe) Vivo uses to make this phone. There is also a luxe black (luxe grey is an India-exclusive) variant for those who prefer something less flashy.
The naming conventions aside, the real draw here is the X200 FE’s more diminutive stature, which cuts down on size as an answer to the ever-increasing bodies and screens of today’s phones. The key is that, unlike other brands who do this, Vivo manages not to neuter the mobile photography side of things too much to make room.
Vivo X200 FE Review: Design and Build
I covered some of the design points when Vivo first launched the X200 FE in India and other global markets in June 2025. The gist is that it has a 6.31-inch AMOLED display (2640 x 1216) and weighs 186 grams, making it heavier and taller than an iPhone 16 (which has a 6.1-inch display). I make that comparison off the bat because people mentioned it to me, but I also see an apt comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S25 and its 6.2-inch screen.
Thankfully, it’s a flat display here, with a 120Hz refresh rate and excellent 1,800 nits brightness (5,000 peak). The built-in screen protector is made of what Vivo calls “Shield Glass”, which is basically a derivative of Gorilla Glass screen protection. There’s glass protection on the back as well.
In spite of the comparisons to the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25, the X200 FE smashes both in battery, cramming in a 6,500mAh pack — almost double what the iPhone has. A big reason why is because it’s a silicon-carbon battery that packs in more energy density into a smaller frame. The added benefit is a lower thermal load when using the included 90W charger to charge it back up. Vivo’s estimates also turn out to be pretty accurate, even after using an adapter with the European charger. I was able to go from zero to 100% in just 32 minutes.
The MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor is more of a 2024 chipset, but it should serve this phone well in most instances. Configurations also vary between 12GB or 16GB of RAM and between 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. Expect some durability to go with that by way of the IP68/69 dust and water resistance — enough that Vivo claims you can leave it out in the rain for up to 12 hours.
Vivo X200 FE Review: Camera Features
There’s a decent triple camera layout in the rear led by the 50-megapixel main (23mm equivalent) Sony IMX921 image sensor with f/1.9 aperture. Perhaps more interesting is the 50-megapixel “Zeiss Super Telephoto Camera” (70mm equivalent) using the IMX882 sensor. While it employs a periscope design, we’re sadly not treated to the superb Samsung Isocell HP9 sensor that was so impactful on the X200 FE and Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
It’s obvious that the 8-megapixel ultra-wide is the hanger-on of the group, as implied by its placement off to the side. With a 108-degree field of view (cropped from 120 degrees), the 15mm equivalent uses an OmniVision OV08D10 1/4.0-inch sensor with neither autofocus nor image stabilization.
Interestingly, Vivo chooses to make a change on the front camera by going with the same Isocell JN1 sensor, albeit with a different lens that widens the focal length to 20mm (from 25mm). It otherwise retains the same f/2.0 aperture and autofocus. Ironically, it’s the same sensor Vivo used for the ultra-wide camera for the X200 Pro, only with a wider 15mm lens in that case.
Under the ultra-wide camera in the rear is the Aura Light, the LED ring light Vivo has equipped in its V Series phones for the last couple of years. It’s less pronounced here, as the ring itself is smaller but no less bright. You can adjust the color temperature slider between cooler and warmer tones, along with the brightness level to soften the effect. Vivo particularly likes it for Portrait mode, but it’s available in most modes should you want to try it.
As is always the case, photos are pixel-binned to 12.5 megapixels for the main and telephoto cameras (and the front camera, too), though Vivo gives you the option to go full-res with both in High Resolution mode. Unfortunately, there’s no way to shoot in RAW that way in Pro mode.
Vivo X200 FE Review: Software Features
Vivo’s collaboration with Zeiss plays a role here, which is why the latter’s photographic style is one of the default presets. As usual, several modes in the camera app offer variety, like Snapshot, Stage, Astro, Food, and ZEISS Multifocal (within Portrait), among all the others. Zeiss’ different portrait “lens kits” use a combination of the main and telephoto cameras to take photos at 23mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm equivalent focal lengths.
Tap the arrow pointing up in Photo mode and Street Photography slides in, a special interface Vivo first introduced in the X200 Pro and Ultra that mixes together elements of Photo, Portrait, Pro, and the main photographic styles to spur some creativity at street level. The general idea is that you can go a more retro route or give images a modern look based on the settings you use. It’s neat and worth experimenting with.
I do find it odd that Night, Food, Astro, and Supermoon are available as individual modes here when Vivo folded them all into an all-in Landscape mode in the other X200 models. Why not just do the same thing here?
Snapshot is one of the best I’ve seen for freezing action, especially on a phone this size. It works on all three rear lenses and supports burst shooting (max 20 frames), turning out to be a reliable tool for events and performances where keeping a moving subject in focus is the priority. Stage is designed to do something similar, though it focuses less on freezing action and more on capturing the spirit and ambience around the show. Using these in combination at a concert could lead to fabulous results. Face detection kicks in with both modes, though I would like to see a more advanced application that recognizes a moving body and enables AF tracking of some kind.
The Album app has a pretty robust editing suite that includes a wide range of filters and adjustment sliders. Unlike other brands, Vivo tends to bury some of its AI features within all this. As an example, AI Erase also includes four different ways to remove objects, people, or reflections — to various levels of efficacy in practice.
Vivo X200 FE Review: Image Quality
Main Camera
Vivo does one thing better than just about anyone else, and that’s dynamic range that adapts to the scene in the frame. It’s very much the same story with the X200 FE, outputting images that impress more often than competing phones of a similar size. This also applies to varying lighting conditions, which is where it truly shines, rather than going strong in daylight conditions and faltering in low-light ones like others do. The consistency is a major strength.
From what I can tell, the imaging pipeline largely resembles that of the other X200 models, applying bracketing and HDR effects as you capture the image. Vivo’s more restrained sharpening, previously seen in the Pro and Ultra, is also evident here.
The best part is in how it manages to do this across the different modes, so if you capture an action scene in broad daylight, it won’t look radically different from a static one in the same place. While it’s arguable that color saturation is a tad high, Vivo’s editing suite offers ways to mitigate that in post afterward. It even throws in a few film simulations within the camera app to produce different results, only adding to the level of experimentation here.
I’m also a fan of the optics and image stabilization. The X200 FE has the same Zeiss T* Coating as the other two models to help enhance clarity and reduce lens flare, doing its job superbly. The fact that Vivo maintains a glare reduction toggle in the settings shows it will do whatever it takes to ward off unwanted ghosting.
Telephoto
While it may not have the same telephoto lens as its X200 brethren have, there’s plenty to like about this one, as is. Its default 70mm range is flexible enough to warrant using it whenever the creative mood strikes, and since the same processing applies, you can expect consistency with the main camera. There are no wild swings in tone, color, or white balance when capturing the same scene with either camera.
That also goes for low-light shots in spite of the tighter aperture. I’m not entirely sure how Vivo does it, but it manages to pull off bracketing in its processing without noticeable shutter lag. You see the processing at work after snapping the pic, but at least you don’t lose valuable seconds in that crucial gap between pressing the shutter and capturing a finished image.
Anecdotally, I blew people away with the shots I was getting, including in Snapshot, the camera’s “action mode.” One man initially thought it was an iPhone because of the phone’s size, only to come away surprised that the excellent results came from a phone and brand he’d never heard of.
Even better, the 10x hybrid zoom is capable of excellent results, as evidenced by the close-up of the rabbit. I attempted that same shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and it wasn’t even close in matching what Vivo does here. From street photography to portraits and photos of children playing, the telephoto camera earns its stripes.
Snapshot
This action-oriented mode is a star of the whole camera package simply because of how dependable it is. It’ll show its limitations in tougher lighting conditions, but it’s not far off from how good the mode performs in the X200 Pro. You can shoot in burst at a cap of 20 frames, though you may not need to. I rapidly pressed the shutter, trying to freeze a scene, and came away with spectacular results by mobile standards.
Not only were subjects frozen, but you can also make out facial features and expressions. You lose some of that once you enter hybrid zoom territory, but it’s hard not to like the capabilities going up to 10x zoom at least. Moreover, the AI in the software is smart enough to recognize that there’s something moving in the frame and tries to lock focus there.
It’s mostly center-weighted, though, so composition might change if your perspective places the subject off to the side. This is why repeatedly pressing the shutter, aiming at the center of the frame, can yield such great results. Even so, the mode does its best to freeze whatever is happening. I’m impressed at the sheer lack of blur, except really fast subjects undoubtedly pose a challenge to the mode’s abilities.
I captured various scenes at a pool party with parents and kids, including freezing one adolescent who did a somersault dive, and another of a father playfully lobbing his son (wearing a life jacket) upward into the pool. The detail in both the skin tones, hair, and splashing water was some of the most impressive I’ve seen on any phone, especially in this size. Since they asked me not to post them, I can’t share them here.
Pro and High Resolution
Sadly, Vivo doesn’t let you shoot in RAW at full resolution — a terrible decision in light of it opening that door with the X200 Pro and Ultra. Nor can you shoot 14-bit SuperRAW images, leaving you only standard pixel-binned 12.5-megapixel captures. Otherwise, Pro mode remains the same with the usual settings and features.
That also extends to shooting JPEGs in Pro mode. The other two models let you utilize all the manual controls in Pro, but not here. You have to go with High Resolution mode to get all the pixels available. The good news is you have the chance to do so with both the main and telephoto lenses, giving you a chance to go high-res from two focal lengths. I like this mode for the editing flexibility it provides in Lightroom, and it’s not bad in the right static low-light conditions.
Video Features
I leaned on still photography but gave video a go several times to get a sense of what to expect. You can record in 4K at 30fps or 60fps with the main and telephoto cameras, capping at 1080p/30fps on the ultra-wide. Pro video (within Pro mode) gives you all the manual controls, including the option to record in 24fps, 25fps, and 50fps. No Dolby Vision here as another cost-cutting move, nor is there LOG video for that extra bit of control in post. Generally speaking, footage will look fine so long as you’re okay with the missing features.
Vivo X200 FE Review: Diminutive Prowess
The Vivo X200 FE is a compromise in some respects, weighed down by a paltry ultra-wide camera and more limited video features, but that’s also a testament to how much Vivo has traditionally included in its extensive camera setup. The things that are missing are also often nowhere to be found in competing phones. And when we talk about “small” phones, the “best” options we’re typically used to in North America would have virtually no chance outshooting the X200 FE.
Trusting a phone for its imaging potential is a big deal for some more than others, which is why I can see self-respecting mobile photographers loving the combination of size, function, and output.
What they may not love is Vivo’s Funtouch OS Android skin. I say this all the time with every Vivo review, and it’s hard to relent because it’s a key drag on what is otherwise solid hardware and software. It is getting better, though, and so long as Vivo keeps that up, there’s a chance we’ll get something closer to OnePlus’ OxygenOS, Nothing OS, and Google’s stock Android. Vivo is offering four years of Android updates and five years of security updates, matching what it does with the other X200 phones.
In an age where tariffs and trade uncertainty never seem to end, bringing in the X200 FE might be more challenging than it used to be. That doesn’t appear to stop online vendors from selling and shipping them to North American consumers as of this review.
Are There Alternatives?
Smaller phones have their fans, which explains why brands won’t totally abandon those form factors. The obvious ones are the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16, both of which the X200 FE outclasses on the photography side. Then there’s the Google Pixel 9a with its budget-friendly price and Google’s excellent computation software. Again, though, the Pixel 9a can’t match the versatility Vivo employs here.
Should You Buy It?
Yes, if the size matters. Pricing can range between $650-830, depending on where you find it, so it’s neither cheap nor prohibitively expensive relative to other models.
