After three years of absence, Vivo has finally brought back its flagship-tier X-series smartphones to Singapore with the new Vivo X300 and X300 Pro phones.
While Vivo has had the midrange V-series phones for years with a flagship-lite X200 FE in Singapore earlier this year, a proper X-series flagship handset helped bolster hope that the Chinese brand would finally give Singapoeans the high-quality device they deserve.
Vivo X300 Pro in Dune Brown.
Photo: HWZ
The phone comes equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor that’s exclusively customised for Vivo. It also has an in-house Blueprint V3+ chip to boost image signal processing workloads. This helps set Vivo’s best phones apart from generic Chinese-brand Androids with mere OEM parts.
Sweetening the deal is the new international version of Vivo’s OriginOS 6 operating system (based on Android 16), rather than the juvenile, bloated Funtouch OS.
Our review unit has a large 6.78-inch display that supports a refresh rate up to 120Hz and a brightness as low as one nit for idling or standby.
Powered by a huge 6,510mAh battery, we’re expecting some fantastic battery life benchmark results out of this phone.
Is it worth giving Vivo’s flagship-grade phone another chance after a three-year absence from the market? Let’s take a look.
Design
More yellow/cream than brown, we reckon.
Photo: HWZ>
The phone has two colourways for retail: Dune Brown and Phantom Black. Although the name suggests a sandy theme, Dune Brown turns out to be a creamy beige. It’s no sand, but the colour feels pleasant and neutral, plus it’s easy on the eyes.
The massive, circular camera bump on the rear takes up nearly half of the phone, and the black glass finish it uses stood out in stark contrast against the light-coloured glass back (which breaks its design language).
If you prefer a more cohesive appearance, the Phantom Black option might be a better choice. Either colour has a frosted glass back that mitigates oily fingerprints.
Bright and legible under afternoon sunlight.
Photo: HWZ
Thin bezels surround the large display, and playback colours appeared vibrant. The 4,500-nit peak brightness ensures that content is legible even on sunny afternoons.
