Within the final 18 months, I used Vivo’s telephones greater than another model. The Chinese language producer rolled out one hit after one other; the X100 Pro was fabulous, after which the X100 Ultra got here alongside, beating each different cellphone at taking pictures and movies. Vivo constructed on that momentum with the X200 Pro, which is well certainly one of my favourite units of 2025.

And now there’s the X200 Extremely, which has a brand new design and even higher cameras than its predecessor. Annoyingly, the cellphone is not launching outdoors ; Vivo continues to restrict its greatest telephones to its house market, and it is having a tough sufficient time guaranteeing the system is in inventory within the nation.

So in order for you your arms on the X200 Extremely, you may must go the reseller route. Whereas I do not often advocate it, the X200 Extremely is an outlier — it’s at least the very best cellphone I utilized in 2025, and it simply outscores each different rivals in significant areas. I wasn’t positive how Vivo might enhance upon the X100 Extremely, however the X200 Extremely proves that it’s potential.

Vivo X200 Extremely: Pricing and availability

Vivo unveiled the X200 Extremely on April 21, and the cellphone is now obtainable in . The bottom mannequin has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it prices 6,499 RMB ($902) within the nation. The 16GB/512GB mannequin prices 6,999 RMB ($971), and there is a 16GB/1TB mannequin that is 7,999 RMB ($1,112).

The system continues to be offered out in most variants, and as of writing, solely the 16GB/512GB version is out there. Identical to Xiaomi, Vivo is rolling out a customized version that features a Pictures Package, and this has the 16GB/1TB variant of the cellphone together with a devoted {hardware} lens, case, digital camera attachment, and different extras. That is the variant I am utilizing, and it prices 9,699 ($1,346) in .

Vivo X200 Extremely: Design

Manufacturers do not actually change their designs all that a lot as of late, and that is true of the X200 Extremely as properly. The cellphone is a large slab, and coming in at 229g — the identical as final yr — it is among the heaviest round. To be honest, the entire Extremely fashions this yr are on the heavier aspect as they switched to six,000mAh batteries (outdoors of the S25 Extremely, clearly), and to its credit score, Vivo did an excellent job with the burden stability.

The again of the X200 Extremely is dominated by a gargantuan digital camera island; the cellphone homes 4 digital camera modules on the again, and given the dimensions of every unit and the decision you are getting, it is no surprise that the housing takes over a 3rd of the again. Fortunately, there isn’t any wobble when utilizing the cellphone on a desk.

The housing is cleaner this time because it simply has a metal ring encircling it, and it provides just a little little bit of class to the design. In an analogous approach, the white mannequin I am utilizing has a fluted sample beneath the glass that breaks up the design fairly properly. The design extends to the midway level of the digital camera island, so that you get a pleasant dual-tone impact.

Mainly, the X200 Extremely finally ends up trying that rather more distinctive, and that’s notably true in the event you’re considering of getting the purple mannequin. The opposite key design change is the change to flat sides; the X100 Extremely had a flowing design, however Vivo is emulating prevailing developments in cellphone design and switched to a flat profile.

That stated, you get appreciable bevels on the perimeters, so it is not uncomfortable within the least to carry and use the system. And despite the fact that the X200 Extremely is heavy and has an outsized digital camera island, the burden distribution is right, and it would not really feel unwieldy in any respect. Apparently, you get a digital camera management button on the fitting that is much like that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Find X8 Ultra, and like these two units, I did not use it a lot after the preliminary novelty wore skinny.

Whereas it would not appear to be it once you have a look at the pictures, the X200 Extremely is thinner than its predecessor, and it’s a little shorter and wider. All of those make utilizing the cellphone simpler than the X100 Extremely, and Vivo features a respectable silicone case within the package deal, a pleasant addition.

The construct high quality is implausible (as you’d think about), and the aluminum mid-frame withstands tumbles with none points. On that be aware, the system retains IP68 and IP69 ingress safety, making it stand up to immersion in water in addition to pressurized jets.

Vivo X200 Extremely: Show

Vivo managed to fit in a barely larger 6.82-inch AMOLED panel into a tool that is shorter than final yr’s X100 Extremely, and it retains 120Hz refresh in addition to Dolby Imaginative and prescient. The cellphone has razor-thin bezels and a flat panel this time, so in the event you’re not a fan of the dual-curved designs which have been a mainstay during the last six years, you may be glad to know that it’s not a difficulty on most 2025 telephones.

Whereas it would not get as brilliant because the Pixel 9 Pro XL — Google’s cellphone continues to cleared the path — the panel on the X200 Extremely will get simply as brilliant because the X200 Professional, and it outshines nearly each different Chinese language model. The cellphone does an awesome job with HDR generally, however not all streaming suppliers serve HDR content material. That stated, I did not see any points in YouTube.

The cellphone is a delight to make use of due to the manufacturing unit shade calibration, and it has intensive customizability in the case of adjusting the colours. You get good eye safety options as properly, and there is 2,160Hz PWM dimming in any respect brightness ranges — a pleasant addition.

Vivo tends to not be as aggressive with throttling video games on its Chinese language units, and this permits the X200 Extremely to shine in demanding titles. Mainly, this is among the greatest AMOLED panels you may get on any cellphone as we speak, and it’s fabulous at mundane duties in addition to gaming and multimedia. The cellphone will get respectable stereo sound as properly, and you’ll reliably use the onboard audio in the event you’re simply gaming casually.

Vivo X200 Extremely: {Hardware}

Whereas Vivo went with MediaTek on the usual X200 sequence, it switched to the Snapdragon 8 Elite for the X200 Extremely, and that is a sensible choice. The cellphone is among the many quickest obtainable as we speak, and I did not see any points with lag or slowdowns in common use in addition to prolonged gaming classes.

Like all Qualcomm-based telephones in 2025, the system tends to get hotter than final yr’s telephones; I noticed it go as much as 50 levels after an prolonged gaming take a look at lasting half-hour. There is not a lot in the way in which of throttling, so you’re going to get steady framerates, and outdoors of gaming, the cellphone would not warmth as much as any noticeable diploma.

Vivo included nearly all of the extras potential; the cellphone will get AptX Adaptive and AptX Lossless along with the LHDC 5 codec, and there is Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 — no Bluetooth 6.0 just like the Xiaomi 15 Extremely — and dual-band GPS alongside NFC, USB-C 3.2 customary with DisplayPort, and satellite tv for pc connectivity.

Whereas I obtained the 16GB/1TB Chinese language mannequin that has satellite tv for pc connectivity — much like Emergency SOS on iPhones — I wasn’t capable of take a look at it as it’s usable solely inside .

Different niceties embody an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is quick to authenticate; it’s a lot better than the module you get on Samsung telephones, and I did not see any points in any way on this space. The vibration motor can be nice, delivering granular suggestions that makes a distinction whereas utilizing the keyboard or navigating the interface.

Vivo X200 Extremely: Battery life

Like different Chinese language telephones in 2025, the X200 Extremely will get a substantial battery enhance due to silicon-carbon tech. The cellphone will get a 6,000mAh battery, and it simply lasts over a day even with heavy use. Within the two weeks I used the system, there wasn’t single occasion the place the cellphone did not final all day. More often than not, I obtained a day and a half between costs, and battery nervousness simply is not an issue as of late — except you are utilizing a Samsung cellphone.

On the subject of charging, you get 90W as customary, and Vivo continues to bundle a charger within the field. It’s also possible to cost the cellphone at 50W over the USB PD customary, and that is simply handy. It takes simply over 52 minutes to cost the battery with the bundled charger, so there is no such thing as a motive to cost the cellphone in a single day.

Vivo X200 Extremely: Cameras

Vivo is not utilizing a 1-inch sensor on the X200 Extremely, however the brand new 50MP 1/1.28-inch Sony Lytia LYT-818 module is implausible in its personal proper. What’s attention-grabbing is that there is a second Lytia LYT-818 sensor that handles wide-angle duties, and also you get a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP9 tele lens with 3.7x optical zoom. Vivo is not utilizing a fourth sensor just like the Discover X8 Extremely, and actually, the 200MP module is well the very best of any telephoto choices obtainable as we speak.

The X200 Extremely has nearly all the things you possibly can think about; it does 4K120 video with the principle lenses, and 4K60 as customary with all rear cameras in addition to the entrance 50MP module, and it consists of Dolby Imaginative and prescient at 4K60 as properly. Video stabilization is respectable out of the field, and there is an extremely stabilization mode that mainly offers you clear footage whereas capturing handheld on the transfer.

You get an excellent vary of capturing modes, and there is portrait video this time, providing you with the power to shoot video with a constant background blur. The digital camera viewfinder has all of the modes simply accessible, and also you get Zeiss results that alter the look of pictures. I used the Vivid profile more often than not because it gives a vibrancy to the pictures with excessive distinction, however there are a half-dozen results obtainable.

The principle digital camera shoots at a 35mm focal size now, with the wide-angle lens at 14mm, and the telephoto hitting 85mm. The cellphone has the very best wide-angle lens of any system I used, and Vivo deserves credit score for utilizing the identical module as the principle digital camera — it makes a noticeable distinction. Predictably, the wide-angle lens takes pictures of the identical caliber as the principle digital camera, and that is simply nice to see.

The 50MP fundamental lens is the very best round, and it overshadows something that Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi have to supply. I will do a devoted digital camera evaluation of the system with the exterior lens, however the gist of it’s that the principle digital camera has higher dynamic vary and shade vibrancy than the 1-inch fundamental sensor on the X100 Extremely, and that’s an achievement in and of itself. It delivers unbelievable pictures in difficult conditions, and even with little to no seen gentle, it produced photos with loads of element and readability.

What I like essentially the most concerning the cellphone is its portrait pictures; Vivo has confirmed during the last yr that it is aware of the way to ship gorgeous portrait pictures, and the X200 Extremely continues this development. The cellphone takes pictures with glorious element and faultless background segmentation, and it is a key motive why I proceed to choose Vivo’s telephones over OPPO and Xiaomi.

In an analogous vein, the 200MP telephoto is nothing wanting extraordinary. The HP9 module is the very best obtainable as we speak, and Vivo as soon as once more put it to nice use, delivering crystal-clear pictures at 3.7x and past. I used to be capable of get usable pictures at as much as 30x, and it stays the very best tele lens of any flagship you should purchase as we speak. Like final yr, it doubles as a macro shooter, and also you get respectable element on this mode.

General, the X200 Extremely is the very best digital camera I used but; it does a greater job than final yr’s X100 Extremely, and there’s no different cellphone that is capable of measure as much as it.

Vivo X200 Extremely: Software program

Much like different Vivo telephones in , you get OriginOS 5 as an alternative of Funtouch OS 15 that’s customary on world fashions. I like what Vivo is doing with OriginOS; the interface is fluid, and also you get intensive customizability with unique options that are not obtainable within the world construct.

Utilizing a cellphone with a -focused construct is not wherever as limiting because it was only a few years in the past; you possibly can simply set up the Play Retailer from Vivo’s app retailer, and as soon as that is accomplished, you possibly can sign up to your Google account (you may want to enter settings to allow primary Google providers), after which arrange the cellphone as you’d another system.

I did not see any points with Google Pay or my common banking utilities, and for essentially the most half, it was simply as seamless as utilizing the worldwide X200 Professional. Nonetheless, there are two limitations: push notifications from WhatsApp and Gmail proceed to be hit-and-miss, and within the case of WhatsApp, that included calls. Even in the event you disable battery optimization (which is enabled as customary), it would not make a lot of a distinction.

I wasn’t capable of arrange the Pixel Watch 3 with the cellphone — it simply would not connect with the smartwatch, and the app crashed continuously. So if it is advisable use a Put on OS smartwatch, know that you could’t pair it with the system. Exterior of those points, there are not any issues with utilizing the X200 Extremely as a every day driver.

On the subject of updates, the X200 Extremely will obtain 4 Android OS updates alongside six years of safety updates, and whereas that’s on the decrease finish of the dimensions, it’s what Vivo ensures on all of its units. I’d have preferred to see a minimum of 5 years of updates, however that is not the case.

Vivo X200 Extremely: The alternate options

Chinese language producers are doing an excellent job with their Extremely fashions, and the Xiaomi 15 Extremely has higher cameras than final yr and a design that is simpler to carry and use. Whereas it would not fairly measure as much as the X200 Extremely — I nonetheless choose Vivo’s digital camera tuning and auxiliary lenses — the Xiaomi 15 Extremely is offered globally, and would not price as a lot because the X200 Extremely, making it an honest various.

The Discover X8 Extremely is the closest rival to the X200 Extremely, delivering an analogous caliber of cameras and all the opposite extras. Just like the X200 Extremely, the Discover X8 Extremely is proscribed to and is not launching in different areas, so it’s simply as tough to come up with in the event you’re outdoors the nation. Out of the 2, I might get the X200 Extremely; Vivo’s software program continues to be higher, and the design is cleaner.

Vivo X200 Extremely: Do you have to purchase it?

You can purchase this if:

• You want the very best cameras
• You desire a cellphone with versatile lenses
• You desire a brilliant AMOLED with helpful customizability
• You want dependable battery life

You should not purchase this if:

• You want world guarantee
• You need hassle-free software program

Vivo as soon as once more managed to ship the best camera phone of the yr, and the X200 Extremely would not have any notable shortcomings. Sure, the software program is just a little annoying to make use of at instances because it would not have Google providers built-in out of the field, and push notifications have intermittent points.

Nonetheless, the remainder of the system is excellent. It has the very best AMOLED panel, the very best internals, among the many greatest battery lifetime of any cellphone, and the very best cameras obtainable as we speak. I actually like what Vivo is doing with its digital camera tuning and sensor choice, and the model has constantly confirmed during the last yr and a half that it cannot solely measure as much as its speedy rivals, but in addition beat any system handily.

Mainly, the X200 Extremely is the very best cellphone I used this yr. Despite the fact that it is not offered outdoors , I like to recommend going the reseller route in the event you’re involved in upgrading to a cellphone with essentially the most versatile digital camera package deal you should purchase as we speak.