Vivo’s latest foldable device, the X Fold5 (review), is now available for purchase through major offline and online channels, such as Amazon and Flipkart. While it’s an iterative upgrade over last year’s X Fold3 Pro, and doesn’t pack the latest chipset or the most advanced AI features like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7, it makes a strong case for itself, especially for those new to the foldable segment, despite its flaws. At Rs 1,49,999, the Vivo X Fold5 undercuts its closest rival, delivering a premium, feature-rich experience that strikes a balance between smartphone familiarity and tablet-like versatility.
Having used the Vivo X Fold5 as my daily driver for over a month, here’s why I believe it’s one of the best foldables for first-time users looking to make the jump.
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Durable and how
The Vivo X Fold5’s form factor is such that you won’t feel like using a foldable device until it is unfolded. Everything feels remarkably natural, thanks to its 9.2mm thickness (when folded) and 217g weight, both of which are comparable to those of a regular smartphone. The device also takes care of the durability aspect, with its IP58, IP59, and IP59+ ratings, ensuring that you are not walking on thin ice while carrying it out in the rain or near a swimming pool. The IP59+ rating, which is the first of its kind, ensures that the device can be folded and unfolded underwater.
The X Fold5 is exceptionally durable, as it can survive multiple folds throughout the day for close to two decades. Its hinge is said to withstand roughly 6,00,000 folds, which translates to over 16 years of use if you fold and unfold it 100 times a day. The smartphone boasts a frosted glass-fibre back with an aluminium frame, which can withstand the bumpy ride that comes with regular usage. While I didn’t have any drop mishaps during my time with it, I did sit on the phone several times with it tucked into my back pocket, and it came through unscathed, showing no signs of stress or structural weakness.
For added peace of mind, Vivo includes a protective case with the X Fold5 that covers all four corners, including the hinge, offering extra durability against minor drops and everyday bumps. The protection extends to the X Fold5’s display as well, with the outer screen featuring a second-gen Armour Glass, which is said to be 30 per cent more puncture-resistant than its previous iteration.
Displays that deliver
The Vivo X Fold5 boasts dual panels that offer an impressive viewing experience with minimal compromise. For everyday use, the device features a 6.53-inch outer screen of the LTPO AMOLED variety, boasting flagship-level specs such as an adaptive 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision support, and an impressive peak brightness of 4,500 nits. While the bezels are a tad thick and the FHD+ resolution may seem underwhelming at this price point, the panel produces sharp, vibrant colours in both indoor and outdoor settings. Dolby Vision further enhances the experience, delivering deep blacks and rich dynamic range, although the tall 20:9 aspect ratio isn’t ideal for all types of content.
For a more productive use, unfold the device and you’re greeted with an expansive 8.03-inch inner display that feels more natural to use than you might expect. The display shares the same high-quality characteristics as the outer screen. The crease is barely noticeable, and while the inner panel is slightly more delicate than the outer one, it’s solid enough for daily use as long as you avoid rough handling. Its 2,480 x 2,200 resolution is sharp and ideal for productivity tasks, such as viewing spreadsheets, PDFs, or multiple documents side by side. Most apps scale well to the large screen, though some videos will still show black bars due to the squarish aspect ratio.
To make things even easier for new users, Vivo has added Origin Workbench for those looking to replace their laptops for light tasks. We covered the feature extensively in our Origin Workbench article, which explains how it can transform the inner screen into a PC-like interface, allowing you to run up to five apps simultaneously. Additionally, similar to other foldables, the X Fold5 also features Tent Mode and Flex Mode, which let you set the phone at an angle for hands-free video calls or media playback without the need for extra stands.
Large battery for a large screen
Large display usually means higher power consumption, but the Vivo X Fold5 handles this well with its massive 6,000mAh battery, the largest ever in a foldable smartphone. Thanks to the latest silicone-carbon battery technology, it offers higher energy density without adding extra bulk or weight. Whether you’re using the outer screen for quick tasks or the inner display for extended sessions, the battery comfortably lasts through a full day of typical use. I was able to extract a day and a half of usage between charges, despite switching between displays, using an hour-long navigation session, streaming videos, scrolling through social media apps, and more.
Charging is equally impressive. The device supports 80W wired and 40W wireless charging, both of which are faster than what many regular flagship phones offer. Even better, Vivo includes a compatible 80W charger in the box, capable of fully charging the phone from 0 to 100 percent in under an hour, so there’s no need to buy one separately.
Cameras defy expectations
While foldables aren’t typically known for their camera performance, the Vivo X Fold5 defies expectations with sharp, vibrant imagery. The device features a capable 50MP triple rear camera system, including a dedicated 3x telephoto lens for optical zoom. Notably, the primary and ultrawide sensors are identical to those found on the Vivo X200 Pro, one of the best camera phones on the market today. Backed by Zeiss optics, the camera setup benefits from reduced lens flare, improved bokeh effects, and versatile multi-focal modes that enhance both portrait and landscape shots.
In our testing, the camera tends to favour vivid, oversaturated tones by default, making scenes pop with colour, though this can be adjusted with available Zeiss-style filters and settings. Even so, the X Fold5 often outperforms more expensive foldables in terms of image clarity and detail, whether in daylight, low-light conditions, portraits, or front-facing shots. For content creators, the phone also supports 8K video recording at 30 frames per second, making it a solid tool for capturing high-resolution video.
The flaws
The Vivo X Fold5 is powered by the previous-generation flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. While it may not be as powerful as the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, I haven’t found it to be lagging in most usage scenarios. The smartphone is more than capable of managing everyday tasks, such as browsing, scrolling, streaming, casual gaming, navigation, multitasking, and more, with ease. Backing up the chipset is 16GB of RAM, which comfortably handles multiple apps running in the background. You also get 512GB of non-expandable storage, which seems sufficient for heavy files, media, and offline content.
That said, if you’re a heavy user who frequently pushes the phone with demanding apps, intensive gaming, or professional-grade workloads, the Vivo X Fold5 is not for you.
The software on the X Fold5 is Vivo’s custom skin, FunTouchOS, layered on top of Android 15. While it isn’t lacking in features, the interface feels less refined, with occasional bugs, and less mature compared to Samsung’s One UI 8 on the Galaxy Z Fold7, which offers a broader range of AI-driven productivity tools, including Circle to Search, object eraser, Google Gemini voice assistant, and more. Vivo promises three major Android updates and four years of security patches, which is relatively limited compared to the more extended software support offered by its competitors.
Conclusion
The Vivo X Fold5, with its dated chipset, limited software support, and modest AI features, may not be perfect and may not appeal to everyone. However, it does well to address the concerns of first-time foldable buyers by offering a durable design, impressive battery life, good displays, and a capable camera system.
These aspects make the Vivo X Fold5 a confident and capable place to start experiencing the versatility of a foldable device without jumping into the deep end of the premium segment.
