Vivo has taken smartphone photography to new heights with its flagship X series. The Vivo X200 Pro emerged as a fan favourite last year, thanks to its impressive camera technology. Its successor, the Vivo X300 Pro, has since launched in China, bringing even more upgrades, especially in the camera department. Earlier this year, we called the Vivo X200 Pro the camera phone to beat in our review. Ten months later, we decided to take it out for a spin again to see how well it still holds up.
I took the Vivo X200 Pro during my recent trip to Malaysia, because I knew I wanted a photography-centric phone. We’ve already reviewed the Vivo X200 Pro in detail, but this piece is about my experience using the X200 Pro’s cameras nearly ten months after its launch. I was impressed with it when it first launched, but using it on vacation truly proved why it’s a favourite. It captured every moment beautifully, giving me all the shots for the ‘gram and more.
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What I liked best: zoom photography
Let’s refresh its specs first. The Vivo X200 Pro has a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 200MP telephoto camera with 3.7x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. Before getting into the main camera’s performance, I want to highlight its zoom capabilities, something that truly stood out during a recent boat tour through a mangrove forest.
Spotting wildlife from a distance wasn’t easy, but the X200 Pro made it much simpler. I managed to capture a kingfisher perched near the river and several eagles resting high atop a tree, both quite far from our boat. Yet even at extreme zoom levels, the photos remained sharp and detailed. Pushing it all the way to 100x digital zoom, the results remained surprisingly clean with minimal distortion. Do note that there is some post-processing here, but the final image doesn’t look artificial.
The X200 Pro’s zoom performance is right up there with the best, easily comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, a phone that’s long been the benchmark for telephoto excellence.
Let’s talk night photography
I wouldn’t call the Vivo X200 Pro the absolute best for night shots, but it still produces some stunning results. The main issue is light flare, which tends to appear under certain conditions. Take, for example, this image of the Petronas Twin Towers. The towers themselves look breathtaking, and the X200 Pro does justice to their illuminated architecture. However, noticeable flares from the bright lights slightly took away from an otherwise beautiful capture.
That said, the phone handled dynamic lighting very well. The towers’ glow was vividly preserved without losing detail. I noticed a similar issue while shooting a video of the sea at night. The overall quality was good, but again, the lens flare proved distracting. If you’re into street photography, especially of lit-up signboards, you’ll appreciate the X200 Pro, as it can capture some very pretty shots.
Everything else
Now, coming to the main camera, the one I used most during the trip. The first thing that stood out was the vibrancy of the images. Colours pop beautifully in photos shot with the X200 Pro, giving them a naturally appealing look for social media. Samsung’s Galaxy S series is known for punchy colours, but I personally feel the X200 Pro strikes a better balance between vividness and realism. This holds across scenes from food and landscapes to portraits and low-light shots.
Images retain excellent detail even with complex backgrounds, and the overall sharpness is consistent across lighting conditions. The videos I shot were mostly 1080p at 30fps, and they came out smooth and stable. The phone also supports 4K and 8K recording, providing ample flexibility for creators who require more options.
I’m not particularly into portraits, but since the selfie camera defaults to portrait mode, I gave it a try. While the background blur is quite natural, the overall image appears somewhat soft. Facial details appear slightly blurred, with noticeable loss of texture and sharpness, likely due to the phone’s beauty processing.
The Vivo X200 Pro’s cameras have been genuinely impressive. I didn’t once worry about missing the perfect shot, and now the only problem is shuffling through the hundreds of photos for my holiday posts.
Even though this article focuses mainly on photography, here’s a quick take on the overall experience. The X200 Pro features one of the best displays I’ve used. It’s bright, fluid, and incredibly responsive, delivering that unmistakable flagship feel. Its 6,000 mAh battery easily lasts a full day of moderate use, including navigation, social media, heavy camera use, and light gaming, without breaking a sweat.
If I had one complaint, it would be the size. It’s on the larger side, and while I enjoyed using it, I found myself missing the handier feel of my OnePlus 13s. You can read my piece on using the OnePlus 13s here. Still, for anyone who prefers a big-screen experience and top-tier camera performance, the X200 Pro is a powerhouse that doesn’t disappoint.
Is the Vivo X200 Pro still the camera phone to beat?
It’s been ten months since the Vivo X200 Pro arrived in India, and as we approach 2026, new flagships are beginning to dominate the conversation. Its successor, the Vivo X300 Pro, is also expected to launch in India soon. Yet, despite newer competition, especially in mobile photography, the X200 Pro continues to hold its ground.
Priced at Rs 94,900, it remains a strong contender for users who prioritise camera performance above all else. Beyond its imaging capabilities, the phone also promises long-term reliability with four years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates, making it a solid premium pick even today.
