As Vivo prepares to launch the flagship X300 series in India on December 2nd, it’s also bringing an exciting lineup under the S50 series. This will include the Vivo S50 Pro Mini, a compact phone, succeeding last year’s S30 Pro Mini. While this phone would be exclusive to China, it’s highly anticipated to launch as the Vivo X300 FE in India. This is based on the Vivo X200 FE being based on the S30 Pro Mini. Ahead of the official release, Vivo has revealed the design of the S50 Pro Mini, confirming a very different look from the previous model. The handset’s key specifications have been revealed as well.
Vivo product manager Han Boxiao first teased the side panel of the S50 series featuring an aerospace-grade aluminium frame and a “new satin lithography” process. The back panel of the phone is said to be soothing and gentle. Later, he shared another image, this time showing the back design of the Vivo S50 Pro Mini. The smartphone has a horizontal camera deco, which is starkly different from the vertical camera design on the X200 FE. The horizontal camera strip stretches across the back of the S50 Pro Mini with three sensors and the LED flash.
The Vivo S50 Pro Mini is sporting the ‘Inspiration Purple’, which is a pretty lavender shade. One might say this design is similar to the iPhone Air, but it looks more like the Honor 500 series. While it does look quite different from the S30 Pro Mini (X200 FE), which looked compact and cute, this one also feels quite appealing and fresh. The S50 Pro Mini is also confirmed to feature a 6.31-inch display, the same as its predecessor.
Another big change that we’ll see with the S50 Pro Mini or the X300 FE is the chipset. Vivo has confirmed that the S50 Pro Mini will use the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which just made its debut. The chipset will be paired with LPDDR5X Ultra RAM + UFS 4.1 storage. It will feature a triple-camera setup at the back, including a VCS ultra-sensitive bionic main camera, a Sony IMX882 periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP front camera with anti-distortion soft light for selfies. Vivo also confirms a flagship-level all-focal-length zoom flash, which will aid in night portraits.
The Vivo S50 Pro Mini (X300 FE) will pack a 6,500mAh battery with 90W fast charging, the same as its predecessor. Wireless charging has received a slight bump from 30W to 40W on the new model. More confirmed details include a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint 2.0, and IP68 + IP69 dust and water resistance.
This phone could be a strong alternative to the flagship X300, which arrived with a smaller 6.32-inch display this year. It’s positioned as a premium compact flagship and is expected to cost more than the X300 FE. For reference, the Vivo X200 FE launched at Rs 54,999, and with most premium phones seeing price increases, Vivo’s new lineup may follow the trend. Still, it will be interesting to see what Vivo brings with its upcoming compact flagship, which is already tipped for an India launch. It may also arrive alongside the OnePlus 15s and OPPO Reno 15 Pro Mini, so compact-phone buyers may want to hold off their next purchase for now.
