vivo X300 Ultra review

Larger main camera sensor, tweaks to the telephoto

The vivo X300 Ultra isn't quite like the Oppo Find X9 Ultra - this isn't a complete generational hardware overhaul, but rather subtle touches here and there. We are looking at a larger sensor on the main camera and a telephoto refresh, but the other cameras are unchanged, and the camera control key is now gone - that's a downgrade no matter how you look at it.

Also, don't miss our vivo X300 Ultra Photography kit hands-on.

The main camera remains at a 35mm equivalent focal length, as the vivo Ultra tradition dictates. The sensor this time around is the new Sony Lytia 901 - the same 200MP 1/1.12" imager that we see on the Oppo Find X9 Ultra's main camera. In the Find's case, it's somewhat of a sidestep, but on the vivo it's a clear upgrade from the 50MP 1/1.28" setup of the X200 Ultra.

The X300 Ultra sticks to a single telephoto camera configuration - the Oppo has two separate telephoto cameras, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a continuous zoom lens as a sort of middle option.

The vivo's zoom camera maintains an 85mm equivalent focal length lens but reverts to an f/2.7 aperture (same as on the X100 Ultra, slightly dimmer than the X200 Ultra's f/2.3). The sensor is the same resolution and optical format as on the previous two generations (200MP, 1/1.4"), but it's a new version Samsung calls HP0 - that's looking like a 10, incrementing from the HP9 on the X200 Ultra and X100 Ultra.

The ultrawide remains unchanged, but it's still the best-specced ultrawide out there, so improving on it was hardly needed. It's got a large 1/1.28" sensor (it was good for the X200 Ultra's main camera last year), paired with a 14mm equivalent lens.

For selfies, it's also last year's setup. You get a popular 50MP Samsung sensor with an AF-capable lens that's a little behind on the wide-angle trend - 24mm is wide, but it's not 21mm-wide, like on the Oppo X9 Ultra.

• Wide (main): 200MP Sony Lytia 901 (1/1.12", 0.7µm-2.8µm); 35mm, f/1.9, OIS, PDAF (19cm - ∞); 8K30/4K120 video recording.
• Telephoto: 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP0 (1/1.4", 0.56µm-2.24µm); 85mm, f/2.7, multi-directional PDAF (15cm - ∞); 8K30/4K120.
• Ultrawide: 50MP Sony Lytia 818 (1/1.28", 1.22µm-2.44µm); 14mm, f/2.0, dual pixel PDAF; 8K30/4K120.
• Front camera: 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN5 (1/2.76", 0.64µm-1.28µm); 24mm, f/2.5, multi-directional PDAF; 4K60.

No change can be good, but some change can also be for the worse - the X300 Ultra has lost the camera control button that the X200 Ultra had. With vivo's reluctance to allow the power button to be used for camera access, that leaves just the volume buttons as an option, and it's less flexible that way.

On the flipside, the camera app has gotten an extra customization feature that seems handy - you now get to choose which toggles you get in the viewfinder and arrange them in two different strips depending on whether you're into single-handed operation, or you'd like to have controls on the far end as well.

Also, a new development is the 25MP resolution setting as an extra option behind the high resolution button in the viewfinder - formerly, it was just 50MP and 200MP. While this reviewer might be less than thrilled about having to examine another set of samples for each focal length, it's actually a solid implementation that lets you force the said resolution (as opposed to having the phone decide whether it can do it), and you have an immediate indication of the resolution you're getting, plus you can almost do it on a shot to shot basis rather than having to delve into the settings. Yes, Oppo's implementation, where the phone decides for you instead, appears to be inferior.

Daylight photo quality

Ultrawide camera

We like to kick off on the ultrawide cameras with the vivo Ultras, their large sensors setting them apart from the competition. Indeed, at its native focal length, the X300 Ultra's ultrawide captures excellent photos, with wide dynamic range, accurate white balance, and expressive colors. Detail is top-class, particularly outdoors, with only minor hesitation in dimmer indoor settings.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (14mm)

The 25MP resolution setting also delivers superb results - there's no visible softening, detail remains looking great.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (14mm), 25MP

To be fair, even the 50MP nominal resolution images are excellent, if not entirely perfect - apparently, between the sensor and vivo's processing, this is a supremely capable camera.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (14mm), 50MP

Things remain looking very good at 28mm - vivo's sort of answer to the main cameras of competitors and the inbetween zoom level you get from a tap on the 14mm button. Super-fine random detail might get a minor pixelation effect, but even so, we'd be hard-pressed to tell that's not a native output. We'd say it's a legitimate improvement over the X200 Ultra.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (28mm)

The 25MP files aren't quite as hot, with a more softness and artefacting - perhaps you should stick to 12MP for the non-native focal lengths (okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves).

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (28mm), 25MP

Main camera

The main camera's photos are also looking wonderful, that familiar vivo pop in both colors and contrast making them easily likeable. It's hard to find something we don't like - dynamic range is excellent, white balance is reliable, background blur is looking great. That last bit comes with a small caveat that you may not be able to get a whole scene in focus - check out the softness in the nearby bushes in the second sample, for example. We don't see this as an issue, just an observation and potentially something to plan for when shooting.

Detail is great in the default 12.5MP mode, but also really excellent in the 25MP shots as well.

Daylight samples, main camera (35mm)

Daylight samples, main camera (35mm), 25MP

35mm photos of people are excellent - in Photo mode at least. Detail is top-class, the focal length prevents weird facial proportions (which you may get with a 24mm-ish lens from up close), and skin tones are lively.

There's plenty of natural background blur too - no need to resort to Portrait mode for that. Which is a good thing, because all the photos we took in Portrait mode are consistently softer than the regular Photo mode ones - we double checked to make sure it wasn't some specific skin smoothing effect that's causing it, but no. They somehow appear ever-so-slightly out of focus.

Human subjects, main camera (35mm): Photo mode • Portrait mode

The 50MP resolution mode adds another notch of extra detail and can be treated as a useful tool for those instances when you want to squeeze the most out of a scene. The 200MP shots aren't looking terrible at 1:1, which is already a compliment, but we'd probably limit ourselves to 50MP as the ceiling when it comes to detail vs. file size balance.

Daylight samples, main camera (35mm), 50MP

Daylight samples, main camera (35mm), 200MP

At 50mm, quality remains excellent, whether in the default 12.5MP resolution or the optional 25MP mode. So just because 28mm in 25MP isn't looking great, doesn't mean you shouldn't explore the higher resolutions at other zoom levels. For what it's worth, even the 50MP shots at 50mm aren't too bad.

Daylight samples, main camera (50mm)

Daylight samples, main camera (50mm), 25MP

Daylight samples, main camera (50mm), 50MP

The 50mm people shots continue along the same path of greatness, but also with the same asterisk that the Portrait mode results turn out softer than the Photo mode ones. Go figure.

Human subjects, main camera (50mm): Photo mode • Portrait mode

Next in line in the made-up focal lengths is 70mm - sort of a 2x zoom from the main camera's native focal length. We had the occasional misstep in dimmer indoor conditions, but typically quality is still very good - as you'd expect from a '2x', for that matter. The 25MP versions of these shots are starting to show signs of softness, but they too remain easy to like.

Daylight samples, main camera (70mm)

Daylight samples, main camera (70mm), 25MP

Telephoto camera

The 85mm camera captures awesome photos, it's that simple. The characteristic impactful style with high contrast and vivid colors persists here, it's not overdone, and it's easy to love. The shallow depth of field means great isolation of nearby subjects (conversely, the same sort of issue with scenes with extra depth, where you can't get everything in focus), and only slightly nervous but ultimately likeable background blur. The default 12.5MP images are super sharp, as expected.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (85mm)

All of the above holds true of the 25MP versions of these photos - including the excellent sharpness and detail.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (85mm), 25MP

As we observed on the main camera, the 50MP resolution photos are also quite great in bright outdoor conditions, but on the telephoto, there's a bit more of a drop in quality as light gets dimmer. 200MP photos are pretty soft indoors and kind of soft outdoors - and we're not fans of that.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (85mm), 50MP

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (85mm), 200MP

The 85mm people shots are like the 35mm ones, but at 85mm - that is to say, wonderful. The perspective is obviously a lot better suited to tighter framing, and the headshots have excellent subject separation. Skin tones are nice, facial detail is great. Portrait mode, once again, means lower sharpness across the frame.

Human subjects, telephoto camera (85mm): Photo mode • Portrait mode

We wouldn't hesitate to use the 135mm zoom level, its 12.5MP shots having pixel-level detail that could just as well have come from a dedicated camera. The 25MP versions are also good, but have a bit more of a processed look to fine detail.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (135mm)

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (135mm), 25MP

135mm is on the long end of the portraiture range, even more so for a smartphone where we're conditioned to be closer to our subject. If you do enjoy that focal length though, you'd be happy with the X300 Ultra's results - sharpness remains excellent (well not in Portrait mode, but you already know that).

Human subjects, main camera (135mm): Photo mode • Portrait mode

Moving on to 170mm, the X300 Ultra's telephoto camera doesn't disappoint, serving very good to excellent 12.5MP images. The 25MP mode is stretching it a bit, the heavy sharpening taking away more than what the extra pixels are bringing in.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (170mm), 12MP

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (170mm), 25MP

At the longest pre-set zoom level, you'd be looking at pretty decent 12.5MP shots at 230mm - not as good as what the Oppo Find X9 Ultra can manage with its standalone 10x camera, but usable still. The 25MP versions are pretty soft and a little more obviously... enhanced.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (230mm), 12MP

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (230mm), 25MP

Close-ups

The main camera's minimum focusing distance of around 19cm doesn't make it a particularly exciting close-up shooting instrument, though its solid digital zoom action does mean you could get away with some decent shots at 70mm. But we're including these samples for completeness' sake, mostly - it's the telephoto you'll be using for macro-style photos.

Close-up samples, main camera (35mm)

Close-up samples, main camera (70mm)

The telephoto camera with its 15cm focusing distance and excellent performance at its native focal length and when zooming in means you'd be in for some class-leading close-ups at your choice of focal length/shooting distance/reproduction combination. The 85mm 25MP is another viable option, depending on what you're after.

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (85mm)

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (85mm), 25MP

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (135mm)

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (170mm)

Low-light photo quality

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide camera's low-light results are very good. We're looking at balanced exposures, with wide dynamic range. White balance is accurate and colors remain vivid without any unusual casts. Detail is excellent too.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (14mm)

The 25MP shots have more visible sharpening and don't quite have the pixel-level bite that the daytime 25MP images did. Not bad, but not much point in the 25MP mode in these conditions.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (14mm), 25MP

The ultrawide also loses some of its appeal when looking at the 28mm results - these are more into decent territory, with notably soft shadows.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (14mm)

Main camera

We can't really think of something to complain about on the 35mm camera though. The photos are truly excellent, showing wide dynamic range, great colors and top-class sharpness.

Low-light samples, main camera (35mm)

The 25MP versions are also superb - by the looks of it, the main camera is perfectly happy at 25MP in all conditions.

Low-light samples, main camera (35mm), 25MP

At the 50mm zoom level, you'd also be looking at excellent 12.5MP photos and just about very good 25MP ones.

Low-light samples, main camera (50mm)

Low-light samples, main camera (50mm), 25MP

If you absolutely must shoot at 70mm and not at the 85mm that the telephoto will give you, you'd be left with pretty solid results - more so in 12.5MP than the optional 25MP.

Low-light samples, main camera (70mm)

Low-light samples, main camera (70mm), 25MP

Telephoto camera

The telephoto camera's native output is also worthy of praise. The photos have excellent sharpness, plenty of color pop without white balance missteps, and wide dynamic range.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (85mm)

We would probably also stick to 25MP resolution on the telephoto as well - detail remains top-notch.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (85mm), 25MP

At the 135mm focal length, we'd be looking at increased sharpening, but still very good 12.5MP shots. The 25MP resolution should probably be kept for the brighter-lit facades only.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (135mm)

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (135mm), 25MP

The 170mm zoom level comes with slightly smoother textures than what the 135mm images give you, but detail remains alright, and there are no ill effects on global properties. Perhaps it's around here that the 25MP mode becomes pointless.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (170mm)

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (170mm), 25MP

At what others call 10x zoom and vivo labels 230mm, the X300 Ultra's shots are looking pretty great, but some of that greatness is down to Extreme telephoto enhancement that's toggle on by default. We can't say we're entirely against it though.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (230mm)

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (230mm), 25MP

Selfies

The X300 Ultra's selfies come in at 24mm which is a little narrower than current trends - the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the Find X9 Ultra are at 21mm, and even the Galaxy Ultra has gone to 23mm this generation. Still, we reckon the vivo is plenty wide enough, and it too is quite adept at close-ups of your mug if that's what you're after.

Sharpness is generally excellent, but there can be some sort of selective softening on patches of faces. It can be a little annoying if you go in looking for it, but we can see how it can also be considered nitpicking. Dynamic range is excellent, of course, and colors are great too.

Selfie samples

Video quality

The X300 Ultra is a widely capable video camera as well. It offers 4K resolution recording at up to 120fps and 8K30 on all three of its rear cameras, while the front-facing one maxes out at (what's a plenty good enough) 4K60. If you're into more 'exotic' frame rates, a toggle in settings enables 25fps and 100fps PAL modes in regular video mode, while the Pro video mode extends the list further with 24fps and 50fps options (8K still capped at 30fps, though).

The h.265 (HEVC) codec is enabled by default, but you can switch to h.264 for added backward compatibility (and larger file sizes, of course). Samsung's pro-grade APV codec is also an option when shooting Log.

Log capture is available on all cameras in all resolution/frame rate settings except for 8K. It comes with a single pre-installed LUT and the option to import custom ones, and is available in both the regular video mode and Pro video. Dolby Vision is, similarly, available across the board, only missing in the 8K resolution modes.

In the regular video mode, you get color filters, styles, beautification options, a teleprompter feature, and whatnot. Pro video mode adds the already mentioned frame rate options, as well as exposure settings, audio level monitoring, waveforms, and a manual focus option (but no A-B focus racking).

Electronic stabilization is always on in the regular video mode. There's also an Ultra stabilization mode (all rear cameras, up to 2.8K60) and a Horizon Leveling mode, of course (ultrawide camera only, up to 1080p60).

You can hit '> play' below and use the '>| next' button to advance through the playlist of all video samples, or you can watch the full playlist on YouTube.

The X300 Ultra's videos are a lot like other high-end phones' videos we've been seeing recently. That is to say, great in many ways, a little short in others. Regardless of which camera you're shooting on, the X300 Ultra will get you excellent dynamic range and contrast. Colors are pleasantly vibrant without being over the top.

Detail rendition is what leaves us wanting - there's just a general lack of absolute sharpness when you examine the footage from up close, whether it's the 14mm camera (which is the softest), the 35mm one (about average) or the 85mm telephoto (more into good territory, but still not ideal). Things aren't bad or anything, it's just that we used to have sharper video a generation or two back.

The 170mm zoom level is softish in a different way, a hazy type of soft, but it's still quite usable. The 230mm zoom is slightly worse. Overall, for a camera that's at 85mm natively, the results after zooming in that far are quite alright, all things considered.

Video screengrabs, daylight: 14mm • 35mm • 85mm • 170mm • 230mm

At night, the ultrawide camera's footage is quite good in this different context, but it's not meaningfully better than what we recently got from the Oppo X9 Ultra - so the large sensor doesn't seem to translate into a real advantage. The 35mm results are also good without standing out, and the telephoto's 85mm footage is perhaps a touch better when compared to its own peers, but not substantially so.

Video screengrabs, low light: 14mm • 35mm • 85mm • 170mm • 230mm

Videos shot while walking are expertly stabilized, whether taken on the ultrawide 14mm camera, or the main 35mm one (which is obviously longer than most and thus more difficult to stabilize) - there's no shake, no jelloing, no unwanted behavior. Shooting from a stationary position, there's nothing to complain about either - the footage is stable and pans are smooth.