Vivo X300 FE

The Vivo X300 FE starts at Rs. 251,999 for the 12GB/256GB model, and it is officially sold in Pakistan. For that money you get a compact flagship-style phone: an aluminium frame, glass back, IP68 and IP69 protection, a bright LTPO screen, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, a 3x periscope telephoto with Zeiss tuning, and a 6500 mAh battery with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging.

• Strengths: small, easy-to-hold size, excellent battery life, strong photos and long software support.
• Compromises: only 256GB storage in Pakistan, a basic 8 MP ultrawide, video that is less sharp than its photos, and heating during long outdoor 4K or 8K recording.

The Xiaomi 17T costs noticeably less and offers 512GB storage and a longer 5x zoom, but it has a plastic build, no wireless charging and shorter battery life. The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL at Rs. 349,799 adds a bigger screen, 16GB RAM and longer updates, but costs far more and charges more slowly.

Verdict: a strong buy for anyone who wants a compact phone with flagship battery life and cameras. Heavy gamers and video creators may find better value elsewhere. GSMArena reached a similar view: very good across the board, with pricing as the main obstacle.

The 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED screen has a sharp 1216 x 2640 (1.5K) resolution, HDR10+ support and a refresh rate that moves between 1Hz and 120Hz, so scrolling is smooth while static screens save battery. The bezels are thin and even, which makes the phone feel smaller than its screen size suggests.

Peak brightness is rated at 5000 nits, and in direct sunlight it is brighter than rivals such as the Xiaomi 17T. Streaming apps play in HD, and YouTube runs in 4K at 60fps with HDR. High-frequency 2160Hz PWM dimming helps people who notice flicker at low brightness, and the always-on display can stay on all day.

• Limitations: GSMArena's measured brightness in auto mode was lower than Vivo's claims, though still very bright. Gamers get a lower touch sampling rate than on the Xiaomi 17T, and the compact size means a smaller canvas for videos.
• The ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the screen is extremely fast and accurate.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (3 nm) runs at up to 3.8 GHz with an Adreno 829 GPU, 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and fast UFS 4.1 storage. It scores close to 3 million in AnTuTu, and in daily use apps open quickly and the phone does not stutter.

Gaming is strong: PUBG runs at its highest graphics and frame-rate settings, and games that support 120fps run smoothly. For most players there is no visible gap against more expensive phones today.

Heat is the main caveat. Indoors, it stays slightly cooler than the Xiaomi 17T under load, but the metal and glass body warms up faster outdoors and holds heat longer. Reports differ on sustained performance: one test kept about 72% of peak CPU speed, while GSMArena's stress test showed about half. GSMArena saw no noticeable throttling outside stress tests, but serious gamers may prefer a phone with a top-tier Elite chip.

The rear setup combines a 50 MP Sony IMX921 main camera with OIS, a 50 MP 3x periscope telephoto with OIS and an 8 MP ultrawide, all tuned with Zeiss. The 50 MP front camera has autofocus.

• Daylight: photos look detailed and polished, with Vivo's typical slightly saturated, ready-to-share colours.
• Low light: a major strength. The main camera brightens dark scenes cleanly and can separate a person from the background even in near darkness.
• Portraits: the 3x telephoto takes flattering portraits, and a zooming flash helps light subjects at 3x at night. Zeiss styles such as Biotar and Sonnar add character.
• Zoom: 3x shots are excellent, but detail drops at 7x to 10x, where the Xiaomi 17T's 5x lens holds up better.
• Ultrawide: the 8 MP camera is soft and the weakest part of the system.

Video reaches 8K at 30fps and 4K at up to 120fps on the main camera, and 4K at 60fps on the selfie camera, with very good stabilisation. Video sharpness is behind the photo quality, and long 4K or 8K recording outdoors can cause lag and frame drops once the phone heats up.

An optional Zeiss Telephoto Extender kit clips onto a special case and gives usable shots at very long range, though it is sold separately.

The Vivo X300 FE has a 6500 mAh silicon-carbon battery, which is large for such a compact phone. It easily lasts a full day of heavy use, and GSMArena rates its battery life as class-leading. Standby drain is very low: left overnight at full charge, it was still at 100% the next morning.

Charging is quick. The 90W charger comes in the box, and it is rated for a full charge in 55 minutes; GSMArena measured just under an hour. It also supports 40W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging for accessories and bypass charging, which powers the phone directly during gaming to reduce battery heat.

The phone runs Android 16 with OriginOS 6. Vivo promises 5 major OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates, so it should be supported well into the next decade.

OriginOS feels smooth, with polished animations, and offers plenty of features:

• AI tools such as AI Eraser, AI Captions for live speech-to-text and translation, a writing assistant and AI background changes for photos.
• Apple-friendly sharing: one-tap file transfer with iPhones and a Link to PC option that also works with Mac computers.
• Private Space and app cloning for keeping work and personal apps apart.

An IR blaster also lets the phone work as a TV or AC remote.