GoKawiilvivo X300 Ultra The vivo X300 Ultra hits the ball out of the park thanks to mostly fantastic cameras, enthusiast-level video features, impressive endurance, and premium extras. However, it does come with design compromises and a sky-high price tag.
It’s taken a few years, but vivo has finally brought its Ultra phone line to global markets with the X300 Ultra.
These Ultra phones have quickly established themselves as some of the best camera phones in the world, while also bringing interesting innovations, but the last two generations — both of which I really liked — were only available in China.
Now that the vivo X300 Ultra has gone global, does it pick up where its predecessors left off?
A camera phone first and foremost
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
The main reason to buy vivo’s Ultra phones in the first place is the camera experience. So, what’s it like to actually use the X300 Ultra’s cameras? I’m still not a fan of the default vivid color profile, as it tends to crank up the saturation and dynamic range. However, the authentic/natural profile does a fantastic job of reducing the saturation while keeping some contrast in the scene. Image output remains sharp, but the phone doesn’t seem to go overboard as often as previous devices.
I’m also glad to see custom color profiles this year. Simply choose a base color profile, then adjust 12 settings (e.g., exposure, saturation, highlights, shadows, grain, sharpness) to create your own recipe. And you can share your custom image profile online via QR or text code. Smart stuff. I don’t exactly have good taste, but I liked pairing my grain-focused custom profile with the 400mm add-on lens (more on that later).
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
The vivo X300 Ultra doesn’t disappoint in terms of actual camera hardware, either. The most notable upgrade this generation is a 200MP Sony LYT-901 main camera (1/1.12-inch), which is the largest 200MP sensor available for smartphones. Much like the X200 Ultra, this main camera has a 35mm focal length, which means it’s effectively shooting at 1.5x compared to conventional Android camera phones. I found that the camera generally delivered excellent image quality with plenty of detail, while vivo has noise reduction down to a science on this lens. I also appreciate the 35mm focal length as it allows for better framing and more satisfying portraits than typical 24mm cameras.
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