Vivo’s FE lineup has quietly built a reputation for doing something most smartphone makers have abandoned: treating compact phones as serious flagships rather than “lite” variants. The new vivo X300 FE continues that philosophy and deliberately positions itself not as a toned-down sibling to the X300, but as a different proposition altogether. It leans on a combination that’s increasingly rare—not chasing spec sheet dominance but focusing on delivering a balanced, premium experience for a smaller handset with flagship comforts.
Delightful compact chassis
The vivo X300 FE keeps a footprint that feels almost nostalgic in a market that has drifted towards oversized slabs—measuring 150.83 x 71.76 x 7.99 mm and weighing around 191g. It’s comfortable to carry it around, whether in hand or a smaller pocket.
The design language has evolved meaningfully from the previous FE generation giving this one a fresher, almost Pixel-esque look. The new horizontal camera layout—a sculpted glass island instead of a metal block—gives the rear a cleaner, more modern identity that exudes sophistication.
The materials feel flagship-grade: An aluminium frame, flat glass surfaces, and a matte finish that resists fingerprints. To ensure the aesthetics match durability, the X300 FE carries both IP68 and IP69 ratings, handling dust, immersion, and even high-pressure water jets.
The vivo X300 FE sticks to a 6.31-inch AMOLED panel with a 2640 x 1216 resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits. It’s not a dramatic upgrade over last year’s FE, but it didn’t need to be. It offers excellent outdoor visibility, vibrant colour reproduction, and smooth scrolling.
Snappy everyday performance
vivo’s switch to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 from Mediatek is a strategic shift. It’s not the top tier “Elite” variant found in this year’s X300 Ultra, but it’s still a powerful 3nm chipset paired with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB/512GB UFS 4.1 storage. The benchmarks place the X300 FE slightly below the most aggressive performance-centric phones, but well within flagship territory for everyday use. Apps stay in memory, gaming is smooth, and thermal management mostly keeps the phone stable.
The X300 FE packs a massive 6,500mAh battery, the largest in its compact class. It’s a marathoner in disguise with excellent endurance. In mixed use—browsing, social media, streaming, and photography—the phone can stay with you through the day and well into the night.
Plus, it doesn't take too long to charge the phone thanks to 90W fast charging, charging the phone from 0 to 100 percent in just about an hour. Unlike the X200 FE last year, there’s also wireless charging this time around. It supports up to 40W wireless charging via a proprietary dock, but its availability is unclear.
A mixed-bag camera
The camera system is where the X300 FE stakes its biggest claim. It’s a good setup, but not pro-grade. vivo has equipped X300 FE with a ZEISS backed triple camera setup—a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and OIS, and an 8MP ultrawide camera. And there’s the 50MP selfie camera as well.
The telephoto lens is the star—images are sharp, natural, and genuinely competitive with larger flagships. Portraits benefit from ZEISS colour science and bokeh modes, producing flattering separation and skin tones. The main sensor too works quite well and performs reliably in daylight and low light, with good detail and restrained processing. The ultrawide, however, is a weak link. It’s serviceable but lacking the detail and dynamic range of the other two lenses.
Video recording too is a mixed bag. The primary camera and telephoto offer a good enough recording at 4K 60fps (the ultrawide is limited to 1080p recording), but there are some inconsistencies with colour reproduction here and there. And then there’s the optional Telephoto Extender Gen 2, a physical add-on lens that pushes the focal length to 200mm. It’s lighter than the previous version and attaches via a modular case. The extender costs an extra ₹15,999, with the accessories kit priced at ₹3,999.
It’s not for everyone, but it’s not a gimmick either. It’s a genuinely interesting accessory for wildlife enthusiasts or for travel photography. That said, attaching or removing the lens is a bit of an effort, which can cause you to miss spontaneous shots.
Fluid software experience
Running OriginOS 6 on Android 16, the X300 FE offers a highly customisable software experience. Some multitasking and cross-device integration features are genuinely useful and aid everyday productivity.
vivo is also upping the ante now on long-term support committing to five major OS updates and seven years of security patches. This might not match Google and Samsung, but is still an upgrade from last year and should allay concerns for most premium Android buyers.
Should you buy the vivo X300 FE?
The vivo X300 FE is priced at ₹79,999 for the 12GB/256GB variant and ₹89,999 for the 12GB/512GB model. And that’s where things become tricky. The FE sits awkwardly close to the standard X300, which offers more powerful hardware at a lower price. It’s not just vivo, though. This will be the story of smartphones this year, considering the industry-wide price rise due to memory and supply chain crisis. Its weaknesses are real but aren’t dealbreakers. It’s a small phone with big phone ambitions that mostly delivers.
Abhishek Baxi is a New Delhi-based tech writer.