Chinese smartphone brands have always pushed for impressive spec sheets, often surpassing Apple or Samsung. While some features like excessive RAM or ultra-high resolution screens may not be necessary, the recent focus on larger camera sensors is significant.
The Vivo X100 Ultra, a new flagship phone, introduces a 200-megapixel telephoto lens with the largest sensor in a zoom lens to date—1¼ inches—making it the top choice for zoom photography. Despite its standard Android phone design with a curved OLED screen and aluminum frame, the X100 Ultra excels in its components. It features a Samsung E7 2K AMOLED display, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner from Qualcomm, and a larger-than-usual 5,500 mAh battery with Zeiss’ T-Coating on the camera lenses to reduce flare.
Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, the X100 Ultra’s performance is top-notch but expected in the current market. The standout feature is its camera system, which includes the 200-megapixel zoom lens capable of lossless 85mm photos and a main camera with the latest 1-inch Sony LYT-900 sensor. Even the ultra-wide and selfie cameras are impressive with 50-megapixel resolution.
The X100 Ultra surpasses the Xiaomi 14 Ultra with larger sensors and faster aperture speeds, solidifying its position as the best camera system on the market. Running on Android 14 with Vivo’s OriginOS, the user interface is highly customizable, from app icons to screen animations. The robust camera UI offers numerous modes, though some features, like the “Humanistic Camera” mode for street photography, may confuse casual users.
Despite the complexity, the X100 Ultra’s camera system delivers outstanding results. Its zoom lens provides sharp, clean images even at 10X digital zoom, outperforming the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The larger sensor allows for images with greater depth and less noise. Additionally, the main camera’s gimbal stabilization ensures smooth video capture.
With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a large battery, the phone offers all-day performance. It also includes satellite connectivity for emergencies in areas with poor cellular reception. While the Chinese smartphone market is highly competitive, the Vivo X100 Ultra currently holds the title of the best camera phone, a title that may be difficult for future iPhone or Google Pixel models to surpass.
Currently available only in China, the X100 Ultra is priced starting at 6,499 yuan (US$898). Overall, the X100 Ultra excels in imaging, making it the top choice for mobile photography enthusiasts.
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