Vivo has proven over the last 15 months that it knows how to deliver terrific camera phones, and having used the X200 Pro over the course of 2025, I’m very interested in seeing what the X200 Ultra has to deliver. To give you some context, last year’s X100 Ultra is still one of the best camera phones around, and the combination of a 1-inch lens along with exquisite tuning continue to give the device a distinct edge.
Thankfully, there’s no need to wait any longer, as Vivo has just unveiled the X200 Ultra in China. What’s of particular interest is that the device has two imaging chips — the VS1 and V3+ — with the VS1 handling “preliminary optimization of raw data” to optimize image quality and the V3+ doing the usual “postprocessing tasks”.
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Video is getting a boost as well, with Vivo introducing what it calls Multi-Focal Portrait Video Master. The X200 Ultra is slated to deliver movie-like videos, and the device handles 4K60 10bit Log along with 4K120 footage. Interestingly, Vivo is debuting a Photographer Kit accessor this time that includes a ZEISS 2.35x Telephoto Converter, camera grip, and bundled case.
Xiaomi has a habit of doing the same with its phones, and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a gorgeous red kit that’s great to use. But with Vivo including an external lens with its package, I’m keen on seeing what it has to offer. I’ll be getting my hands on the X200 Ultra and the external lens, and will share my findings in the coming weeks.
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Continuing with the camera, the X200 Ultra doesn’t have a 1-inch main camera any longer, but it has a 50MP 1/1.28-inch Sony LYT818 sensor, and it should be just as good as the X200 Pro. It retains the 200MP HP9 module that goes up to 3.7x, and you get a 50MP wide-angle that also uses the Sony LYT818 sensor.
Switching over to the hardware, Vivo is using Qualcomm silicon once again, and like the best phones of 2025, you get the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The device has 16GB of RAM as standard, and comes with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage models. It has a 6.82-inch panel with QHD resolution, 2160Hz PWM dimming, and a 6000mAh battery with 90W charging tech.
Similar to last year, the X200 Ultra isn’t going to debut outside China, and that’s annoying when you consider the caliber of the cameras. Still, the X200 Pro is a decent enough alternative if you need something similar, and having switched back to the device, it is easily among the best phones of the year.