A bend above the rest

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has quickly become my favorite smartphone. It has the best camera in a foldable phone, the fold is minimal, and Vivo impressed me with its smart software features for increased productivity. I expected the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to take over from the OnePlus Open for best foldable phone, but the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro topped the charts before the Fold 6 launched.

I prefer foldables for the added functionality and convenience of having a tablet-sized display in my pocket. However, there are often compromises, especially in terms of design and camera.

For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers the most refined software in a foldable phone, while the OnePlus Open offers the best multitasking software with Open Canvas. And Honor has created the thinnest foldable phone with the Magic V2.

However, they all have their flaws – Samsung and Honor’s cameras are not on par with premium phones, while OnePlus offers a good balance between design, features and cameras, Vivo has surpassed it with an even better camera system, more ergonomic design and wireless charging.

It’s expensive, but the new Vivo foldable is my favorite phone for three reasons.

The perfect media consumption device

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro doesn’t feel unwieldy in the hand, thanks to its 11.2mm thickness and 236g weight. While I found the Honor Magic V2 more ergonomic due to its slimmer design, the OnePlus Open isn’t far behind either, weighing 239g. But the foldable Vivo feels more natural to hold and unfold. However, the back is prone to scratches and is the slipperiest of the bunch. I recommend using a case on it.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has a 6.5-inch external screen and an 8-inch foldable display. Both are bright and sharp, support HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and a 120Hz refresh rate. I unfold the phone whenever I need to read an article or e-book (I read a lot on my phone), and I didn’t feel the need for it to be brighter in any conditions. It was a pleasant experience consuming content on this device.

By comparison, the OnePlus Open’s screen still feels better with its 20.1:9 aspect ratio, but Vivo’s phones have always been taller than its competitors, and you get used to it. My constant pet peeve with foldable phones — the black bars on the cover screen for Instagram Stories — remains. That’s something that will only be addressed once Instagram better optimizes its app for foldable phones. It’s gotten better over time with the navigation bar on the left edge of the main screen, but it’s not yet fully optimized for foldable phones.

As for the fold, it’s the least noticeable on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro out of all the book-style foldable and flip phones I’ve used, including Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, Tecno, and Honor. Reading and viewing is top-notch. The hinge is solid, and the phone stays in place up to about 150 degrees when unfolded. Overall, it’s a well-built phone for media consumption. The speakers are loud, but they sound shallow to me. I recommend watching movies with headphones on.

Surprisingly enjoyable intelligent software solutions

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the same as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Oppo Find X7 Pro, and other 2024 flagship phones. Qualcomm has done a great job with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and I’m yet to see a bad phone with this processor. The Vivo phone comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro runs smoothly and responsively for everyday tasks. My regular usage includes a lot of social media (Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp), browsing and reading (Chrome or Kindle), some navigation, and listening to songs (YouTube Music or Spotify). I had no issues with jumping between apps, multitasking, and everyday use.

During my review process, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro regularly lasted the entire day. It has a 5,700mAh battery that supports 100W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. The phone can charge from 15% to 90% in 35 minutes using wired charging, while the latter requires the Vivo 2’s vertical flash charger.

I expect great hardware and cameras from Vivo, but the most surprising aspect of using the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro was how impressed I was with its FunTouch OS 14, based on Android 14. Two features that stood out to me were the Fold-to-Split feature and the AOD desk calendar.

When using the Fold-to-Split feature when unfolded, a quick fold and unfold (going from 180 degrees flat to 160 degrees and back to 180 degrees in a second) triggers a split screen. As a writer (and chronically online person), I research things and add to Google Keep all the time, and sometimes have Twitter and Chrome open on the same screen, and I’ve found this action to be better than the gestures on any smartphone. It’s more natural and faster than a few swipes.

As for the AOD desk calendar, you can think of it as a variation on the iPhone’s standby mode, without charging. You can place the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro in tent mode with the Always-On display, and it will tell you the time – useful as a bedside clock.

In addition to these noteworthy features, FunTouch OS on the X Fold 3 Pro offers a ton of smart AI features like Note Assist, Translation, Transcript Assist, and more. If I could change one thing about the software, I would want FunTouch OS to feel faster.

The best cameras in a foldable device

I loved the camera system in the OnePlus Open, and it’s the best the company has ever made. However, after upgrading to the Vivo X100 Pro in December 2023, I couldn’t go back to the Open. The X100 Pro has remained my travel companion ever since, and the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro comes close despite its hardware limitations.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has a triple rear camera setup with ZEISS optics. It consists of a 50MP main camera, a 64MP telephoto camera that supports 3x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, up to 100x digital zoom and macro shots, and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. This makes it the best camera system you can get in a foldable phone, and it comes close to the Vivo X100 Pro.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro takes amazing photos with pleasing colors, which is what you would expect from a premium phone. However, I would like to discuss the telephoto camera. It offers multiple focal lengths, hybrid zoom, and up to 100x digital zoom.

I like the camera setup on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro and appreciate the Styles in Portrait mode. For example, I took the above photos at a camera museum using the Vintage Style in Portrait mode, which adds more character to the photo.

You’ll need to experiment with your camera to find the right styles for different scenarios, keeping in mind that these can’t be changed when editing in the Gallery app.

While there are times when you can see a halo effect on the edges of your subject, most photos come out stunning. The 50MP ultra-wide camera also maintains colors and tones consistent with the main camera.

You also get a 32MP front-facing camera on both the outer screen and the inner foldable display, intended primarily for video calls. For selfies on any foldable phone, I recommend unfolding the device and using the main camera system.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro Review: Verdict

I can’t wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is set to launch next week. If you want the most polished foldable phone experience, Samsung still leads the pack with OneUI on the Galaxy Z Fold series. However, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers a great balance between hardware, camera, and software.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has excellent displays, powerful performance, amazing cameras, efficient software features, and good battery life. I expect Samsung will have a hard time beating the near-perfect Vivo foldable.

For frequent travellers, it’s worth noting that the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro doesn’t support an eSIM. I often add a temporary eSIM to my phone when I travel abroad. If that doesn’t worry you, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is the best foldable phone you can buy right now – despite its higher price tag of 160,000 Indian rupees ($1,910).