Vivo X Fold 3 Pro review: Easily outperforms other foldable devices

Vivo has launched its first foldable smartphone in India: the X Fold 3 Pro. While Vivo already had foldable models in the Chinese market, it took the time to study the Indian market, its aspirations and, most importantly, the mistakes of other smartphone players selling flexible cases here before launching its foldable phone. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has Samsung’s Z Fold series and OnePlus Open to compete with as it focuses on proportional weight, durability, optics and a more refined bend. Will this be enough to convince luxury buyers? Let’s find out.

Design

The design of Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is impressive at first glance. It could almost be considered a telephone in a bar. The device weighs only 236 grams and is so evenly distributed that it does not burden the hand. It is only available in black. The matte finish on the back ensures a firm grip and stays clean, free of fingerprints and scratches.

The buttons are easy to access even though it is in the open state. A positive addition is the alert slider commonly found on OnePlus flagship phones. The circular camera module resembles the X100 Pro with minor changes.

Vivo used an ultra-durable carbon fiber hinge in the X Fold 3 Pro. It feels sturdy and solid when opening and closing. The phone’s hinge is expected to last 12 years, which translates into 100 folds/unfolds per day. The hinge allows movement from 60° to 120°. Both the front and back are protected by Armor glass. The phone is IPX8 rated for water immersion. The in-display fingerprint scanner on the case is surprisingly fast and rarely misses recognition.

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Display

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro cover screen has a diagonal of 6.53 inches and is made in LTPO 8T AMOLED technology with a resolution of 2748 x 1172 at a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. When you first encounter it, the glow is striking in its brightness, excellent color reproduction and sharpness. When unfolded, you are greeted by an 8.03-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2480×2200. The main display has the same refresh rate and brightness levels as the main screen. Both displays support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The fingerprint scanner will automatically appear on the home screen even when it is unfolded. You don’t have to register again.

The main screen of the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is almost unobtrusive when viewing content thanks to its crease-free design. You may feel depressed, but it disappears the moment you start watching or reading. This is a big plus because the foldable devices available on the market have not solved this main problem. Being a multitasking phone, you can use it in flex or split screen mode, where you can maximize the potential of the phone and its large screen.

Editor

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and comes in a single variant with 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. The 4nm processor is widely used in mainstream premium phones launching in 2024. The tried and tested processor easily handles anything thrown at it. Performance is on par with flagship phones, and the end result is more satisfying. Scrolling, multitasking and switching between applications is not a major problem for him. 16 GB of RAM increases its performance and provides enough space for gaming. The phone gets hot during prolonged use like gaming, photography and even while charging, which can also be attributed to the immense heat in Delhi. Using it in Chennai where the weather was cool and rainy, no heating was noticed.

The X Fold 3 Pro runs on Funtouch 14 based on Android 14. There are pre-installed apps that can be uninstalled. The phone is also one of the first to feature built-in Gemini Pro technology, which helps with note-taking and recording, but to use these features outside of your Gmail account, you’ll need to use or create a Vivo login separately. Vivo only promised 3 software updates, which is strange for a super luxury phone.

Camera

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is one of the best camera phones to date, and it shines among foldable phone fans. The Vivo-ZEISS connection is provided by a triple rear camera, led by a 50MP primary lens with OIS and another 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, as well as a 64MP telephoto lens with OIS. These are not just numbers, but in most conditions they produce truly stunning images.

Images in daylight are vivid and rich in natural shades. Fortunately, saturation does not occur. Photos are clear, retain detail and remain warmer during the day. OIS works well and helps you get a good blur-free photo if you or the subject is moving. A wide-angle lens allows you to cover a large area and allows you to gather information in the frame quite easily. The details may not be completely accurate, but the goal of having a wide lens is easy to achieve. Sometimes the edges are not well defined when using an ultra-wide angle lens.

The 64MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and 100x digital zoom is the star of the trio. It allows you to explore undownloaded stuff quite thoroughly. 3x optical zoom preserves the identity of the subject, preserves details and enhances natural tones. The 10x zoom also works well for most routine tasks. As you progress, the quality will of course decrease. Macro photos are good too.

Portrait mode is a must for various focal lengths such as 23mm, 35mm, 50mm, 80mm, and 100mm. It helps you analyze the type of portraits you want, which is not common. ZEISS bokeh flare modes can greatly help you achieve your photography goals with the X Fold 3 Pro.

Night photography is another segment where the X Fold 3 Pro shines.

Cinematic Portrait can make you feel like you’re on an iPhone when recording videos. There’s also a Supermoon option if you want to impress your muse.

There are two 32MP front cameras on the cover and main screen of the X Fold 3 Pro. I tried both day and night and the results were impressive. They retain the natural color tone, but you have to set it to original or it will add a layer on top.

Battery

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is significantly ahead of the competition thanks to its huge 5,700 mAh battery. It adds charm to your multimedia experience thanks to its long battery life. For the ideal user, it will last more than a day filled with daily tasks. Moreover, it gets support from a 100W fast charger that fills to 100 percent in about 50-55 minutes from 0. Wireless charging is also supported.

Verdict

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is a well-thought-out phone that outperforms other foldable devices currently on the market thanks to its balanced weight distribution, impressive design, and defining camera experience. The durability of the hinge is equally good. The absence of creases on the main display allows it to achieve what most foldable devices could not, thus ensuring an immersive interaction with the phone. Processing is as good as it gets. A rich set of cameras gives the X Fold 3 Pro an additional advantage with which users can achieve the desired effect.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers a comprehensive foldable smartphone experience at an additional price of ₹ 1,59,999. Considering this is the company’s first foldable phone in India, Vivo could have cut margins a bit more to ensure stiff competition from the OnePlus Open and Galaxy Z Fold5.