Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783934234620VIVO X300 FE HELD.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">vivo X300 FE compact flagship phone. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The vivo X300 FE is a compact flagship that almost doesn’t feel like a true “fan edition” phone, but in a good way. It looks good, packs a lot of premium specs, and is easily one of the most capable photography-first phones right now. </p><p>For years, FE has meant taking a flagship phone and then tweaking its specs to make it more budget-friendly. At P54,999, the X300 FE isn&#x27;t &quot;budget&quot; by any means, but it sits comfortably below the dizzying price tags of today&#x27;s ultra flagships. And for the most part, it earns its keep.  </p><div><strong>DESIGN AND BUILD</strong></div><p>The first thing you notice about the X300 FE is how clean it looks. Our review unit came in the “Mist Purple” colorway. It also comes in the “Luxe Black” color. Although I generally prefer gadgets in black, the purple certainly has appeal. It looks almost white and only hints at its purpleness when the light hits it at certain angles. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783934278940vivo x300 fe back.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">vivo X300 FE compact flagship phone. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The matte glass back, aluminum frame, and the pill-shaped camera island complete a classy, premium package. </p><p>At just under 8mm thick and 191 grams, it feels refreshing in a market dominated by massive, top-heavy glass bricks. It feels very light in the hand. </p><p>The display itself is gorgeous, easily fighting off direct sunlight with a claimed 5,000 nits of local peak brightness and keeping things smooth with a 120Hz refresh rate. </p><p>It’s also built to handle the elements, carrying dual IP68 and IP69 certifications to survive high-pressure washdowns and accidental dunks alike.  </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783934308241VIVO X300 FE SIDE.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">vivo X300 FE compact flagship phone. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><strong>FLAGSHIP SPECS, CAMERAS</strong></div><p>Under the hood, vivo didn&#x27;t skimp. It runs Qualcomm&#x27;s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. In everyday terms, it flies. Apps open instantly, scrolling through heavy feeds is frictionless, and gaming barely makes it warm. </p><p>It also packs a generously large 6,500 mAh battery. This isn’t just a one-day phone; it’s a comfortable two-day device for anyone who isn&#x27;t shooting 4K video or playing games all afternoon. When it finally goes low-bat, the 90W wired charging gets you back to full in under an hour. </p><p>Of course, the main reason anyone looks at an X-series vivo phone is the camera system. Co-engineered with ZEISS, the triple-camera array on the back centers around a 50-megapixel main sensor and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens. </p><p>The telephoto lens is the standout performer here, offering crisp, optically stabilized 3x zoom that punches well above its weight. </p><p>However, pushing the zoom beyond its 3x optical (73mm) capability results in photos that look &quot;smoothed out.&quot; If you want a better zoom, the X300 FE can also be fitted with a 200mm telephoto lens extender, much like its more premium sibling the X300 Ultra.</p><div><strong>SAMPLE PHOTOS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936361711ruins 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936413701church night.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936448143church in.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936475381aitatihan.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936498860birds.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936517400portrait.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936541563food.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783936558562selfie.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shot with the vivo X300 FE. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The ultra-wide camera is the least impressive in the X300 FE&#x27;s array. It&#x27;s not bad, it’s actually great in ideal lighting conditions, but struggles a bit when the lights dim. This is because it&#x27;s a rather ordinary 8-megapixel sensor that noticeably drops the ball in low light compared to the other two lenses. </p><p>Content creators will be happy to know that this phone’s main camera can shoot up to 8K at 30 fps, and 4K at up to 120fps, which is pretty amazing for a compact phone. Meanwhile, the selfie camera can also shoot 4K at 60 fps. Videos come out crisp, with decent sound from the mic.</p><p>The default photo app comes with the standard AI editing capabilities in most Android phones. While I don’t personally use a lot of AI in photo editing, it would have been nice if vivo had also included tighter integration with Google’s AI editing features just for fun. </p><p>And while the software ecosystem, OriginOS 6 (built on Android 16), is fluid and promises an impressive seven years of updates, it still comes with a bit of clutter.  </p><p>Ultimately, the vivo X300 FE succeeds because it understands its audience. It gives up a few of the extreme luxury specs of its pricier siblings, but doubles down on ergonomics, battery life, and excellent zoom photography. If you&#x27;re looking for a compact, flat-screen flagship that doesn&#x27;t force you to compromise on camera quality or hardware longevity, this is one of the easiest recommendations of the year.</p><p>At almost P55k, the X300 FE hits the price levels of proper flagships from just a few years ago. I understand that there used to be a time when an FE, or T-series phone, would retail for less than P40k. But prices have risen across the board, and across all brands, no small thanks to the AI boom and its seemingly insatiable appetite for RAM, storage and other components. </p>

<p>It looks good, packs a lot of premium specs, and is easily one of the most capable photography-first phones right now. </p>

It looks good, packs a lot of premium specs, and is easily one of the most capable photography-first phones right now.

REVIEW: vivo X300 FE is a sleek, compact phone that packs a lot of photo power

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REVIEW: vivo X300 FE is a sleek, compact phone that packs a lot of photo power

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 13, 2026 06:07 PM PHT

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