Vivo X200 FE smartphone review

At Gamereactor we've lost count of the smartphones we've reviewed in 2025. Chinese manufacturers have been even more aggressive than in previous years, and there hasn't been a month without a decent or really attractive launch. In the case of Vivo in particular, between summer and autumn they have hit the markets harder than ever. And although we've been left wanting to try out the X300's telephoto lens before the turn of the year, as a starter we've had our fill of the Vivo X200 FE, a very balanced and in some respects surprising mid-range that we've tested in depth during three weeks of daily use.

Screen, dexterity and battery are its main assets, not forgetting the photos.

The X200 FE sticks to a form factor of what are now referred to as "small" phones, but it's certainly a size that's in the sweet spot for many users. As a useful comparison against a model you've seen ad nauseam, consider that it's pretty much the same as an iPhone 12, minus the Vivo's lens group bulge.

That means a "compact" 6.31-inch screen, a totally deliberate choice against the bigger and bigger units now in vogue. And that screen is very sharp and very bright, namely an efficient 1.5K LTPO that refreshes from 1 to 120 Hz and delivers 1800 nits HBM, sufficient even outdoors. If you do the math, you'll understand that we're talking about a high pixel density, which certainly adds to that great impression the screen leaves in any use.

In terms of its remarkable agility, Vivo has found a very good balance between the power of the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, the battery, and the software load and features. Whether in daily use of everyday apps, multimedia or light gaming, the X200 FE performs very smoothly and without overheating (although it does get warm), another plus for its form factor. And all this is all the more surprising when you've been on it for several hours and the remaining battery percentage has barely budged. Maybe it's the 6500 mAh capacity, maybe it's the great battery management between Funtouch OS 15 processes and LTPO savings, but the truth is that moving to this model from a similar one seems like a generational leap in this respect. Imagine: an hour watching video eats up 3%.

And the photos are great. Although it doesn't have the real glass shenanigans of the X300, the Zeiss triple unit, which includes two 50MP cameras, gives again stunning results for the range (although the wide-angle is testimonial), while the AI presets can be very useful for the general public in typical use. Too much boost to colours, overcompensation of shadows and certain "plastic" retouches are a bit of a problem in our opinion, but all this can be adjusted/deactivated.

Speaking of AI, like all 2025 models you can already find related functions in multiple sections. It doesn't seem like an excessive implementation of Google Gemini and company, but it does offer certain aids that, again, streamline everyday use, such as automatic subtitles or magic erase.

Video recording isn't quite as reliable as stills, but if that matters to you you'll have to opt for the Vivo XE200 Pro and get into the four digits. And then it comes with some somewhat contradictory features, such as the absence of an AC adapter in the box to take advantage of that mind-blowing 90W fast charge. Do you really give me headphones or a power bank and not include the brick? And the same could be said of the absence of wireless charging or the fact that the USB is the old-fashioned 2.0 version.

These are a couple of drawbacks to make it outstanding in the compact range, as it is, after all, priced at around 700 euros. But otherwise, the Vivo X200 FE is one of the best phones we've tested at this size: lightning fast and comfortable in the hand, with a solid build and sleek design, and with a great screen and above-average photography, and all this with plenty of battery life to spare.