Vivo bought rather a lot proper with the X90 Professional, and it’s persevering with that momentum with the X100 sequence. The X100 Professional has the identical broad design, however that is the place the similarities finish — you get a brand new AMOLED panel that goes as much as 3,000 nits, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300 is an unbelievable cellular chipset that goes up towards the very best that Qualcomm has to supply, and there is a bigger battery.
The largest improve is across the cameras, with Vivo providing a trio of 50MP cameras that will simply be among the many greatest you will discover right this moment. The software program has a recent coat of paint as properly, and the gadget will get long-term updates. Vivo is basically preempting its rivals by rolling out its 2024 flagship globally forward of the likes of the OnePlus 12, Xiaomi 14, and Galaxy S24 Extremely, so let’s check out what you are getting with the X100 Professional, and whether or not it measures up in real-world use.
Vivo X100 Professional: Specs, value, and launch date
Vivo unveiled the X100 sequence in China in November 2023, and launched the gadgets globally on December 15. There are two fashions within the sequence — the X100 and X100 Professional — and there is not a complete lot totally different between the 2.
Each gadgets function the identical 6.7-inch AMOLED panel and the identical Dimensity 9300 platform, and have equivalent designs. The X100 Professional comes with a 1-inch most important digicam alongside a 50MP zoom lens that goes as much as 4.3x optical zoom, with the X100 utilizing a 50MP 1/1.49-inch digicam and a 64MP zoom module that does 3x. Each gadgets use the identical 50MP wide-angle lens.
The X100 Professional has a bigger 5400mAh battery, however you get 100W charging — the X100 has a 5000mAh battery with 120W charging tech. Each gadgets at the moment are obtainable in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, they usually’re launching in India on January 4.
| Class | Vivo X100 Professional |
|---|---|
| OS | Funtouch 14 based mostly on Android 14 |
| Show | 6.78-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED, 2800×1260, HDR10+, 3000 nits |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 9300, Immortalis-G720, 4nm |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear digicam 1 | 50MP f/1.8 23mm, 1/0.98-inch sensor, OIS, 4K at 60fps |
| Rear digicam 2 | 50MP f/2.0 15mm wide-angle, 1/2.76-inch sensor, autofocus |
| Rear digicam 3 | 50MP f/2.5 100mm 4.3x telephoto, 1/2-inch sensor, OIS |
| Entrance digicam | 32MP f/2.0 |
| Ingress safety | IP68 mud and water resistance |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, Sub-6 5G |
| Safety | In-screen optical fingerprint |
| Audio | USB-C, stereo sound, 24-bit/192kHz |
| Battery | 5400mAh battery, 100W charging, 50W wi-fi charging |
| Dimensions | 164.1 x 75.3 x 9.1mm |
| Colours | Asteroid Black, Startrail Blue |
Vivo X100 Professional: Design
Vivo hasn’t modified the design an excessive amount of from the X90 Professional, so that you get a big slab of a cellphone with a large digicam island on the again. If something, the digicam housing is even bigger than final 12 months, and it dominates the eye on the again — very similar to anchovies on a pizza. There’s a chrome steel ring that encircles the digicam housing, and there is Zeiss branding within the center.
The again of the cellphone appears good because of the round digicam island, and in contrast to final 12 months, you do not get a garish steel band that runs throughout the width of the gadget (fortunately). There’s nonetheless the Xtreme Creativeness tagline emblazoned beneath the digicam island, however you may simply conceal that away with a case. One other change is the supplies, with Vivo going again to a glass again this time round — there isn’t any vegan leather-based choice. The again has a silky end, and whereas it is not as good because the leather-backed X90 Professional, it’s higher than a shiny coating.
There are two coloration variants this time round — Asteroid Black and Startrail Blue — and the latter is the extra fascinating of the 2. I am utilizing the black variant, and it is not fairly as evocative because the blue model, which is impressed by the Milky Approach and has a novel design on the again. The gadget itself is nice to carry and use, and whereas it’s on the heavier aspect at 225g, Vivo nailed the load distribution.
You additionally get a dual-curved design, however the curvature is minimal, and there is sufficient thickness across the mid-frame to carry the gadget with none points in any way — this hasn’t all the time been the case with a couple of telephones I utilized in 2023. The cellphone makes use of a chrome steel mid-frame as properly, and the positioning of the buttons hasn’t modified; the facility and quantity buttons are on the precise, you get the USB-C port and SIM card tray on the backside, and there is an IR blaster up high.
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What’s fascinating concerning the X100 Professional is that it does not wobble when sitting on a flat floor, and that is right down to the gargantuan digicam housing. That stated, my solely quibble with the design is that the in-screen fingerprint module sits too near the underside of the display screen, making it awkward to entry when utilizing the cellphone one-handed. I had the identical problem with the iQOO 12 as properly, and as Vivo is utilizing the identical panel on each telephones, the situation of the module was unchanged as properly.
To spherical issues off, you get IP68 mud and water resistance, just like the X90 sequence. Total, Vivo did not alter the design language an excessive amount of over final 12 months, however the bigger digicam housing mixed with the refined tweaks to the design make the X100 Professional that rather more distinctive.
Vivo X100 Professional: Show
Vivo retained the identical 6.78-inch display screen dimension as final 12 months, however the X100 Professional makes use of a brand-new panel sourced from BOE. The massive differentiator right here is that it goes as much as 3,000 nits in HDR content material, a sizeable achievement. You get the standard options that you simply’d need in a flagship, together with an LTPO AMOLED panel, 2160Hz PWM dimming that is designed to be straightforward on the eyes, and 120Hz refresh. The refresh dynamically scales based mostly on the content material you are viewing, and I had no points on this space.
The X100 Professional has tiny bezels on all sides, and the curvature of the display screen is not a hindrance in each day use. Colours are nice out of the field, and you may tweak the colour steadiness, change the display screen decision (between 2400×1080 and 2800×1260) and use a slew of AI-backed options that increase coloration vibrancy in YouTube and Netflix.
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As you’d think about, the X100 Professional has terrific colours and distinction ranges, and streaming HDR content material is totally gratifying on the gadget. It additionally does a terrific job with gaming, and fortunately, you are not restricted to 60fps — if a recreation enables you to plat at 120fps, you are able to do simply that on the gadget.
Apart from that, you get the standard set of options; the always-on mode has loads of customizability, and you may arrange your personal types. Onboard sound is excellent too, and also you get serviceable stereo sound whereas enjoying video games and streaming content material. In fact, there’s distortion at larger volumes, however that is the case with most telephones.
Whereas the display screen dimension hasn’t modified, the elevated brightness and coloration constancy makes the X100 Professional that rather more gratifying. Vivo did all the precise issues on this space, and I am excited to see what different manufacturers do with this panel.
Vivo X100 Professional: Efficiency and battery
Vivo converted to MediaTek on its high-end telephones final 12 months, and the X100 Professional sees the introduction of the Dimensity 9300. There’s plenty of pleasure across the Dimensity 9300 because it makes use of a customized core configuration that is totally different to absolutely anything else on this class. Primarily, you get 4 massive Cortex X4 cores which can be joined by 4 Cortex A720 cores that deal with a lot of the day-to-day duties.
Going this route means the Dimensity 9300 has a noticeable benefit over the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in multi-core workloads. I assumed there can be elevated battery utilization as the standard A520 effectivity cores are lacking right here, however that hasn’t been the case; the A720 cores are clocked at 2.0GHz, and within the two weeks I used the cellphone, the facility draw was on par with the iQOO 12, in order that’s a great signal. Principally, the X100 Professional ought to maintain its personal towards the greatest Android telephones on this regard.
| Class | Vivo X100 Professional | iQOO 12 | iPhone 15 Professional Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrossMark (Total) | 1177 | 1324 | 1401 |
| Productiveness | 1216 | 1302 | 1404 |
| Creativity | 1143 | 1320 | 1573 |
| Responsiveness | 1186 | 1404 | 984 |
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 2220 | 2552 | 2950 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 7258 | 6952 | 7381 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (rating) | 4610 | 4329 | 3648 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (FPS) | 27.60 | 25.92 | 21.9 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (rating) | 7600 | 8042 | 5024 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (FPS) | 28.9 | 32.33 | 19.1 |
The Dimensity 9300 is excellent in each day use, and I did not see any points in any way with efficiency; the X100 Professional is among the many quickest telephones obtainable right this moment, and it dealt with demanding video games in addition to multi-tasking with out breaking a sweat. The one space the place there is a noticeable distinction over Qualcomm-powered gadgets is throttling; working the identical recreation on the X100 Professional and iQOO 12 confirmed that the Dimensity 9300 had a bent to throttle a bit earlier, and it bought barely hotter as properly.
Vivo is not altering issues an excessive amount of by way of storage variants; the bottom mannequin of the X100 Professional comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, and people variants go as much as 16GB/1TB. That stated, we’ll have to attend and see if the 1TB mannequin turns into obtainable in most world markets.
There is not something lacking on the connectivity aspect of issues both, with the X100 Professional that includes world 5G connectivity over Sub-6 bands, a Wi-Fi 7 modem that is designed to take full benefit of multi-Gigabit networks, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, twin band GPS, and AptX HD codecs. The vibration motor is great as properly, and it delivers granular suggestions in each day use.
Most manufacturers used a typical 5000mAh battery during the last three days, however we’re seeing that change in 2024, with 5400mAh models beginning to turn into the norm. Identical to the iQOO 12, the X100 Professional makes use of a 5400mAh battery that sees two 2700mAh cells, and it goes as much as 100W and 50W wirelessly. Battery life is excellent, and I simply bought as much as two days of use persistently with the gadget. Even with heavy use, I managed a day and a half earlier than charging the gadget, and there is completely no battery nervousness on the gadget.
Though the X100 Professional goes as much as 100W, Vivo bundles its 120W charger within the field. A full cost takes simply over 32 minutes, and you may simply get to the 50% mark in simply over 12 minutes. The one draw back is that the charger is cumbersome, however the truth that you get one within the field in any respect is a giant deal nowadays.
Vivo X100 Professional: Cameras
The X100 Professional continues Vivo’s heritage of providing sturdy cameras, and this time, there are appreciable upgrades on provide. The cellphone has a 50MP Sony IMX989 most important digicam with a 1-inch sensor, and it is joined by a 50MP wide-angle with autofocus, and a 50MP zoom lens with 4.3x optical zoom. The entrance 32MP module is unchanged, and it nonetheless solely does 1080p video.
Vivo touts a brand new stabilization system that makes a distinction when taking pictures the zoom lens or taking macro photographs, and the primary digicam has Zeiss’s T* coating that is designed to scale back reflexivity significantly. You additionally get a customized V3 imaging chip that allows Cinematic Portrait movies at 4K and delivers pure pores and skin tone segmentation, and the 6nm design is 30% extra power environment friendly than final 12 months.
The digicam interface is equivalent to the X90 sequence, and also you get all of the taking pictures modes in a ribbon on the backside, with toggles for the varied lenses, Google Lens, flash, magnificence results, and macro mode. Much like what Xiaomi and different Chinese language producers provide on their telephones, Vivo has a slew of customized results that leverage Zeiss’s lenses.
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Coming to sunlight photographs, the X100 Professional does a terrific job outside and indoors, with resultant photographs providing nice dynamic vary and coloration vibrancy. There is no seen noise ranges, colours aren’t overly saturated, and foliage is rendered precisely. The principle digicam does extremely properly in low-light conditions as properly, delivering pictures with good particulars and minimal noise.
It does a very good job in eventualities the place there’s little to no seen mild, and the evening mode positively turns out to be useful. What I like is the pure bokeh when taking pictures of close by objects, and the X100 Professional does a terrific job on this regard. The wide-angle lens holds up properly, and whereas there have been situations the place the colour steadiness was a bit off at occasions, these points have been rectified with a software program replace.
The telephoto lens is without doubt one of the greatest you will discover on any gadget right this moment, and it delivers detailed pictures at a 4.3x zoom degree with no noticeable loss in high quality. It does a terrific job in low-light scenes as properly, and you will get first rate photographs as much as 10x with out an excessive amount of of a problem. In the same vein, the cellphone takes unbelievable portrait photographs, and you may select between a number of focal lengths and results.
With 4 focal lengths to select from — 24mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm — the X100 Professional gives one of the crucial versatile digicam packages obtainable right this moment, and the auxiliary lenses do a standout job in most eventualities. All three cameras can shoot 4K video at 60fps as properly, and the built-in stabilization is among the many greatest on Android. On the entire, the X100 Professional has what it takes to go up towards the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Extremely and Pixel 8 Professional.
Vivo X100 Professional: Software program
The largest problem with utilizing Vivo telephones prior to now was the software program, and fortunately, the model has made constructive strides on this space during the last 12 months. The X100 Professional runs Funtouch OS 14 based mostly on Android 14 out of the field, and it has a cleaner UI together with plenty of customizability. However what I like greatest is that there is much less bloatware than earlier years.
You aren’t getting a lot in the best way of Materials You influences aside from the dynamic coloration picker, however that in itself makes plenty of distinction to the interface, and offers it plenty of vibrancy. Contemplating the interface was a poor imitation of iOS even till a couple of years in the past, this can be a fairly massive turnaround, and Vivo deserves plenty of credit score.
There’s nonetheless loads of customization obtainable, whether or not you need to arrange always-on types, change the look of the overview menu, tweak residence display screen transitions, arrange lighting results, and so forth. Vivo bundles Google’s dialer and Android Messages out of the field, and the notification pane has two massive tiles that may be personalized alongside smaller tiles.
The interface is optimized to make the most of the highly effective {hardware}, and it’s clean in each day use. On the entire, I like what Vivo did right here, and the UI is a particular enchancment from earlier variations. On that observe, Vivo ensures 4 platform updates, so the X100 Professional will get long-term updates on par with its speedy rivals.
Vivo X100 Professional: The competitors
For those who just like the look of the X100 Professional however need one thing that is extra value-focused, chances are you’ll need to think about the iQOO 12. You principally get the identical software program, identical AMOLED panel that goes as much as 3,000 nits, and it is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. I additionally just like the design fairly a bit, and the 5400mAh battery means you needn’t plug it in throughout the day. The cameras are a lot better than final 12 months, but it surely is not on the identical degree because the X100 Professional. That stated, the iQOO 12 is rather more inexpensive.
Then there’s the OnePlus 12. The gadget is but to make its world debut, but it surely additionally has plenty of similarities to the X100 Professional — which is affordable as each manufacturers are owned by BBK — and I am excited to check out its cameras. In the same vein, the Xiaomi 14 is debuting globally in Q1 2024, and it additionally has cameras that ought to maintain up properly towards the X100 Professional.
Vivo X100 Professional: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You desire a cellphone that may take wonderful pictures and movies
- You want the very best {hardware} obtainable on Android proper now
- You need one of many brightest screens on any gadget
- You want all-day battery and ultra-fast charging tech
You should not purchase this if:
- You’re taking plenty of movies with the selfie digicam
- You want well timed software program updates
Finally, the X100 Professional is Vivo’s greatest effort but, and it’s a terrific showcase for 2024. The cellphone has appreciable upgrades in key areas over the X90 Professional, together with a considerably brighter AMOLED display screen that is a delight to make use of, sooner internals, bigger battery that lasts longer, and a lot better cameras with refined tweaks to the tuning that make the X100 Professional maintain up towards the very best Android telephones.
I additionally just like the path Vivo is taking with regard to its software program efforts, and the newest iteration of Funtouch OS appears clear and fashionable, has loads of customizability, and fewer bloatware than ever earlier than. Truthfully, I can not consider many negatives right here, and when you’re in a rustic the place Vivo formally sells the X100 Professional, you need to think about choosing it up.
