So vivo Malaysia recently dropped the new vivo X200 FE, their first compact telephoto flagship under the X series. But before you rush to get one, here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw and tried out at the launch.
Looks & Feels
Right off the bat, vivo made a big point about how the X200 FE is designed to be used comfortably with one hand. And to be fair, they’re not wrong.
At 7.99mm thin and weighing just 186g, it feels light, pocketable, and easy to grip for those of us who don’t have ginormous hands.
The “squircle” frame paired with an aerospace-grade aluminium body gives it a solid, premium feel. Not slippery, not plasticky—just nice.
And when it comes to colours, this phone comes in four bold options: Pink Vibe, Blue Breeze, Yellow Glow, and Black Luxe.
We were especially drawn to Yellow Glow—it’s bright, playful, and makes a statement. If you’re the kind who treats your phone like a fashion accessory, you’ll be into it.
That said, if you’re more on the minimalist side, Black Luxe is your safest bet.
Now, the 6.31-inch flat display might feel a lil small if you’re used to large-screen devices, and it might not be ideal if your main phone activity is Netflix or mobile gaming. But for scrolling, texting, and casual multitasking use, it works.
Now, we didn’t get to test it outdoors, but under the bright indoor lights, the 1.5K LTPO panel looked OK. vivo claims 1800 nits peak brightness, so ideally, visibility under our tropical Malaysian sun shouldn’t really be a problem.
Plus, the ZEISS Master Color Display promises cinematic-level colour accuracy, which seemed decent from what we saw.
Performance Stuff
Under the hood, it’s all flagship specs. It comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chip, 24GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and a big 6500 mAh BlueVolt battery with 90W FlashCharge support.
From our brief time with it, the phone felt snappy—apps opened fast, scrolling was smooth, and multitasking seemed solid.
And bonus points for the phone’s IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, Stereo Dual Speakers, NFC, and the Infrared Remote Control feature.
Cameras
Camera-wise, this phone is stacked—at least on paper. You’ve got a 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto, a 50MP ZEISS Main Camera paired with the Sony IMX882 sensor, and a 50MP front selfie camera right in the centre punch-hole.
vivo also highlighted the phone’s new trapezoidal periscope lens design. It basically uses an M-shaped optical path to keep the telephoto module compact without bulking up the phone.
The star of the show is the ZEISS Multifocal Portrait system, which supports multiple focal lengths—23mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm—to give your shots different moods and perspectives, which actually sounds super appealing if you’re into taking close-ups and fill your gallery with headshots.
And as for videos, it can shoot on 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 120fps. You also get the usual smart tools like AI Magic Move, Image Expander, and Reflection Erase, which are cool to have.
Price & Promos
The vivo X200 FE is priced at RM3,199, which puts it firmly in the flagship-lite category. But if you pre-order now, you’ll get an instant RM200 rebate, bringing it down to RM2,999—plus some extra goodies too.
Quick Thoughts
From what we gather, the X200 FE looks like a strong pick if you’re in the market for a compact, premium phone with solid cameras and flagship specs.
The compact package is definitely the phone’s main draw in our book, as it’s one of the few phones that still respects people who don’t want big, bulky devices in their hands and pockets.
