Vivo’s follow-up compact flagship is looking like a camera-first rebel-rouser, with good reason to think it could embarrass the dual-camera rig ostensibly destined for the iPhone 17 where it (potentially) matters most: reach, resolution and optical flexibility. Preliminary revelations from a company product lead alongside popular Chinese tipsters suggest a pocket-friendly phone with no cut corners on pro-grade zoom hardware.
A flagship killer with serious optics
Vivo’s product manager Han Boxiao revealed on Weibo that the X300 will have a smaller footprint than last year’s regular model, being of a similar size to the X200 Pro Mini. Look for a 6.31-inch LTPO screen rather than the endless slabs that have become the de facto standard. Boxiao even compared the thin bezels to Apple’s diminutive Pro iPhone, suggesting a cautious bid for users who also want one-handed ergonomics, without sacrificing capability.
That diminutive body won’t constrain the camera. Boxiao also confirmed the X300 will feature an apochromatic (APO) periscope telephoto module —making this one of only a few small phones to do so. APO optics has been used in conjunction with special acromatism to neutralize colour aberration at all apertures and wavelengths, for improved fidelity of colour and more explicit microcontrast. The wear should be more convincing at longer focal lengths, for clean textures like hair, foliage, or architecture.
APO periscope zoom vs. Apple’s dual-camera play
Reputable leaker Digital Chat Station has linked the X300’s periscope with a 50MP Sony LYT602 sensor, which is a high-resolution footing that could help facilitate proper optical reach as well as lossless-compression crops at in-between zoom stops. Boxiao also teased telephoto macro abilities, ostensibly meaning the same lens can take stabilized close-up shots — that could be detailed product snapshots or flower petals with organic bokeh, without the usual head pounding from focus breathing.
That’s in contrast to industry rumblings about Apple’s next standard iPhone, which are looking more and more likely to maintain a dual-camera design (probably a wide and ultrawide) and lack an exclusive telephoto lens. Apple’s computational photography being class-leading still for skin tones and video aside, physics just still isn’t with glass when it comes to needing clean zoom. A 50MP periscope with APO correction can keep detail and color fringing in check in ways that digital zoom just can’t, and especially at 3x to 6x, where the actual photographing happens: stage performances, kids on a field, cityscapes from a balcony.
Nor is it simply a matter of headline amplification. The X300 ought to provide faster, steadier focus and tighter framing in the dim venues where phone cameras typically stumble, thanks to a stabilized periscope and a high-res sensor. That combination instantly gives it an easy advantage over a dual-camera competitor relying on crop-factor zoom.
Display and biometrics: small phone, no small sacrifice
Outside of the camera, the X300’s display stack suggests business time is imminent. The 6.31-inch panel is procured from BOE – the company behind upscale screens in devices from companies such as OnePlus and OPPO. Look out for high-frequency 2,160Hz PWM dimming for lower flicker sensitivity and an eye-protection mode that drops brightness all the way down to a barely legible 1 nit for late-night reading without sore eyes from glare. A great-sounding, efficient ultrasonic fingerprint reader — which is a huge improvement over the optical scanner used on some older models — assures faster, more accurate unlocks, even if your fingers are damp.
Pro-level horsepower and (image) processor power
The messaging of Vivo seems to hint at “pro-level performance.” It’s widely perceived to be about a transition to the next flagship tier MediaTek Dimensity platform. If over time that becomes a reality, the ambitious camera hardware will be augmented by cutting edge ARM CPU cores, boosted ISP throughput and AI acceleration. By the way, the company has also been investing in color science and stabilization algorithms, which matter every bit as much as lens glass when you’re processing tricky textures or stitching multi-frame HDR at high zoom ratios.
There’s also a Pro version coming, complete with 200MP telephoto, and bespoke sensor so says company commenting shared in China. And while that’s not exactly top-tier, it does highlight the fact that the brand is aiming to own zoom photography across price points — a not-so-subtle dig at competitors that reserve serious telephoto hardware for their most expensive models.
Why it matters for buyers
“Most people are shooting a lot more ‘situational zoom’ than they think they are — be it in the back row of a school assembly” or taking wildlife while hiking, Mr. Jordan said. And on the latter, only a true telephoto can make or break the shot. Compact flagship, APO periscope lens and tele-macro mode is a spicy combination, and if Vivo nails autofocus speed, stabilization and color consistency we might have a new bar for small phones going forward.
Apple’s base iPhone offerings are still terrific all-arounders — especially for video — yet if the next standard iPhone stays reliant on a dual-camera system, it might struggle to encompass the X300’s optical range and detail retention. Some users looking to downsize to a smaller device while still being able to get real zoom may find that this Android rival has the superior photographic toolkit built right in.
Final judgment will (need to) wait until image tuning, thermal performance, and price are all known. But on paper — and with whispers from a Vivo product manager and reliable supply chain watchers — this small flagship has all the right parts to make the likes of Apple’s dual-camera systems take notice.