The Vivo X200 Pro Mini Is the Small Phone That We All Deserve

The Vivo X200 series finally went official in China this week. While the X200 Pro had my attention, the X200 Pro Mini swept me off the floor. Now, its name might be quite the mouthful but the phone isn’t. Launched for CNY 4,699 (roughly $660), this mini phone features everything you can ask for from a compact flagship. Not to mention, this is also the very first phone in the world to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 9400. With that said, here’s all that Vivo’s small wonder boy entices you with, at least it has me in a trance!

Just the Right Amount of Screen

Vivo X200 Pro Mini flaunts a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with 1.5K resolution (2640 × 1216 pixels). While it’s not as small as the ASUS Zenfone 10’s 5.9-inch, iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch, or the Galaxy S24’s 6.2-inch panel, it’s still a good amount of display without feeling too much. It’s all the better to see such an offering from a brand that’s just not in the habit of launching compact phones.

The X200 Pro Mini’s panel boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the real kicker is that it is BOE’s LTPO panel, which can now drop as low as just 0.1Hz as compared to the usual 1Hz. So, you are getting not just a small and fast display, but also one that will save you more battery juice. Vivo also claims a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, which is impressive.

This is also a flat display, by the way, which is the norm for compact phones. Making things handier, this compact phone measures 150.83 × 71.76 × 8.15mm and weighs just 187 grams. Moreover, it has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Battery Life for Days!

However, the small body and compact display are not the only special things about this phone. This is where I take my hat off for Vivo. The Vivo X200 Pro Mini packs a massive 5,700mAh BlueVolt battery, which is more than what even the top flagships offer.

For reference, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, the Pixel 9 Pro XL packs a 5,060mAh battery, and the OnePlus 12 brings 5,400mAh capacity to the table.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (first impressions) has a similar capacity, and despite being a foldable phone, it impressed me with its battery performance, big time. So, one can only imagine the kind of backup this smaller monster can potentially deliver. Thanks to 90W wired charging and 30W wireless charging support, the device won’t take much time to charge fully.

Uncompromised Performance

And then, there’s also the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset under the hood. MediaTek’s latest and greatest chipset based on a 3nm fabrication process. Yes, this is that chipset that was reportedly hitting over and beyond 3 million points on AnTuTu. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, on the other hand, maxes out at somewhere around 2 million, which is almost 40% less.

While that may change with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 launch, which is also said to rack up a similar amount of points, it is about who did it first. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Exynos 2400 doesn’t even hit 2 million, in comparison.

Besides, accompanying the chipset, you also get to see a super-fast storage configuration of up to 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra Pro RAM. There’s also up to UFS 4.0 Flash Storage of up to 1TB to enjoy.

Solid Set of Cameras

Vivo X200 Pro Mini doesn’t disappoint in the camera front either. There’s a ZEISS-backed 50MP Sony LYT818 primary sensor coupled with a 50MP ISOCELL JN1 ultra-wide camera. However, the highlight of this setup is the addition of a 1/2″ 50MP periscope telephoto sensor, capable of 3x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. Yep, you heard that right.

Even the latest iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 don’t offer a telephoto sensor, let alone a periscope camera. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 features a 1/4″ telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Then, there’s also the Vivo V3+ imaging chipset, which brings that extra bit of enhancement to the shots.

However, Vivo has reused the same 32MP selfie shooter as the last set of phones, which could have been improved. Keeping that aside, there’s nothing but gold here.

The No-Compromise Compact Phone I’ve Always Wanted

Every corner I look at, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini just seems all too perfect. Moreover, Origin OS 5.0, with its seemingly incredible animations and improvements, looks incredible. Although the rest of the world will be getting the bland Android 15-based Funtouch OS 15 instead, it’s still not half bad.

While this compact phone may not launch globally, I can’t help but wish it does, somewhere down the line. The compact phone market has too many opportunities, and I’d love to see OEMs crowding this space and giving us more such stellar options.

Not too long ago, I also tested out the Moto Edge 50 Neo (first impressions), which is also a phone with a 6.3-inch screen, but a significantly cheaper mid-ranger instead. And there’s just a different kind of unexplainable appeal to such phones.

Especially so, when they’re as commendably priced as the X200 Pro Mini. I also like that you can choose from either the classic Plain White and Simple Black color options or go Light Pink and Titanium Green.

The other two phones in the lineup, the Vivo X200 and X200 Pro are impressive as well, and from the looks of it, the X200 Pro Mini is the middle ground.

But the X200 Pro Mini is giving my reviewer hands an unstoppable itch, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin! You know where to find me when that happens. Meanwhile, what do you think of Vivo’s latest compact phone? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!