Vivo X100s: In the ever-evolving landscape of smartphone technology, few devices have managed to capture the attention of photography enthusiasts and tech aficionados quite like the Vivo X100s.

Released in May 2024, this flagship offering from Vivo represents a significant leap forward in mobile photography capabilities while delivering exceptional performance across the board.

As smartphones increasingly replace dedicated cameras for everyday photography, the X100s stands as a testament to how far mobile imaging has come.

Design Excellence: Form Meets Function

The Vivo X100s immediately commands attention with its sophisticated design language.

The device boasts a premium build quality with a sleek profile measuring just 7.8mm in thickness and weighing 203g, striking an impressive balance between durability and portability.

Available in multiple elegant colorways including Titanium, White, Black/Dark Gray, and Green, the X100s caters to diverse aesthetic preferences while maintaining a distinct professional appeal.

The phone’s most distinguishing visual feature is undoubtedly its circular camera module on the rear, featuring Zeiss branding that hints at the photographic excellence within.

This design choice isn’t merely aesthetic—it serves as a visual statement of the device’s photography-first philosophy.

The camera bump is thoughtfully integrated into the overall design, creating a sense of visual harmony rather than appearing as an afterthought.

On the front, the device presents a stunning 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 1260×2800 resolution that delivers remarkable visual clarity.

With a refresh rate of 120Hz, peak brightness of 3000 nits, and support for HDR10+, the screen offers vibrant colors and exceptional visibility even under direct sunlight.

This flat display (unlike the curved screen on the Pro model) provides a more traditional viewing experience that many users prefer, particularly for photography and content consumption.

Camera System: A New Benchmark in Mobile Photography

The heart and soul of the Vivo X100s lies in its extraordinary camera system. Developed in collaboration with Zeiss, the triple camera array represents some of the most advanced mobile photography technology available today:

• Main Camera: A 50-megapixel Sony IMX920 sensor with an f/1.57 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS) forms the backbone of the imaging system. This large sensor excels in capturing intricate details and performs admirably in challenging lighting conditions.

• Ultra-Wide Camera: The 50-megapixel Samsung S5KJN1 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture provides a 119-degree field of view, perfect for landscape photography or group shots where a broader perspective is necessary.

• Telephoto Camera: Perhaps most impressive is the 64-megapixel Omnivision OV64B telephoto lens with an f/2.6 aperture and OIS, offering 3x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom capabilities. This allows users to capture distant subjects with remarkable clarity.

The camera system is further enhanced by Zeiss optics and specialized coatings that minimize lens flare and ghosting.

The front-facing 32-megapixel Samsung S5KGD2 camera handles selfies with aplomb, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and advanced beauty algorithms that produce natural-looking results.

What truly sets the X100s apart from competitors is its comprehensive suite of photography features.

The device offers various shooting modes including specialized night mode, portrait mode with bokeh effects, pro mode for manual controls, and even star photography for astrophotography enthusiasts.

The integration of advanced computational photography techniques allows for stunning HDR processing, creating images with exceptional dynamic range that maintain details in both shadows and highlights.

Video capabilities are equally impressive, with support for 4K recording at 60fps across all rear cameras and electronic image stabilization that ensures smooth footage even during movement.

The dedicated video mode offers cinematic effects and real-time filters that elevate casual videos to professional-looking content.

Performance: Power Without Compromise

Under the hood, the Vivo X100s houses the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, a powerhouse chipset that delivers exceptional performance across all usage scenarios.

This processor represents a significant upgrade over its predecessor, featuring a higher boost clock speed of 3.4GHz and an improved APU that provides a 10% enhancement for on-device AI tasks.

In benchmark tests, the Dimensity 9300+ demonstrates impressive capabilities, scoring over 2.3 million points on AnTuTu and showing notable improvements in both single-core and multi-core performance on GeekBench.

These numbers translate to real-world performance that handles everything from intensive gaming to complex computational photography with ease.

The chipset is complemented by up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and storage options ranging from 256GB to a massive 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage, ensuring smooth multitasking and ample space for photos, videos, and applications.

The combination of powerful hardware and optimized software results in a smartphone experience that feels instantaneously responsive regardless of the task at hand.

Battery life doesn’t suffer despite the powerful components, thanks to an ample 5100mAh battery that easily lasts a full day of heavy usage.

When it’s time to recharge, the 100W fast charging capability can take the battery from empty to 50% in just minutes, and to full capacity in around half an hour, minimizing downtime.

Software Experience: Intuitive and Feature-Rich

The Vivo X100s runs on OriginOS 4, based on Android 14, offering a clean and intuitive user interface with thoughtful additions that enhance functionality without overwhelming users.

The software experience is particularly optimized for photography, with a camera app that provides immediate access to various shooting modes while maintaining a user-friendly interface.

AI features are integrated throughout the system, from intelligent scene recognition in the camera to smart battery management and contextual recommendations.

These AI enhancements work seamlessly in the background, learning user preferences over time to create a more personalized experience.

Security features include an under-display fingerprint scanner that’s both fast and reliable, complemented by robust facial recognition for convenient device unlocking.

The software also includes comprehensive privacy controls, allowing users to manage permissions and data access with granular precision.

Connectivity and Additional Features

The X100s doesn’t skimp on connectivity options, featuring 5G compatibility for lightning-fast mobile data, Wi-Fi 6 for speedy home networking, Bluetooth 5.4 for reliable peripheral connections, and NFC for contactless payments.

These modern connectivity standards ensure the device remains future-proof for years to come.

Audio quality deserves special mention, with stereo speakers that deliver rich, immersive sound enhanced by Hi-Res Audio certification and Dolby Atmos technology.

While the device doesn’t include a 3.5mm headphone jack, it supports high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs for wireless listening.

Additional features include IP69 water and dust resistance, providing protection against the elements, and an advanced cooling system that helps maintain performance during extended usage sessions.

These quality-of-life enhancements contribute to a device that feels thoroughly premium in everyday use.

The X100s in the Competitive Landscape

When positioned against contemporaries like the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, iPhone 16 Pro, and Google Pixel 9, the Vivo X100s carves out a distinct identity primarily through its photography capabilities.

While other flagship devices offer excellent cameras, the X100s’ partnership with Zeiss and focus on optical excellence rather than purely computational photography creates a unique proposition for users who prioritize image quality.

Performance-wise, the Dimensity 9300+ chipset proves competitive with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in many rival devices, sometimes even edging ahead in certain benchmarks, particularly in CPU-intensive tasks.

This performance parity, combined with the standout camera system, makes the X100s a compelling alternative to more mainstream flagship options.

In terms of value, the X100s occupies an interesting middle ground—priced below the absolute premium tier occupied by devices like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra, yet offering comparable or superior photography capabilities and performance.

Vivo X100s: A Photographer’s Dream Smartphone

The Vivo X100s represents one of the most compelling photography-focused smartphones of 2025.

By combining exceptional camera hardware with sophisticated image processing, powerful performance, and thoughtful design, Vivo has created a device that will appeal strongly to mobile photography enthusiasts and general users alike.

The X100s demonstrates Vivo’s growing confidence and expertise in the premium smartphone segment, offering genuine innovation rather than merely iterative improvements.

For users who value mobile photography and demand flagship-level performance, the Vivo X100s stands as one of the most impressive options available today.

While some may lament the absence of certain features like expandable storage or a headphone jack, these omissions reflect broader industry trends rather than specific shortcomings of the X100s.

What Vivo offers instead is a carefully considered balance of cutting-edge technology, practical features, and specialized photography capabilities that make the X100s not just a phone with a good camera, but a genuine photography tool that happens to be a phone.

In a market where meaningful differentiation between flagship devices becomes increasingly difficult, the Vivo X100s succeeds in carving out a distinct identity.

It represents a future where smartphones don’t just match dedicated cameras but potentially surpass them through the combination of hardware excellence, computational photography, and always-available convenience.

For photography enthusiasts seeking the ultimate mobile imaging experience, the Vivo X100s deserves serious consideration.