A Fold Above The Rest

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has quickly become my favorite smartphone. It features the best camera setup on a foldable phone, squeezing is minimal, and Vivo impressed me with smart software features for increased productivity. I expected the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to take over from the OnePlus Open as the best foldable phone, but the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro took the top spot ahead of the Fold 6’s launch.

I prefer foldables for greater functionality and the convenience of having a tablet-sized display in my pocket. However, this often involves compromises, especially in design and camera.

For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers the most perfect software experience on a foldable device, while the OnePlus Open offers the best multitasking software with Open Canvas. And Honor has made the thinnest foldable phone with the Magic V2.

But they all have their flaws – Samsung and Honor’s cameras are no match for a premium phone, while OnePlus offered the right balance between design, features and cameras, Vivo has now surpassed it with an even better camera system, more ergonomic design and wireless charging.

It’s expensive, but Vivo’s new foldable phone is my favorite phone for three reasons.

Excellent device for media consumption

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro does not feel bulky in the hand, thanks to the thickness of 11.2 mm and the weight of 236 g. While I find the Honor Magic V2 more ergonomic due to its slimmer shape. The OnePlus Open is not too far behind with a weight of 239 grams. But the folding Vivo is more natural to handle and unfold. However, the back is prone to scratches and is the most slippery of all. I recommend using a case on it.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has a 6.5-inch cover display and an 8-inch foldable display. Both are bright and sharp with support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision and a 120Hz refresh rate. I unfold my phone every time I need to read an article or an e-book (I read a lot on my phone) and I haven’t felt the need for it to be brighter in any condition. It was a pleasant experience consuming content on this device.

In comparison, the OnePlus Open cover screen is still better with a 20.1:9 aspect ratio, but Vivo phones have always been taller than rivals and you get used to it. My constant irritation with the fold-outs — the black bars on the start screen for Instagram Stories — remains. This will be resolved when Instagram optimizes its app better for foldable devices. It has improved over time with a navigation bar on the left edge for the main screen, but it is not yet fully optimized for foldable devices.

As for the fold, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is the least noticeable of all the book-style flip and fold phones I’ve used, including Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, Tecno and Honor. The reading and viewing experience is second to none. The hinge is solid and the phone will stay unfolded up to an angle of about 150 degrees. Overall, it’s a well-built phone for media consumption. The speakers are loud, but sound shallow to my taste. I recommend watching videos with headphones.

Surprisingly nice Smarts software

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the same as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Oppo Find X7 Pro and other 2024 flagships. Qualcomm has done a great job with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and I have yet to see a bad phone with this processor . The Vivo phone is equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is smooth and responsive for everyday tasks. My normal usage includes a lot of social media (Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp), browsing and reading (Chrome or Kindle), a bit of navigation and listening to music (YouTube Music or Spotify). I had no problems jumping between apps, multitasking and everyday use.

During my review process, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro consistently lasted me through the day. It packs a 5,700mAh battery that supports 100W fast charging and 50W fast wireless charging. The phone can go from 15% to 90% in 35 minutes with wired charging, while the second charge requires Vivo’s Vertical Flash Charger 2.

I expect great hardware and cameras from Vivo, but the most surprising part of using the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro was being impressed by the FunTouch OS 14, based on Android 14. Two features that caught my eye are the Fold-to-Split and the AOD desktop calendar.

Use the Fold-to-Split function after unfolding to trigger a quick bend and unfold (from flat 180 degrees to 160 degrees and back to 180 degrees in one second) split screen. As a writer (and chronically online person), I research things and add to Google Keep side-by-side all the time, or occasionally have Twitter and Chrome open on the same screen, and I’ve found this action to be better than gestures on any smartphone. It’s more natural and faster than a few swipes.

As for the AOD of the desktop calendar, you can think of it as a variation of iPhone standby without the charging bit. You can put the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro in tent mode with the display always on and it will tell you the time – useful as a night clock.

Apart from these remarkable features, FunTouch OS on X Fold 3 Pro offers a lot of smart AI features like Note Assist, Translation, Transcript Assist and more. If I could change one thing about the software, I would want the FunTouch OS to feel faster.

The best cameras on a foldable device

I loved the camera system on the OnePlus Open and it’s the best the company has done. However, after switching to the Vivo X100 Pro in December 2023, I couldn’t go back to Open. The X100 Pro has remained my travel companion ever since, and the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro comes close despite its hardware limitations.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is equipped with a triple rear camera supported by ZEISS optics. It consists of a 50MP main camera, a 64MP telephoto lens that supports 3x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, up to 100x digital zoom and macro shots, along with a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. This makes it the best camera system you can get on a foldable phone right now, and it comes close to the Vivo X100 Pro.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro captures stunning photos with pleasing colors, which is expected from a premium phone. However, I would like to talk about the telephoto lens. It offers multiple focal lengths, hybrid zoom and up to 100x digital zoom.

I like the camera tweaks on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro and appreciate the portrait mode styles. For example, I took the photos above in a camera museum using the Vintage style in Portrait mode, which gives the photo more of an impact.

You have to experiment with the camera to find the right styles for different scenarios, keeping in mind that they can’t be changed by editing in the Gallery app.

Although there are times when there is a bit of a halo effect around the edges of the subject, most images look stunning. The 50MP ultra-wide camera also keeps colors and tones consistent with the main camera.

You also get a 32MP front-facing camera on both the cover screen and the inner flip-out display, primarily for video calling. For selfies on any foldable phone, I recommend unfolding the device and using the primary camera system.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro review: Verdict

I’m looking forward to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is scheduled to launch next week. If you want the smoothest experience on a foldable phone, Samsung continues to excel with OneUI on the Galaxy Z Fold line. However, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers an excellent balance of hardware, camera and software.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers excellent displays, high performance, incredible cameras, productive software features and good battery life. I expect Samsung to have a hard time beating Vivo’s near-perfect foldable device.

For frequent travelers, it’s worth noting that the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro lacks eSIM support. I often add temporary eSIM cards to my phone when traveling internationally. If that doesn’t concern you, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is the best foldable phone you can buy right now — despite the higher price tag of INR 1,60,000 ($1,910).