Vivo X Fold3 Pro first impressions: Impressive so far

Are slab phones dying? Not, but the foldable phones are piquing people’s interest in India more than ever, who wouldn’t want a phone that can fold in half, then double up as a tablet or even vice versa? Well, phone makers know that; more and more of them are coming with their foldable phones in the country, and Vivo is the latest of them.
The X Fold3 Pro from the Vivo is the latest foldable phone trying hard to stand out.It’s slim, quite chic for a foldable, and despite all this, it packs in top-notch hardware and promises to deliver a trio of impressive cameras. Sounds too good to be true, right? Indeed on paper, but how well is the X Fold3 Pro in the hands? Well, I have been folding the X Fold3 Pro in and out for a week now, so while it may be too early for a verdict I do have some initial thoughts about it to share. So, read on to know what I think of X Fold3 Pro.

Chic, slim, and light

Yes, I know the line sounds cliche now that you might have read it so many times but the moment you take the X Fold3 Pro out of the box and in your hands, you’ll know how well-constructed it is. For a foldable phone, it’s surprisingly thin and light, which is a big plus. When you fold the phone, it measures just 11.2mm in thickness, and it weighs only 236g. Compared to other foldable phones out there, these numbers are pretty impressive. It means you can easily carry the X Fold3 Pro in your pocket without feeling like you’re lugging around a brick.

The back of the phone looks and feels great too. It has a matte finish doesn’t attract too many fingerprints, which is always a nice touch. Vivo has used some strong materials to make the back panel, including glass fibre and UPE fibre. I am not entirely sure what UPE fibre is, but it seems to add to the phone’s durability.
Hinge is where the whole play is about foldable phones, and Vivo seems to have nailed it. So, the X Fold3 Pro is has a carbon fibre hinge that they claim can hold up to 500,000 folds without developing a noticeable crease.
Good luck to me, folding and unfolding the phone this many times, but during the brief time with this phone, I didn’t notice any major thing to call out except that there was a slight crease on the inner screen, though it was only visible at certain angles and wasn’t too distracting during normal use.

Two screens, as usual

Like most foldable phones, the Vivo X Fold3 Pro has two screens – one on the outside that you can use when the phone is folded, and a larger one on the inside that you see when you unfold the device. The outer screen is 6.53 inches, which is a good size for a phone screen. It’s big enough to use comfortably for most tasks without feeling too cramped.

But the real star of the show is the inner screen. When you unfold the X Fold3 Pro, you get massive 8.03-inch canvas, where you’ll probably spend most of your time, whether watching videos, playing games, or just browsing the web. Both screens are AMOLED panels, and have great colour reproduction and deep blacks. They also have a high refresh rate of 120Hz, making everything look super smooth.

Another good thing about the screens is that they get really bright – up to 4,500 nits, according to Vivo. That’s brighter than most TVs! The screens also support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
To protect the screens from scratches and cracks, Vivo has used tough glass on both of them. The outer screen has something called Armor Glass, while the inner screen uses Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG).

Takes a head-to-head fight with slab phones

Under the hood, the Vivo X Fold3 Pro is packing some serious power. It has the latest and greatest processor from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This is the same processor you’ll find in other high-end phones this year, so it doesn’t slouch on performance. There’s 16GB of RAM and 512GB of space, that’s a lot of room for all the apps. You probably won’t need to worry about running out of storage or memory anytime soon. For a little time I used it, I never really felt the phone slowing down or didn’t face any issues while multitasking or even gaming.
On top of Android 14, Vivo has put its own software, called Funtouch OS 14. In the past, Vivo’s software has been known for having a lot of extra features and customization options, so it will be interesting to see how it works on a foldable phone.

Big battery, super-fast charging

Foldable phones have a reputation for having somewhat disappointing battery life, largely because they have to power two screens. However, Vivo seems to have addressed this issue with the X Fold3 Pro. The phone has a 5,700mAh battery, which is one of the largest batteries in a foldable device. With a battery this big, the X Fold3 Pro should be able to last a full day of heavy use without needing a recharge.
The X Fold3 Pro supports 100W fast charging, which again is no slouch and this fast of charging speed isn’t seen on foldables often t. Vivo claims that you can fully charge the phone from 0 to 100% in about 30 minutes, and it stands true. The phone also supports 50W wireless charging, and it can even charge other devices wirelessly.

Three on the back, two on the front

The Vivo X Fold3 Pro doesn’t skimp on the cameras. On the back of the phone, you’ll find three camera lenses. The main camera has a 50MP sensor, which takes detailed photos in most lighting conditions. There’s also a 50MP ultra-wide camera for when you want to fit more in the frame, and a 64MP telephoto camera for zooming in on distant subjects. These two sensors are pretty good, too. All of these cameras have Zeiss T* coating, which is supposed to help reduce glare and improve image quality, and it does its job as advertised at most times. Though, we’ll have to test the cameras more to see how well they do in all situations.

For selfies, you get two front-facing cameras on the X Fold3 Pro. There’s one on the outer screen and another on the inner screen, both with 32MP sensors. So, you can take high-quality selfies whether the phone is folded or unfolded.

It’s pricey, but seems promising

The Vivo X Fold3 Pro comes in a single configuration with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and it’s priced at Rs 1,59,999. That’s a lot of money, even for a high-end phone, but it’s not surprising given most foldable phones land up here.
For a little time I had with the Vivo X Fold3 Pro, it seems like a solid entry into the foldable phone market. It has a sleek design, a large screen despite being so pocketable, hardware that’s more than competent, a big battery that charges fast, and cameras that seem to be as good as some of the top-tier camera phones. However, the high price tag will likely be a barrier for many potential buyers. Foldable phones are still relatively new and expensive compared to even top-of-the-line slab phones, and not everyone will be willing or able to spend this much on a phone.
For now, if you’re in the market for a foldable phone and have the budget for it, the Vivo X Fold3 Pro is worth considering. It offers a compelling mix of everything, and it’s a phone that’s sure to turn heads. Stay tuned for our full review, where we’ll put the X Fold3 Pro through its paces and give our final verdict on whether it’s worth the high price tag.