Last month, I traded in my Pixel 9 Pro XL and bought the Vivo X200 Pro, a move some might consider polarising. Why switch from the purity of stock Android to Vivo's Funtouch OS? After using the Vivo for over a month, I have no regrets and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. My decision was driven by several shortcomings which irked me about the Pixel 9 Pro XL, a device that increasingly relied on an internet connection for some features I consistently used and whose battery life, on my unit, had become mediocre after almost a year of use. I needed an Android phone with better battery life and much faster charging.
My main gripes, however, developed with the Pixel 9 Pro's camera. After a few updates, the colour science was tweaked, losing some of its characteristic contrast. The portrait mode, in particular, remained a source of frustration. It was limited to a 3x digital crop from the main sensor and, despite having the hardware, did not allow portraits using the 5x telephoto lens. The edge detection was often inconsistent, the background bokeh looked artificial, and the photos generally lacked the detail of competitors like the iPhone 16 Pro, which I also own. Furthermore, the Pixel lagged in video-centric features, lacking the ability to shoot in LOG. I was also disappointed by the significant processing time required when shooting in the 50MP mode, which often resulted in missing shots.
Don't get me wrong; on the whole, I loved my time with the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I believe it is one of the best Android phones ever made. The design was superb and as per me, was certainly the most premium-looking Android phone of its time, a title now arguably held by the Pixel 10 Pro. It was a phenomenal device, but its flaws were directly affecting my camera usage: my primary reason for owning a Pixel. So, I took the plunge, bought the Vivo X200 Pro, and immediately took it on a personal holiday with friends to South East Asia.
The camera story
While on vacation, the Vivo X200 Pro never made me feel that I was missing out by not carrying my dedicated camera, which happens to be a Sigma fp. This was a necessity as I had a 7kg baggage limit and had to pack light (budget trip *cough cough*).
The Vivo X200 Pro is packed with impressive camera features, both in its hardware and software. It offers three cameras: a 50MP Zeiss main camera which, whilst not the 1-inch sensor of last year's model, pulls in a remarkable amount of detail; a 50MP ultra-wide, which I rarely used as that aspect ratio is not to my taste; and the star of the show, a 200MP 3.7x telephoto lens that produces stunning portraits.
{{/usCountry}}The Vivo X200 Pro is packed with impressive camera features, both in its hardware and software. It offers three cameras: a 50MP Zeiss main camera which, whilst not the 1-inch sensor of last year's model, pulls in a remarkable amount of detail; a 50MP ultra-wide, which I rarely used as that aspect ratio is not to my taste; and the star of the show, a 200MP 3.7x telephoto lens that produces stunning portraits.
{{/usCountry}}This is not an article about specifications; that information is readily available elsewhere. Instead, I want to share my real-world experience. The portrait images were simply stunning, capturing immense detail. The highlight roll-off, especially when shooting in the S-RAW (Super RAW) Pro mode, felt like it was coming straight from a mirrorless camera. The 3.7x focal length provided excellent background compression, and even when zooming further to around the 6-7x mark, there was barely any loss of detail, opening up interesting photographic possibilities.
The camera offers various Zeiss modes, but I found most of them, like Biotar, B-Speed, and Planar, to look rather artificial. I ended up shooting most photos in either the 'Natural' or 'Zeiss Sonar' modes, which produced the most authentic-looking images. As for video, whilst it still isn't on par with the iPhone, it is certainly one of the best in the Android world. The videos I shot on my trip were sharp with very little noise. In fact, in some low-light situations, I felt it performed better than my iPhone 16 Pro, which speaks volumes about the optimisation Vivo has achieved.
However, I did miss the simplicity of the Pixel's camera app. The Vivo offers a vast number of options, and it can take a while to manoeuvre through the interface. Many features are hidden in the 'More' section, requiring several swipes to access. Apart from that, the camera experience left me in awe. You can check some portraits I shot in the Instagram embed below:
No battery anxiety whatsoever
Now, let's talk about performance and battery life. The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset in the Vivo X200 Pro is a flagship-grade processor that, for my needs, performs well. Photos process quickly, the camera experience remains smooth, and there are hardly any frame drops throughout the user interface. While I am not a mobile gamer, I can say that for content creation, the performance is ideal.
Battery life was equally impressive, and I experienced no battery anxiety. The phone would comfortably last well into a second day, even on heavy travel days when I was constantly taking photos and shooting videos, a major improvement over the Pixel 9 Pro. The cherry on top is the 90W fast charging. I could simply plug the phone in before a shower and return to find it already 90% charged, which eliminated any concerns about my battery life.
What I miss about the Pixel
Of course, the Vivo X200 Pro is not without its faults. The first is the software. Funtouch OS is by no means bad, it's smooth, has minimal bugs, and offers a functional experience. However, it doesn't match the silky-smooth animations and polish of the Android 16 I had on my Pixel. I also miss having a flat display. The Vivo's screen is mostly flat but curves at the edges, which makes finding a good tempered glass screen protector a major task. I had to settle for a film-based protector, which is less durable. Finally, the haptics are not as crisp as the Pixel's, which is something I noticed immediately as a user who appreciates good tactile feedback.
Despite these points, I am having far more fun using the Vivo X200 Pro, even after the initial 'honeymoon period' has passed. It has been nearly a month, and I believe it is a phenomenal flagship for the price.