Vivo’s Slim Foldable Phone Is Launching Globally – CNET [CNET]

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is coming to India first, but a US rollout is not expected.

Following the X Fold 3 Pro’s launch in China, Vivo is it overseas and starting with a launch in India. No international pricing is available yet, but in China, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro starts at 9,999 yuan (converts to roughly $1,380, $1,080 or AU$1,525). A US rollout is not expected.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has a book-style design with a large 8.01-inch display on the inside, and a 6.53-inch cover screen. It runs on Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and it has three rear cameras and  a big 5,700-mAh battery, plus support for 100-watt and 50-watt wireless charging. It also probably has the world’s brightest inner screen on any foldable phone, with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits.

The camera module includes three rear cameras, comprised of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 64-megapixel telephoto camera and a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens. On the front, a 32-megapixel selfie camera rounds the camera setup off.

All those features are packed into the slim and lightweight book-style design of the X Fold 3 Pro. When unfolded it measures 5.2mm thick. That’s just 0.3 mm more than the world’s slimmest book-style foldable phone, the Magic V2, and the difference is probably negligible. 

Size and weight have been a drawback for book-style foldable phones in their pursuit of the mainstream, but makers have increasingly released thinner and lighter foldable devices by using innovative materials and hinges. The X Fold 3 Pro uses second-gen silicon materials and a lightweight carbon fiber hinge, the company said.

Although Vivo isn’t a household name like Apple or Samsung, it’s one of the world’s biggest phone makers. It typically produces low end midrange phones on a large scale. In recent years, it’s produced higher-end phones, but on a smaller scale, including foldable phones with slick hardware such as the Fold X3 Pro.

For its international launch, Vivo X Fold 3 Pro also gets new AI features underpinned by some of Google’s Gemini models. Those features include the ability to quickly transcribe recordings and translate content on the webpage in use without switching apps. For more details on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro take a look at CNET’s specs chart below.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro vs. rivals

	Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (China only)	Honor Magic V2	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	Cover screen: 6.53 inch OLED (2,748×1,172 pixels), 120Hz refresh rate,	Cover screen: 6.4-inch, (2,376×1,060 pixels), up to 120Hz variable refresh rate	Cover screen: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz variable refresh rate
Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	Internal screen: 8.03 inch-OLED (2,480×2,200 pixels), 120Hz refresh rate, 4,500-nit local peak brightness	Internal screen: 7.92-inch OLED, (2,344×2,156 pixels), up to 120 Hz variable refresh rate	Internal screen: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176×1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz variable refresh rate
Pixel density	TBC	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 402 ppi	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	Open: 6.29×5.61×0.20 inches Closed:6.29×2.86×0.44 inches	Open: 6.2×5.72×0.39 inches; closed: 6.2×2.9×0.39 inches	Open: 6.1×5.11×0.24 inches; Closed: 6.1×2.64×0.53 inches
Dimensions (millimeters)	Open: 159.96×142.4×5.2mm; Closed: 159.96×72.55×11.2mm	Open: 156.7×145.4×9.9 mm; Closed: 156.7x74x9.9 mm	Open: 154.94×129.79×6.1 mm; closed: 154.94×67.06×13.46 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	236g	231 g (8.15 oz)	253 g (8.92 oz)
Mobile software	Origin OS 4	Android 13 (4 years software updates, 5 years security)	Android 13
Camera	50-megapixel (main), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 50-megapixel (wide)	50-megapixel (main), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 20-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	32-megapixel	16-megapixel (under inner screen); 16-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under inner screen); 10-megapixel (cover screen)
Video capture	4K	8K	8K
Processor	Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM/storage	16GB+512GB, 16GB+1TB	16GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	12GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage		None	None
Battery	5,700 mAh (equivalent)	5,500 mAh	4,400 mAh (dual 2,200-mAh battery)
Fingerprint sensor	In-display	Side	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None
Special features	IPX8 water resistant, 4,500 peak brightness, 100-watt wired charging, 50-watt wireless, 5-watt reverse charging, dual SIM, private call, 3D ultrasonic dual-screen fingerprint scanning, infrared	2,500-nit peak brightness (cover screen); 1,600-nit peak brightness (inner screen); support for Honor Magic Pen (both cover and internal screens); 66W wired charging; 5W reverse wired; 16-megapixel under-display camera (inner screen)	5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM
US price starts at	CNY 9,999 (~$1,385) and CNY 10,999 (~$1,523) respectively	Converts to $2,160 (256GB)	$1800 (256GB)