The days of the pocketable powerhouse, exemplified by the Sony Xperia Z Compact, seemed to have passed. As consumer preferences shifted, particularly in the East, smaller phones fell out of favor. Remember the swift disappearance of the iPhone “mini” to make way for the Plus models? It was argued that functional limitations were to blame. Large batteries and next-generation camera setups demanded space. But just when you thought the mini phone was a thing of the past, a Chinese smartphone powerhouse, Vivo, has pulled a rabbit out of the hat with its new X200 series. And the real star of the show? The Vivo X200 Pro mini.
This isn’t your typical Galaxy or Pixel mini phone, making compromises to fit in a smaller package. The X200 Pro mini is a beast in a compact body, boasting an unbelievably competitive price tag. Think of it as a serious challenge to the iPhone 16 Pro. The Vivo X200 Pro mini sports a 6.3-inch OLED display, a size comparable to the iPhone 16 Pro. However, it pushes the boundaries with a 120Hz refresh rate, 2640 x 1216 resolution, and a mind-blowing peak brightness of 4,500 nits – nearly double that of the Apple flagship.
Powering this powerhouse is MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 chip, a top-tier silicon that prioritizes core performance and ditches Arm’s efficiency cores entirely. Benchmarks show impressive results, even exceeding Apple’s A18 Pro chip, at least on synthetic tests. The level of technology packed into this phone is astonishing. While being just slightly taller than the iPhone 16 Pro, the X200 Pro mini is narrower, thinner, and lighter than its Apple counterpart. But it’s what lies beneath the glass and metal chassis that truly sets it apart. Vivo has managed to squeeze a massive 5,700mAh battery into this compact device – a stark contrast to the iPhone 16 Pro’s 3,582mAh battery. But it’s not just about the numbers. Vivo also delivers 90W wired charging, double that of Apple’s latest offering. You also get support for 30W wireless charging, which is impressive in itself, though not as fast as OnePlus flagships.
And then there are the cameras. The X200 Pro mini boasts a triple rear camera system, each with a 50-megapixel sensor. One of them is a periscope-style zoom lens that utilizes a tunnel-based folded lens system for impressive long-distance portrait and macro photography. All three rear cameras, as well as the 32MP front camera, feature autofocus, making them incredibly versatile. Vivo’s flagships are known for their excellent camera output, and the X200 Pro mini is no exception. The video capture capabilities are on par with iPhones and Galaxies. On the software side, Vivo leverages AI features similar to Samsung and Apple’s AI offerings, enhancing the overall user experience.
The MediaTek silicon is supported by a minimum of 12GB RAM, going up to 16GB, paired with up to 1TB of storage. Unlike Apple’s limited options, the minimum storage capacity starts at 256GB, leveraging fast UFS 4.0 storage modules. The phone’s build is IP69-certified, a rare feat for smartphones, exceeding the iPhone 16 Pro’s IP68 rating.
But the most jaw-dropping aspect of the X200 Pro mini is its price. This mini powerhouse starts at CNY 4,699, translating to approximately $640 based on current exchange rates. That’s less than the cheapest iPhone this year and nearly a third of the iPhone 16 Pro’s price. It’s a shame this marvel won’t be available in the US, but it’s been launched in China and is expected to hit markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Vivo’s compact flagship demonstrates that mini phones can be mighty, going toe-to-toe with large-screen flagships without compromise. They’ve outdone the Pro iPhones in battery capacity, sensor resolution, and build resilience at a fraction of the price. It’s a lesson for Samsung and Google, who seem to be ignoring the potential of the mini flagship market. The X200 Pro mini is a powerful statement: small phones can be mighty, and they can be affordable too.