The Vivo X200 Pro Mini is a more compact variant of the Vivo X200 Pro. However, despite its name, it doesn’t feel like a typical ‘mini’ version.
While we love compact smartphones, the compromises they often come with usually prevent us from recommending them to everyone—except for those who are willing to accept the trade-offs for the smaller design.
However, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini is potentially the first compact smartphone we feel confident recommending to a broader audience.
Here are the Vivo X200 Pro Mini features, highlighting how this device addresses the key challenges of compact smartphones.
Long-Lasting Battery Life
One of the main challenges with compact smartphones is their smaller batteries. Nowadays, we’ve become accustomed to large-capacity batteries, making any smartphone with less than a 5,000mAh battery (outside of iPhones) feel like a notable compromise in battery life.
While some devices with 4,500 to 4,700mAh batteries achieve strong battery performance through software optimization, this doesn’t always provide peace of mind; a minor software glitch could quickly impact battery life, draining resources and diminishing performance.
The Vivo X200 Pro Mini, however, addresses this issue with a remarkable 5,700mAh battery—a capacity considered large even for a standard-sized smartphone, which typically measures around 6.8 inches today.
It is impressive to find a significant battery size in a compact device.
Thanks to this larger battery in a smaller form factor, you can enjoy extended battery life without worry. With effective software optimization from Vivo, this device could easily provide up to two days of battery life on moderate to heavy usage.
Vivo has effectively tackled the compact smartphone’s typical battery limitation with the X200 Pro Mini’s impressive capacity.
Top-Notch Performance
Usually, the mini version of a smartphone tends to compromise some performance found in the full-fledged flagship models. Often, a mini variant may carry the same CPU in name but with reduced performance.
However, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini breaks this trend by including the exact same powerful CPU as its flagship counterpart, the X200 Pro. This smartphone is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, a cutting-edge 3nm architecture processor, and the flagship chip from MediaTek.
The Dimensity 9400 is remarkably powerful, easily handling intensive tasks. Its performance is evident in its impressive AnTuTu score of approximately 2.6 million.
While Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite was expected to hit 3 million, it typically reaches around 2.7 million in most devices, with only some gaming phones achieving the full 3 million.
For a compact phone like the X200 Pro Mini, a score of 2.6 million is outstanding. This level of power ensures that you can perform demanding tasks—whether intensive gaming or video editing—with ease. Everyday tasks are buttery smooth on this device, and with UFS 4.0 storage, data speeds are significantly boosted.
Thanks to this robust hardware, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini is future-proofed for the next four to five years, maintaining top performance with minimal slow down over time.
In short, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini checks all the boxes, delivering flagship-level hardware in a compact size.
Flagship-Grade Cameras
Mini versions of smartphone series often come with compromises in camera quality.
On paper, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini features a 50+50+50MP camera setup, while the X200 Pro offers 50+200+50MP cameras. The primary difference lies in the periscope telephoto lens, which is 200MP on the X200 Pro and 50MP on the X200 Pro Mini.
However, despite this difference, the camera quality on the X200 Pro Mini is outstanding—it’s unlikely to leave you wishing you had opted for the larger X200 Pro. The Vivo X200 Pro Mini’s cameras rival many flagship models with their impressive performance.
The setup includes a 50MP Sony LYT818 main camera with OIS, a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide lens, and a 50MP Sony IMX882 periscope camera, each of which is flagship-quality. Additionally, the lenses come with Zeiss T* coating and Zeiss optics, enhancing clarity and reducing glare.
In real-world usage, these cameras capture impressive photos with great dynamic range, strong HDR, and ample sharpness. Colors have a slight, tasteful vibrancy, enhancing the appeal of natural scenes while maintaining a realistic look.
Human skin tones and the blue of the sky are rendered naturally, with a hint of vividness that enhances the overall appeal.
Portrait shots are especially impressive, with a DSLR-like quality—background blur is gradual and natural-looking, adding depth and focus to the subject.
While the video quality might not match the level of the latest iPhones, it ranks among the best for Android flagships.
If there are any drawbacks, it’s that occasionally the X200 Pro Mini may produce partially processed images, where colors might appear slightly off or HDR is less effective. However, this happens in only about 10% of shots; the other 90% are sharp, vibrant, and well-balanced.
Overall, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini delivers a remarkable camera experience, proving that it’s not just impressive on paper but excels in real-life performance as well.
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Impressive Display Quality
The Vivo X200 Pro Mini features a 6.3-inch AMOLED 8T LTPO display with a 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 10-bit color depth. With a peak brightness of 4,500 nits and HDR10+ support, it delivers excellent clarity and vibrant colors.
It’s interesting to think of a 6.3-inch phone as “compact,” considering how large this size once seemed. However, the first thing you’ll notice is the remarkably thin, uniform bezels, which give it a modern look that rivals any flagship smartphone.
The display quality itself is impressive. Colors have a slight vibrancy, sharpness is excellent, viewing angles are strong, and outdoor visibility is impressive. Thanks to Vivo’s software optimizations, animations feel incredibly smooth, enhancing the overall user experience.
Overall, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini offers a premium display experience without compromise, even in a compact form factor.
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Additional Standout Features
- While an IP68 rating is standard for flagship smartphones, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini takes it up a notch with an IP69 rating, providing even greater water resistance.
- The phone also includes useful AI features, like the “Circle to Search” tool and a highly effective “Object Eraser.” The object eraser stands out as one of the best on any smartphone, easily removing unwanted elements from photos with impressive precision.
- The base storage option is generous at 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, so you won’t need to worry about space for your photos, videos, or apps.
- Plus, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini comes with a 90W fast charger in the box, so there’s no need for an additional purchase.
While the X200 Pro Mini offers a wide range of features, these are some of the most impressive ones, making it an excellent choice among compact smartphones.
Potential Drawbacks of the Vivo X200 Pro Mini
The Vivo X200 Pro Mini excels in nearly every aspect, but it’s not without its few drawbacks.
- Due to its compact form factor, the smartphone can get slightly warm when taking photos outdoors in direct sunlight. However, the heat never reaches alarming levels which would cause the brightness to drop or the camera to shut off. While there may be a slight increase in temperature on the back, it’s nothing that significantly affects performance.
- One area where the Vivo X200 Pro Mini might not appeal to everyone is its UI skin. Although Vivo’s UI has improved significantly over the years and is now considered good, it still doesn’t match the smoothness or premium feel of stock Android or UI skins like Samsung’s One UI. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it lacks the refined polish that most users prefer.
- Additionally, due to its compact design, there might be a slight performance throttling under heavy use. After a 15-minute stress test, the phone throttled by 67%. While this isn’t necessarily a major issue, it’s something to note. With better software optimization, this issue could be minimized.
Despite these minor issues, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini is an excellent device. None of the drawbacks are deal-breakers, and they don’t detract significantly from the overall experience.
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Is the Vivo X200 Pro Mini the Perfect Compact Phone?
There’s no such thing as a perfect smartphone, and even the best devices come with their drawbacks. It’s clear that the Vivo X200 Pro Mini is not without its imperfections.
However, this smartphone has redefined what we expect from compact devices. With its impressive power, advanced features, and long-lasting battery, it stands out in a way that truly changes how compact smartphones are perceived.
While not flawless, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini is undoubtedly one of the best compact smartphones available today, and arguably the best in its category.
Final Verdict: Is the Vivo X200 Pro Mini Worth It?
Handling large, bulky smartphones can be a hassle, especially when it’s not always practical to use both hands.
While the Vivo X200 Pro Mini still requires two hands for some tasks, it has made many traditionally difficult one-handed operations possible. The compact design makes it easier to navigate and use, without compromising on performance.
Ultimately, the decision is yours, but we believe the Vivo X200 Pro Mini truly has the potential to meet the needs of those seeking a powerful smartphone in a compact form factor. It’s definitely worth considering for anyone looking for the best of both worlds.
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If you have any questions or doubts about the Vivo X200 Pro Mini, feel free to ask in the comments section.
We’d also love to hear your thoughts on this smartphone. Let us know what you think!