We recently took the vivo X200 FE with us to Udaipur, wandering through the City Palace, taking in the views of Lake Pichola, and this phone surprised us in the best way. It’s not often you come across a device that merges flagship design, powerful camera hardware, and smooth performance in such a compact, well-priced package. But that’s exactly what vivo is doing here. The X200 FE brings the X-series style and imaging to a wider audience, and if you’re considering a camera-first phone under INR 55,000, this one deserves your attention.
Premium Design With Compact Supremacy
The first thing that stood out was how light and comfortable the X200 FE feels. At just 0.799cm (7.99mm) thick, with a sleek 16.04cm (6.31-inch) flat screen and barely-there bezels, it slips into your pocket or hand effortlessly. vivo has crafted this phone using aerospace-grade metal and premium textures, like the new Metallic Sand AG finish, which feels matte and smooth but also resists fingerprints and smudges.
It’s available in three beautiful shades: Amber Yellow, Frost Blue, and Luxe Grey. We used the Luxe Grey variant during my trip, and it felt classy in the daylight while staying subtle indoors. It’s also durable, IP68 and IP69 certified, meaning water and dust resistance is sorted. vivo even uses Schott Xensation cover glass for better drop protection, which came in handy as we nearly dropped it a couple of times.
Bright Display and Great Speakers
The 16.04cm (6.31-inch) ZEISS Master Color Display on the X200 FE is stunning. It hits a peak brightness of 5000 Nits, which makes it clearly visible even under the sun. Whether you are checking Maps in the afternoon or watching HDR Netflix videos at your home, the screen delivers rich colors, crisp details (thanks to 460 PPI), and smooth visuals with 120Hz refresh rate.
The 2160Hz PWM dimming ensures that your eyes don’t strain during night use, something we really appreciate and wish all phones had this feature. Stereo speakers with dual mics added to the experience with loud, clean sound, even in some noisy settings.
Flagship ZEISS Imaging in a Compact Phone
Let’s get into what really makes the X200 FE one of the best camera phones under INR 55,000. It brings ZEISS optics, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, and tons of AI imaging features to a price point that’s rare for this segment.
The triple rear setup includes:
- 50MP Sony IMX882 telephoto with 3X optical zoom and up to 100X digital zoom
- 50MP Sony IMX921 main camera with OIS
- 8MP ultra-wide camera with landscape and macro support
There’s also a 50MP front camera with autofocus, great for selfies and video calls. It’s perhaps the best selfie camera you can get in this segment. We used the 3X to 10X zoom range to capture detailed shots of Udaipur’s palace architecture. The AI Telephoto Enhance mode handled textures beautifully, especially on building edges.
Portraits are where it truly shines. Thanks to ZEISS Multifocal Portrait and ZEISS Style Bokeh effects (including Biotar, Sonnar, Planar, Disatagon, Cinematic, and more), you can create DSLR-like, share-ready portraits right from the phone. The aura light even adjusts color temperature automatically, making low-light portraits flattering.
We also tried the Street Mode and Stage Mode. The Stage Mode captures crisp facial features under colored lights with surprisingly natural skin tones. It also adjusts the exposure accordingly for the stage settings. The Street Mode unlocks a whole new way to use your phone’s camera. It almost makes you feel like you are using an actual camera.
AI-Powered Image Editing with Image Studio
Once the photos are taken, vivo’s AI Image Studio takes things to another level. It includes:
- AI Magic Move to reposition subjects in-frame by just dragging and drop
- AI Image Expander to extend parts of an image
- AI Erase to remove distractions or photobombers
- AI Photo Enhance to automatically brighten, sharpen, and enhance
- AI Reflection Erase to clean up glass reflections (great for museum shots)
All of this is done within the Gallery app, with minimal effort. Even if you’re not into editing, the tools are intuitive and useful.
Battery Life and Charging
Despite its compact form, the X200 FE packs a 6,500 mAh battery. This is not just about raw numbers. It uses third-generation silicon anode battery tech and has the industry’s highest energy density at 845 Wh/L. During a trip, we charged it once in the morning and never worried about running out by night, even with constant photography and music playback.
And when you need to top it up, the 90W FlashCharge does it in almost no time. It went from 0% to 50% in under 20 minutes. There’s also a Zero-Power Superfast Startup feature that powers the phone up within 4 seconds if the battery is dead—perfect for emergencies.
Performance and Software Experience
Powering everything is the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset with an all-big-core 4+4 CPU architecture. It runs smoothly, thanks to UFS 3.1 storage, LPDDR5X RAM, and a robust heat dissipation system with a large vapor chamber. During photo editing and multitasking with Google Maps, Chrome, and Instagram, the phone never lagged or got hot.
Funtouch OS, now with Lightweight OS 2.0 and Gemini Assistant with Google, feels fluid and responsive. You have multiple useful AI features:
- Circle to Search
- AI Call Translation
- AI Notes & Summaries
- DocMaster for quick doc viewing and editing
These tools can save you time when looking up anything, taking notes during a quick meeting call, and more.
Final Verdict: Flagship Camera Phone Under ₹55,000 That Just Delivers
The vivo X200 FE focuses on the right things: exceptional camera hardware with ZEISS tech, AI-powered imaging tools, a beautiful display, long battery life, and clean software. It brings flagship features to a more accessible segment without compromising on design or day-to-day experience.
If you are looking for the best camera phone under INR 55,000, or the most balanced, compact, and stylish smartphone under this price segment, the X200 FE is the phone to get. There can’t be a better choice than this one. This is a device that fits right into a premium lifestyle without the premium price tag. For more information, please visit vivo newsroom.
