Vivo X200 Pro Mini Impressions: A Compact Flagship Done Right

Compact phones have this allure that manages to reel me in time and again. So, when the 6.3-inch flagship Vivo X200 Pro Mini was unveiled in China earlier this month, my excitement knew no bounds. Well, here we are with the phone nestled in my hands, all set to go through the gauntlet of tests. Is it the compact maiden I thought it to be, or just another face in the crowd? After spending around two days with the Vivo X200 Pro Mini (wish I had more time), here’s my initial impressions!

Vivo X200 Pro Mini: Specifications

Before we head into the real deal, here’s a quick rundown of the Vivo X200 Pro Mini specifications for reference.

Small Footprint, Big on Personality

From a Type-C to Type-C cable, a 90W FlashCharge adapter to a transparent case, a SIM ejector, and some paperwork, you get everything in the box. With that out of the way, let me shift my focus to the star of this show.

During my time with the Pixel 9 (review), I was disappointed with how uncomfortably bulky and weighty the phone was. Google should really take notes from Vivo, for the X200 Pro is what you may call a true compact. Not only is it slimmer at 150.83 x 71.76 x 8.15mm, it’s also over 10 grams lighter at 187 grams. This makes it a breeze to carry around and use with one hand. It’s also got quite the withstanding power, thanks to an IP68 + IP69 rating.

Neither is the matted-out metal frame nearly as slippery as I thought it to be. The weight distribution on this Mini is impressively pro-level, and I found myself finger-balancing it nicely. Besides, the sides are curvy too, letting the phone comfortably sit in your hands without pressing into your skin.

Besides, I have with me the Pink color of the Vivo X200 Pro Mini, and it’s an absolute looker. The frosted matte rear glass feels satisfying to the touch and the camera module with its textured “diamond-cut design” at the bottom ring is a nice touch. The center placement also keeps the phone rock steady on a desk. The volume rocker and power button placed on the right have enough tactility.

Meeting the design on the front is the gorgeous 1.5K 8T LTPO 6.3-inch AMOLED display, that can go from 1Hz to 120Hz. It’s also plenty bright both indoors and outdoors. The Lux Meter we have at the office recorded over 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Colors are also as natural as the inevitable greys taking over my head. So, I didn’t find any need to calibrate the display.

I watched a couple of those scenic 4K HDR YouTube videos and they looked beautiful on this display. Besides that, I also ended up watching some of my favorite Evil Dead Rise scenes on Netflix and loved how the display handled those dark black-dominated scenes. I didn’t need to crank up the brightness to comfortably enjoy those details.

While Vivo hasn’t officially stated the display protection, it’s most likely using the usual Schott Xensation glass on both sides. And, in my experience, it’s one of the best protections out there. I used the Vivo X100 Pro for almost a month without any screen protector and didn’t even notice minor scratches.

Anyway, the Vivo X200 Pro’s dual stereo speakers are what took my viewing experience further to the next level. There were some rumors of the Vivo X200 Pro Mini sporting a single speaker and that had me worried. So, I’m really happy to see two speakers, that too loud ones.

However, the dedicated bottom-firing grille is understandably louder by a bit in comparison to the receiver unit doubling down as the second one. The good thing is that audio separation is still not nearly as bad as phones like the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus (first impressions). But, while the mids and highs were good enough, the lows could use some work.

The John Wick of Batteries

The Vivo X200 Pro Mini’s battery backup is frustratingly hard to deplete, thanks to the 5700mAh unit it packs. Even after all that watching and messing around with benchmarks, the battery was down to just around 70%, which is bonkers! In fact, one fine night, I decided to have 4K HDR YouTube videos running at full brightness. And, after roughly 6 hours, the battery was down to only 58%.

I didn’t have enough time with the device to do a full-fledged battery test, but this gave me more than an idea of how long-lasting it is. In normal usage, you can easily get around and over two days of backup. That’s what makes this a formidable compact monster. Well, when I tested out the foldable Vivo X Fold 3 Pro’s (first impressions) 5700mAh unit, I still got around 7 hours of backup. This bad boy’s quite the “man of focus”.

Moreover, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini doesn’t even get hot. Special thanks to the 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9400 for being this power-efficient and balanced. As for charging, the phone went from 0-50% in 18 minutes using the 90W adapter in the box. It took around 40 minutes to fully charge.

A Home Run in Performance

While we’re on the subject, let me tell you that the Vivo X200 Pro Mini’s Dimensity 9400 is an incredible performer. It pairs up with up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage and up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The benchmarks reflect that through and through, delivering some of the best numbers we have ever seen on a mobile chipset. While it doesn’t hit 3 million like the Snapdragon 8 Elite on AnTuTu, those GPU scores are insane.

Moreover, while the CPU Throttling test did show it hitting around 60% of its maximum performance, it didn’t affect gaming or my day-to-day usage.

I dove into some of the best Android games, and the phone handled it all without breaking a drop of sweat. For starters, in CoD Mobile, I could squeeze out a maximum of Max + Max graphics setting, which limits you to 50FPS. Meanwhile, for 120FPS, you are automatically shifted to the Medium + Ultra combination.

Meanwhile, BGMI offered a maximum graphics combination of Ultra HDR + Ultra, capped at 45FPS. However, you can get 90FPS out of the Smooth + Extreme setting. With everything being beyond good so far, I decided to take it up a notch with Genshin Impact.

However, the D9400 managed to deliver a super consistent 60FPS anywhere and everywhere in Tevyat. Genshin Impact also triggered those 4D Game Vibrations for me, which I wish for more games to bring support for. By the end of all that gaming and benchmarking, the phone barely even got warm.

On top of that, the Android 15-based OriginOS 5‘s super smooth animations are what made my experience using the phone a 10/10. I couldn’t even nitpick minor stutters out of the UI, which is saying a lot. The RAM management is unbelievably good. I found that around the 5-6 apps, that I had opened around 5 hours ago, resumed from right where I’d left them.

Made me wish OriginOS replaced Funtouch OS on Vivo and iQOO phones everywhere, instead of being limited to China. From Atomic Island and the Cross Terminal app to AI features like Circle to Search, the BlueLM Copilot assistant, writing tools, and more, there’s a lot that Funtouch OS misses out on.

A Camera Setup to Swoon Over!

The ZEISS branding on the camera module eased most of my concerns. So, I had a good feeling about the optics going in. Turns out, I was right and the Vivo X200 Pro Mini not just delivered, but surpassed my expectations.

Starting with day shots, the primary 50MP Sony LYT-818 sensor captures very natural colors without saturating them to the point of no similarity. The dynamic range is also masterfully woven into photos, managing shadows and highlights nicely all around.

Portraits also turn out extremely aesthetic with some impressive depth mapping at play. Edge detection is also near-perfect, and I couldn’t spot any off-putting inconsistencies. The new humanistic B&W mode is also spectacularly good, and I couldn’t get enough of it (doing the finger purse).

If you’ve read my Nikon ZF review, you will know how fond I am of monochromatic shots, and the Vivo X200 Pro Mini certainly left me satisfied on that front.

The 50MP ultra-wide captures amazing details as well, making ultra-wide shots finally usable for me. I didn’t notice any color disparity with the primary sensor either, and it didn’t feel odd looking at shots from the two.

Then comes the 50MP periscope sensor with 3x optical zoom that can clearly detect what your neighbor is up to (just kidding, please don’t try this). While on paper it’s not as good as the Vivo X200 Pro’s 200MP telephoto sensor, it’s still quite good. Scoped-in shots already retained details very well and displayed true-to-life colors. Not to mention that it’s also got telemacro capabilities that can really gaslight you into taking up photography.

At night as well, this setup captures stellar photos and there’s barely any difference. Light sources are handled too well and there’s no ambient occlusion bleeding into the shots. However, I have noticed that there can be a minute color disparity between the sensors at times.

The 32MP selfie shooter didn’t let me down either and didn’t mess up the natural skin tones. As I zoomed in, I noticed how nicely it detailed the hair and skin texture without smoothening any of it out.

Videos are no less, and the Vivo X200 Pro Mini can do up to 4K at 60FPS (can also shoot in HDR) through both the primary and selfie sensors. While I did notice some understandable noise when capturing videos at night, it’s mostly visible in the viewfinder. Once the videos are processed, most of that noise is gotten rid of. The videos turned out very stable as well and didn’t let my aggressive brisk walking be too evident.

Vivo X200 Pro Mini Impressions: As Pro as a Mini Can Get

It would be an understatement to say that the Vivo X200 Pro Mini completely won me over. It’s as near-perfect as a compact phone can get, leaving me barely any room to even nitpick. If I still had to, yes, I’d have preferred a faster USB 3.1 over the USB 2.0, and maybe a dedicated second speaker grille. But, that’s about it. It packs all the necessary connectivity options like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 10 5G Bands, and NFC. Needless to say, that “Pro” in the moniker does make sense.

It takes the biggest problems of compact phones and turns them into its biggest standout strengths. Upcoming compacts like the Samsung Galaxy S25 have a towering benchmark to surpass. While it may be lighter, slimmer, and just a handier compact (going by the Galaxy S24), I don’t see it packing in a tanky 5700mAh battery unit and this incredible a camera setup. Then you have the base iPhone models which are powerful compacts with good cameras but can’t match either the display or battery quality.

Then comes the Dimensity 9400, which is an absolute star performer with one of the most powerful GPUs out there. Keeping you sorted on all fronts and more, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini is the compact beast that won’t let you down, given that it’s priced nicely outside of China (if it ever makes it). But, going by the starting price of CNY 4,699 (roughly $660), this is the best all-rounder compact money can buy you right now.

Well, that’s all from me, for now. You can also check out our Vivo X200 Pro Mini impressions video on the Beebom YouTube channel. While you’re at it, do subscribe! With that said, what do you think about Vivo’s flagship compact? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below.