A few days ago, the Chinese smartphone brand Vivo launched its latest foldable in its native market. The Vivo X Fold 3, in more ways than one, is one of the best foldables to come out this year, and there are several reasons why we are excited about the smartphone. Not only will the handset be the slimmest in its category, but it will also weigh less than its competitors, which will make the phone easy to carry. Regarding performance, the Chinese variant features one of the most powerful chipsets on an Android smartphone, and the phone is expected to feature the same chip in India. With a gorgeous foldable display, a massive battery (that supports fast charging), and a capable camera system, the Vivo X Fold 3 is the foldable we are waiting for. Here are five reasons why.
Vivo X Fold 3 Is Among The Lightest And Slimmest Foldables Out There
Let’s talk a bit about the currently available foldables. The first name that comes to mind is Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (review), which measures 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4 mm when folded. With an aluminum frame and a glass back, the smartphone weighs 253 grams, significantly higher than a regular flagship, say an iPhone 15, 171 grams, or a Galaxy S24, 168 grams. Similarly, the OnePlus Open (review) measures 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7 mm when folded while weighing about 245 grams. The Tecno Phantom V Fold, which measures 159.4 x 72 x 14.5 mm, the heaviest of all, takes the count up to 299 grams.
Not only are these foldables heavy, but they’re also thicker than a regular smartphone, which makes it slightly difficult to carry them, especially if someone has smaller pockets. We understand that having two folding parts, all the alloys, and metal that go into them, along with the heavy-duty hinge, adds to the weight, but Vivo has somehow managed to cut down on the thickness and the weight, and that too by a significant margin.
The X Fold 3 launched in China measures 160 x 72.7 x 10.2 mm, which means it is slightly taller and wider than the other foldables. However, at the same time, the phone is incredibly thin when folded – 10.2 grams. This should make the phone easier to hold and fit in a pocket. Further, it only weighs 219 grams, remarkably less than the others.
Vivo X Fold 3 To Feature A Massive 5,500 mAh Battery Despite Being Slimmer
Per the Chinese spec sheet, the vanilla Vivo X Fold 3, which is expected to launch in India, features a 5,500 mAh battery that supports 80W wired fast charging. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 features a 4,400 mAh battery that supports 25W charging, while the OnePlus Open sports a 4,805 mAh battery that supports 67W charging. Despite maintaining a slimmer profile than the other models, the X Fold 3 has a much larger battery cell, implying that the phone should offer excellent battery life, about the same as a regular flagship.
The Inner Foldable Display Can Shine As Bright As 4,500 Nits
Both the 8.01-inch inner and the 6.53-inch outer screens on the Vivo X Fold 3 utilize LTPO technology, support 120Hz refresh rate, and can achieve 4,500 nits of peak brightness. Again, this is a significant improvement, considering that higher peak brightness increases legibility under direct sunlight. Even indoors, watching movies or web shows on the foldable’s inner screen should be a delightful experience, given that it also has stereo speakers.
Powerful Performance With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC
The vanilla X Fold 3 features Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm), one of the most powerful and trusted processors, and offers flagship performance. Further, the Chinese variant comes with UFS 4.0 storage and LPDDR5X RAM, offering faster app opening and multitasking. While this is the same type of RAM on the OnePlus Open, it is slightly better than the LPDDR5 on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Vivo X Fold 3’s Price Could Change The Game
In China, the base variant of the X Fold 3, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, costs CNY 6,999, which is about Rs. 80,000. Even if the company charges Indian customers a premium, the base variant should cost between Rs. 1,10,000 and Rs. 1,20,000 in India. Even at this price, the X Fold 3 undercuts the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the OnePlus Open. Hence, it could be the most affordable all-round flagship that delivers on all fronts.
What do you think? Will you consider the Vivo X Fold 3 if it launched around the speculative price? More information about the smartphone should be available in the following days. We expect the company to formally tease the foldable before its launch, which could happen soon.
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