vivo X300 FE review

Design, build quality, handling

Design-wise, the vivo X300 FE is easy to like for a couple of reasons. First - it doesn't feature the gargantuan camera island of the other X300 models, and it's one of the few phones on the market that won't wobble when used on your desk.

X300 Ultra and X300 FE

Of course, the clean, no-nonsense design helps a lot, as well as the balanced weight and the horizontal camera arrangement.

But let's rewind a bit. The vivo X300 FE relies on a rather standard build with two tempered glass panels and a metal frame and chassis (camera housing included). The rear glass has a matte finish, while the metal parts have a frosted finish.

The vivo X300 FE is IP68 and IP69 certified for dust, water, and high-pressure water jets resistance.

The phone is available globally in Black and Purple (ours) colors, but there are also White and Green version in some markets.

The vivo X300 FE measures 150.8 x 71.8 x 8.2 mm - neither compact, nor large. The same can be said about its weight of 190 grams - it's not lightweight, but not heavy either. While the X300 FE can be considered as compact when compared to all those Maxes and Ultras on the market, it's not as small and light as the Galaxy S25 for example.

And now, let's explore the X300 FE from up close.

The front is a home to the 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED screen with 1,216p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It has super-thin bezels, even across the entire thing.

There is the usual perforation on the panel to make way for the 50MP AF selfie camera. And knowing vivo, this one will be worth every missing pixel for sure.

Above the screen is a barely visible earpiece, which, together with a couple of additional (top-facing) holes, doubles as a stereo speaker.

The X300 FE features an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which works flawlessly.

The back of the X300 FE is mostly clean except for the camera island, of course. It has a metal housing and has horizontal orientation and symmetrical positioning.

The camera island contains the 50MP primary, the 8MP ultrawide, the LED flash, and the 50MP telephoto camera. The ZEISS logo can be seen around, too.

The left-hand side is bare, while the sound and power/lock keys are on the right.

The top packs the IR blaster and one of the microphones. The second outlet for the first speaker is here, too.

The bottom has the other stereo speaker, the USB-C port, two microphones, and the dual-SIM tray. The X300 also supports eSIM - at least the unit we got.

The vivo X300 FE is a slippery phone for sure. Its matte back is incredibly smudge-resistant, and while that's cool, it provides little to no grip. The same is valid for the sides, too. That's why we recommend using the bundled case - it is of a matching color and will allow you to use the phone safely.

The X300 FE is a rather heavy phone, and even if relatively compact, it doesn't feel like that in your hand. Still, it is quite comfortable to use, doesn't feel bulky, and overall, we enjoyed using it as a daily driver.