The "Thanos" of the Mobile Phone Industry: A Three-Month Deep Dive into the vivo X100 Ultra

The "Thanos" of the Mobile Phone Industry: A Three-Month Deep Dive into the vivo X100 UltraEarly in 2023, a vivo flagship codenamed "Thanos" was leaked. Dubbed the "Thanos" of the mobile phone industry, the vivo X100 Ultra, with its one-inch main camera, ZEISS APO lens, and 200 million pixel periscope telephoto lens, officially launched on May 13th, quickly igniting heated discussions in the market

The "Thanos" of the Mobile Phone Industry: A Three-Month Deep Dive into the vivo X100 Ultra

Early in 2023, a vivo flagship codenamed "Thanos" was leaked. Dubbed the "Thanos" of the mobile phone industry, the vivo X100 Ultra, with its one-inch main camera, ZEISS APO lens, and 200 million pixel periscope telephoto lens, officially launched on May 13th, quickly igniting heated discussions in the market. As a flagship device primarily focused on imaging capabilities, the X100 Ultra generated considerable controversy even before its release. The launch date coincided with the release of new flagship SoCs from Qualcomm and MediaTek, while competitors had already introduced their own imaging flagship devices. Could the X100 Ultra stand out in this fiercely competitive market with its impressive imaging prowess? With this question in mind, I purchased this "Thanos" of the mobile phone industry and conducted a three-month deep dive into its functionalities.

Heavy Grip: Sacrificing Aesthetics for Powerful Features

The X100 Ultra continues the familiar design language of the vivo X series, but the pronounced camera bump on the back, coupled with the highly curved display, results in a rather bulky feel. Compared to other flagship devices like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, OPPO Find X7 Ultra, and Huawei P60 Pro, it feels significantly more "robust." Nonetheless, vivo has maintained a glass back cover and offered a pristine white version, which is uncommon in the current flagship market.

The edges of the device feature recessed design elements, providing additional support points for extended holding periods and reducing hand fatigue. However, the highly curved display still compromises grip comfort, particularly when holding the device horizontally, with the camera bump disrupting grip comfort on the back.

The X100 Ultra's screen utilizes a Samsung 2K resolution E7 display panel, offering satisfactory visual quality, but the design comes with some controversy. The large curvature on both sides of the screen leads to a greenish tint when viewed from the side, and the sizable bezels at the top and bottom impact the visual appeal.

In an attempt to enhance user experience, vivo has introduced a free AR film program. The AR film replacement process is smooth, but the AR film still lags behind traditional tempered glass films in effectiveness and boasts a lower stain resistance.

Overall, the X100 Ultra had to sacrifice some aesthetic elements to achieve its impressive imaging capabilities and massive battery capacity. This is a challenge that currently plagues most imaging flagship devices.

True "Thanos" in Imaging: Just One Step Away from "Godhood"

The X100 Ultra boasts three top-tier sensors: the 50MP one-inch main camera LYT-900, the 50MP ultrawide camera LYT-600, and the 200MP periscope telephoto HP9. The main camera has a fixed focal length of 23mm, and I find myself more inclined to utilize the 1.2x or 1.5x equivalent focal length for most scenarios.

Vivo has removed the 2x lens seen on the X100 Pro, requiring the main camera to cover focal lengths from 23mm to 50mm. The HP9's equivalent focal length sits at 85mm. This means the main camera relies on digital cropping for focal lengths between 50mm and 85mm, which impacts image quality to some degree.

The X100 Ultra's hardware configuration is powerful, but the absence of medium and ultra-telephoto lenses necessitate algorithmic compensation. While the LYT-900 surpasses the Sony IMX989 in aspects like imaging speed, power consumption, full-well capacity, and dynamic range, I have encountered some issues with the X100 Ultra's algorithm during real-world use.

Early system versions experienced a "dirty" overall tone with excessive noise in images at the 50mm focal length, while the 85mm telephoto had noticeable green tint. After multiple updates, the X100 Ultra has shown significant improvement in color consistency and algorithmic intervention, but some stability issues persist. For example, the algorithm amplifies hair shadows when capturing images using the ultra-telephoto lens, affecting visual quality.

Overall, the X100 Ultra exhibits impressive strength in both hardware and computational photography, but striking a balance between these two elements remains a challenge.

OriginOS4: Feature-Rich and Minimally Invasive Ads

The X100 Ultra runs on OriginOS4, known for its extensive customization options and smooth animations. However, it's noteworthy that the X100 Ultra defaults to a 60Hz refresh rate when installing new apps, which seems conservative for a top-tier flagship phone.

Another drawback of OriginOS4 is the confusing naming system for official apps with overlapping names, requiring manual identification from users. Furthermore, OriginOS4 offers limited "aesthetic" options, lacking support for quality third-party icons and atomic components.

Despite these shortcomings, OriginOS4 boasts minimal system advertisements, a rare feat in the current mobile market. Vivo Wallet achieves extreme simplicity by disabling all ads and promotional pages. However, Vivo Weather still features an unremovable ad, a minor disappointment.

The X100 Ultra's ultrasonic fingerprint unlocking speed and recognition efficiency are exceptional, a key factor in my decision to purchase this phone.

AI, vivo's Secret Weapon: Performance Optimization Still Needed

The vivo X100 Ultra offers powerful AI functionalities, particularly AI removal and AI document assistant. The AI removal tool effectively removes unwanted individuals from photos with natural results. The AI document assistant helps users polish articles, generate continuations, condense content, and even adapt writing styles based on platform nuances.

The X100 Ultra's performance optimization still leaves room for improvement. During prolonged gaming, photography, and videography sessions, the device heats up rapidly, and battery drainage exceeds typical levels. The X100 Ultra's charging protocol has been reduced compared to the X100 Pro, resulting in slower charging speeds.

Conclusion: A Smartphone Designed with a Camera in Mind

The X100 Ultra truly excels in imaging, but it feels more like a powerful mirrorless camera than an all-encompassing flagship device.

Is it Worth Buying?

If you prioritize photography and lack familiarity with professional image editing tools, the X100 Ultra is a great option.

If you aim for a comprehensive smartphone experience considering performance, design, grip, battery life, and imaging aspects, the X100 Ultra might not be the ideal choice.

If you already own the X90 Pro+, perhaps waiting for the X200 series is advisable, as vivo might offer a more refined imaging experience.

The X100 Ultra has provided me with many surprises. It is an outstanding mobile photography tool and fuels my anticipation for vivo's future imaging capabilities.