Worth noting for Indian buyers — worth noting for Indian shoppers — i said it in my Vivo X300 FE review, and I’ll say it again – the Vivo X300 FE (review) is just as compact as the X300. It doesn’t stray far from its sibling on the spec sheet either, delivering a largely similar viewing experience, comparable performance, and battery endurance. That said, look a little closer, and you’ll notice a handful of differences, some subtle, others more meaningful, ultimately setting the two devices apart. Hence, this Vivo X300 FE and Vivo X300 (review) comparison, where we will be making a case for both phones based on their specifications.

Specs at a glance

| Vivo X300 FE | Vivo X300
Dimensions & weight | 150.8 x 71.7 x 7.9 mm, 191 grams | 150.5 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm, 190 grams
Display | 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution | 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution
Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500
Rear cameras | 50MP + 8MP + 50MP | 200MP + 50MP + 50MP
Front camera | 50MP | 50MP
Battery and charging | 6,500mAh, 90W wired & 40W wireless | 6,040mAh, 90W wired & 40W wireless

Vivo X300 FE vs Vivo X300: price

Vivo X300 FE vs Vivo X300: design & display

Vivo X300 FE vs Vivo X300: cameras

Vivo X300 FE vs Vivo X300: chipset & battery

Vivo X300 FE vs Vivo X300: software

Summing up

vivo X300 FE Images

vivo X300 Images

The Vivo X300 FE is, rather unusually, the more expensive option in the lineup. It begins at Rs 79,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, Rs 4,000 more than the X300 with the same configuration. This is pretty unusual for a FE (Fan Edition), which has usually been a watered-down version of a more powerful smartphone in the company’s lineup.

The trend continues with the 12GB + 512GB model, where the X300 FE is carrying a price tag of Rs 89,999, while the X300 comes in significantly lower at Rs 81,999. The X300 also offers a 16GB RAM variant at Rs 85,999, giving shoppers access to higher memory at a lower price point.

Variant | Vivo X300 FE price | Vivo X300 price
12GB + 256GB | Rs 79,999 | Rs 75,999
12GB + 512GB | Rs 89,999 | Rs 81,999
16GB + 512GB | NA | Rs 85,999

Both phones come in three colourways: Elite Black, Mist Blue, and Summit Red for the Vivo X300. One can find the Vivo X300 FE in Urban Olive, Lilac Purple, and Noir Black.

While the Vivo X300 FE and Vivo X300 share a near-identical form factor, their design philosophies clearly diverge. The X300 sticks with Vivo’s familiar oversized circular camera module, a signature look across its flagships, whereas the X300 FE takes a cleaner route with a sleek, horizontally aligned pill-shaped camera housing on the back. Both options keep the phone stable while resting flat on the surface. But Should you be not a fan of a gigantic camera module, the Vivo X300 FE is the one to go for.

Apart from that, both smartphones are IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance rated, boast a glass back with aluminium framing for a premium in-hand feel, and weigh just 190 grams. The handsets also sport an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which is both quick and accurate, a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer, and stereo speakers.

Up front, both phones are virtually identical. They sport a 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a dynamic refresh rate that scales from 1Hz to 120Hz. You also get the same 1.5K resolution, HDR10+ support, razor-thin bezels, and a neatly centred punch-hole cut-out on both the Vivo X300 FE and the Vivo X300.

The Vivo X300 FE and Vivo X300 both boast Zeiss-backed cameras, but with a different setup at the back. The Vivo X300 looks more formidable with a large 1/1.4-inch 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HPB OIS f/1.68 primary sensor, 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 ultrawide lens, and a 50MP Sony IMX602 OIS 3x telephoto unit. 4K video recording is available on all three rear cameras, along with a 50MP Zeiss front camera sensor.

The Vivo X300 FE also sports a 50MP front-facing camera, but its rear cameras have been downgraded to a 50MP OIS Sony IMX921 main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP Sony IMX882 3x telephoto unit. This is the same setup which you get from the Vivo X200 FE. Due to the smaller ultrawide sensor, you don’t get 4K video recording across all sensors.

As noted in the Vivo X300 FE review, the cameras lean towards punchy, vibrant images with pleasing dynamic range, but fine detail can fall a touch short. If resolving power is high on your priority list, the Vivo X300 may be the better pick. Moving on, both devices support Vivo’s Zeiss telephoto extender kit (sold separately), allowing you to capture sharper, more detailed shots of distant subjects when needed.

PCMark Battery score (in hours) vivo X300 FE 6500 mAh 16.1 vivo X300 6040 mAh 15.5 PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)

The differences between the Vivo X300 FE and Vivo X300 also extend to the chipset and battery. The FE includes a slightly larger 6,500mAh battery, paired with 90W FlashCharge and 40W wireless FlashCharge. The X300, in comparison, houses a 6,040mAh cell while retaining the same charging speeds. Naturally, the X300 will offer quick top-ups, but our internal testing shows the X300 FE has better endurance. This device lasted around 30 minutes longer in the PCMark battery test and consumed 2 percent less battery than its sibling after 60 minutes of gaming. AnTuTu score vivo X300 MediaTek Dimensity 9500 3,004,951 vivo X300 FE Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 3,000,897 AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)

Moving on, the Vivo X300 FE is powered by a sub-premium-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, whereas the X300 gets the premium-tier-grade MediaTek Dimensity 9500. Interestingly, both phones return similar scores in our AnTuTu test, but the X300 pulls ahead in real performance thanks to its more capable CPU and GPU performance. This advantage is also reflected in Geekbench’s multi-core results, where the X300 crosses the 10,000 mark, while the X300 FE trails at around 9,000. Geekbench single-core score vivo X300 MediaTek Dimensity 9500 3,432 vivo X300 FE Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 2,798 Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better) Geekbench multi-core score vivo X300 MediaTek Dimensity 9500 10,129 vivo X300 FE Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 9,051 Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)

The FE, as well as the vanilla model, is backed by LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage.

Vivo X300 FE Vivo X300

Software-wise, the Vivo X300 FE and X300 both run OriginOS 6 layered atop Android 16 out of the box. The experience is practically the same, with highly customised UI, personalised lock screen wallpapers, smooth animations, and a handful of apps pre-installed. Furthermore, the handsets offer near-identical software support, which includes 4 years of major OS and seven years of security updates.

Looking at the specifications, both smartphones appear to deliver a similar day-to-day experience. That said, the Vivo X300 emerges as the more well-rounded and better-value choice, owing to its more powerful premium-tier chipset and a significantly more capable camera system, headlined by its 200MP primary sensor and full 4K recording support across lenses. It also manages to undercut the FE in pricing, while even offering a higher RAM variant.

The X300 FE, on the other hand, is a more design- and battery-focused alternative that requires more careful consideration at its price. This device offers the same compact 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED panels, premium build quality, and identical software support as the standard X300. That said, it uses a less powerful processor and a comparatively modest camera setup, which makes its higher price harder to justify.