Vivo recently introduced the Y18i model in India, building on the Y18 series launched earlier this year. The Y18i is running by the Unisoc T612 chipset and comes pre-installed with Funtouch OS 14, which is based on Android 14. This device offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which users can expend up to 1TB using a microSD card. This makes it a versatile option for users who require additional storage for apps, photos, and videos.
Vivo Y18i
The Y18i features a 6.56-inch HD+ LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, ensuring smoother scrolling and better visual performance. The display also offers 528 nits of High Brightness Mode (HBM), making it more readable under direct sunlight. A small notch at the top of the screen houses the 5MP front-facing camera, designed for selfies and video calls. On the back, the Y18i includes a dual-camera setup, with a 13MP primary sensor and a 0.08MP secondary lens.
Battery life is a strong point for the Y18i, as it comes equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery. This large battery should comfortably last through a full day of use, depending on usage patterns. Additionally, the device supports 15W charging, allowing for quicker recharges when needed. The Y18i also has an IP54 rating, providing some protection against dust and water splashes, and features stereo speakers for an enhanced audio experience.
Interestingly, the Y18i is essentially a rebranded version of the Y03t, which was introduced just a day before. The key differences between the two models include the Y18i’s use of Bluetooth 5.0, compared to Bluetooth 5.2 in the Y03t, and the absence of a 128GB storage option in the Y18i.
The vivo Y18i is available in two color options: Space Black and Gem Green. Priced at INR 7,999 (approximately $95 or €85), it offers a solid budget-friendly option for consumers in India. The phone can be purchased through the company‘s official Indian website and is expected to be available at offline retail stores as well.
Vivo's third-gen foldable phone is a major upgrade for foldable technology. Unlike its predecessors, the X Fold 3 Pro is lighter, thinner, and available outside China.
This device aims to deliver a top-tier experience focusing on its standout camera system, expansive high-quality displays, and impressive 5,700mAh battery.
Competing directly with the Galaxy Z Fold6, the X Fold 3 Pro sets itself apart with its superior hardware and thoughtful design.
In this review, we'll find out if the combination of hardware excellence translates to user-friendliness and an overall premium smartphone experience.
So what makes the X Fold 3 Pro stand out from the competition?
The X Fold 3 Pro arrives in a sleek, premium-looking box. Inside, you'll find the phone itself, a 120W charger, a USB cable, and a simple snap-on case.
While the package isn't overly extravagant, it includes the essentials without unnecessary clutter.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro: Design and Speaker
The vivo X Fold3 Pro showcases a refined design, reflecting the company's experience in the foldable market. Weighing 236g, it’s lighter than both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and the OnePlus Open, yet offers nearly three times the display area.
Its aluminium frame provides a sturdy, scratch-resistant structure, with the cover display protected by Armor Glass for enhanced drop resistance. The device boasts an IPX8 rating, ensuring it can survive submersion in fresh water up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes, outperforming the OnePlus Open’s IPX4 rating.
The hinge, made of carbon fibre and weighing just under 15g, is designed to withstand 500,000 folds and can be set at various angles. The internal display, protected by ultra-thin glass, is tough and durable, with a minimal crease. The back combines polyesters and glass fibres, contributing to its lightweight design.
Available in Celestial Black which has a glitter-like effect under direct sunlight and White, the device's dual under-display fingerprint sensors provide quick and secure access, outperforming competitors with only one sensor.
Additional features include a two-position slider for muting alerts and media, similar to the three-position sliders on the OnePlus Open and Oppo Find N3.
The device houses two speakers in the cover screen half, offering decent audio performance with a ‘Good’ rating for loudness, although it lacks some bass compared to the Galaxy Z Fold6 and is less boomy than the OnePlus Open.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro: Display
The vivo X Fold3 Pro is equipped with two impressive displays. The main inner screen is a large 8.03-inch panel that gets incredibly bright in adaptive brightness mode, reaching a peak of 4500 nits, making it one of the brightest foldable displays we've reviewed up to date. Both screens support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision for enhanced picture quality.
In manual mode, the display reaches nearly 600 nits, comparable to competitors, though the Galaxy Z Fold6 can push 200 nits more with Extra brightness enabled. The cover screen, at 6.53 inches with a 21:9 aspect ratio, achieves an impressive 1,800 nits in adaptive mode and 570 nits manually.
The X Fold3 Pro features three refresh rate modes: Smart Switch, High, and Standard. All modes dynamically adjust the refresh rate, dropping to 1Hz when idle. High and Smart Switch modes adapt between 60Hz and 1Hz based on activity, while Standard caps at 60Hz. However, games were limited to 60fps in all modes.
The device supports all major HDR standards, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold6, which only supports HDR10+. The X Fold3 Pro offers a comprehensive display experience, combining high brightness, adaptive refresh rates, and extensive HDR support.
Vivo X Fold3 Pro: Camera
The main camera features a 50MP OmniVision OV50H sensor, the largest seen on a foldable, delivering exceptional detail and dynamic range.
Low-light sample main camera
The telephoto lens, with its 64MP sensor and 3x zoom, excels at close-ups, producing sharp, noise-free images, even in low light.
Low-light sample, telephoto camera 3x
The ultrawide camera, while not the most expansive, still offers great performance with accurate colours and good dynamic range. Its autofocus capability allows for creative angles and close-up shots. However, the lack of a dedicated IP and a kill switch are notable omissions, potentially affecting the overall user experience.
Sample of an image shot on the ultrawide camera.
One of the unique benefits of the X Fold 3 Pro’s design is its ability to leverage the foldable form for versatile shooting angles, like waist-level or overhead shots. But, there are limitations, such as the inability to use the cover display for live previews when photographing others.
10x zoom sample | GsmArena
Additionally, while the device’s video capabilities are extensive, including 8K recording and various frame rates, the results, particularly in low light, can be softer than expected.
Despite these few drawbacks, the X Fold 3 Pro delivers a compelling camera experience, with the rear camera providing superior results, especially for selfies and night shots.
X Fold 3 Pro Zeiss-inspired lenses are expected to live up to the hype.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro: Software and battery life
The vivo X Fold3 Pro, running Android 14 with Vivo's proprietary software layer, offers Origin OS for the Chinese market and Funtouch OS for other regions. Vivo promises three years of Android OS upgrades and four years of security patches.
Funtouch on the cover display resembles that of a standard Vivo phone, while the internal screen provides a larger workspace with a reasonably intuitive multi-window implementation. Though not as polished as Samsung's One UI on the Galaxy Z Fold6, it still offers useful features grouped in the Foldable Devices submenu.
vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro’s UI
Flex mode splits the screen into actionable and viewing halves for compatible apps, and Smart Screen Shift switches the active display based on orientation changes, though it can be disabled if it interferes with overhead photos.
vivo X Fold 3 Pro in Flex mode
Additionally, there's a simple setting for managing the phone's behaviour when closing the foldable display, lacking per-app settings found in some other Android overlays.
The Smart screen shift effect works when you partially fold and unfold the phone, the existing app slides to
the left, and an app drawer opens to the right, allowing you to choose the second one to open. | Digitrends
The X Fold3 Pro uses silicon cathode tech for its battery, allowing for a more energy-dense design, keeping the phone thin while offering a 5,700mAh capacity. This capacity surpasses other large foldable phones, such as the Galaxy Z Fold6, which has a 4,400mAh battery.
In active use testing, the X Fold3 Pro posted excellent results, with class-leading overall scores and top-tier screen-on test numbers. Despite this, the endurance-to-capacity ratio isn't the highest among its competitors.
The phone includes a proprietary FlashCharge adapter rated up to 120W, although the X Fold3 Pro itself supports up to 100W, peaking at around 86W in testing.
vivo X Fold3 Pro 100W FlashCharge battery test
This is slightly slower than the previous model but still competitive, being only marginally slower than the OnePlus Open and Oppo Find N3, yet quicker than other foldable tablets.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro: Performance and Gaming
Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the phone showcases impressive performance similar to other top-tier Android devices of 2024.
Unlike the X100 Pro, which uses the Dimensity 9300, the X Fold 3 Pro features three memory configurations in China: 12GB/256GB, 16GB/512GB, and 16GB/1TB, with the middle option available outside China. The UFS 4.0 storage standard ensures consistent speed.
In benchmarks, the X Fold 3 Pro performs on par with the X100 Ultra and matches the Z Fold6 in CPU performance, surpassing it in the Antutu benchmark and 3DMark disciplines, though it trails slightly in the ray tracing Solar Bay test. Under prolonged load, it excels, maintaining high average values in the CPU Throttling test, despite some fluctuations.
For gaming, the X Fold 3 Pro handles demanding games like CODM, Squad Busters and PUGB effortlessly without heat buildup, and sometimes maintains a consistent 60fps with high graphics settings.
vivo X Fold 3 Pro handles gaming comfortably
The phone did heat up slightly but cooled down quickly after gaming sessions. Performance was notably better when the phone was unfolded, likely due to improved heat dissipation.
This was confirmed through intensive GPU benchmarks on 3DMark, where unfolded tests showed better results. | 3DMark Gamer’s Benchmark
Overall, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro's hardware delivers exceptional performance, especially during long-term CPU loads and high-demand gaming, making it a standout choice for power users.
What we like about the X Fold 3 Pro phone
Sleek and comfortable to handle
IPX8 rating for water resistance
Advanced Ultrasonic fingerprint readers
Exceptional Battery Life and up to 16GB RAM
Outstanding displays with Dolby Vision
High-quality Imaging capabilities
Impressive performance
What to consider before buying the phone
Availability is regionally limited
Video quality could be better
No eSIM support
Our Verdict
The Vivo X Fold3 Pro is a formidable competitor to Samsung's dominance. With superior displays, battery life, charging, cameras, and dual fingerprint sensors, it offers a compelling package. While Samsung's ecosystem and S Pen hold advantages, the X Fold3 Pro's hardware excellence shines. Limited global availability is its main drawback.
The X Fold3 Pro is primarily available in parts of Asia, making it harder to obtain internationally without hefty import duties and lacking a global warranty. This makes the Galaxy Z Fold6 a more practical choice for many.
If cost is not a concern and you seek the best camera, fastest charging, longest battery life, and most attractive display in a foldable phone, buy the vivo X Fold3 Pro.
Pricing and Availability in Africa
We’re yet to see a foldable that is below $600 in the market. The Vivo X Fold3 Pro starts at $787 (₦1,268,549) and can go up to $1600 (₦2,576,800). Despite its impressive features, Vivo has limited the global availability of the X Fold3 Pro since its launch in March 2024.
For those in Africa, the phone will be available at Vivo's showrooms and authorised retailers once released. Alternatively, you can purchase it through online stores like Aliexpress and Sunsky, or from Chinese gadget stores, but be prepared for import taxes. Buying from markets such as Malaysia or India via Amazon or third-party sellers is another option, although markups may apply.
The Vivo X Fold3 Pro comes in three variants: 256GB with 12GB RAM, 512GB with 16GB RAM, and 1TB with 16GB RAM. However, the 1TB model is exclusive to China, and only the 512GB model is available for the global market.
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