vivo X300 FE may be Singapore’s most affordable telephoto-extender phone

The vivo X300 FE is not vivo’s most extreme camera phone, and that may well be the point.

At SGD 1,099 for the 12GB+256GB model, with the Telephoto Extender Kit priced from SGD 299, the X300 FE currently looks like the most accessible official way in Singapore to get into this new phone-and-telephoto-extender trend.

We know that this is ultimately a compromise compared to the Ultra, but did vivo do enough to make it work?

Phone cameras are entering the system meta

While Samsung tiptoes into the AI integration game, vivo, along with OPPO and HONOR, are making a beeline towards telephoto extenders. OPPO has the Find X9 Pro and its Hasselblad Teleconverter; HONOR has the Magic8 Pro Professional Imaging Kit. While their approaches differ, the collective intent is clear.

Telephoto cameras have improved to the point that optional shooting kits feel less gimmicky for consumers. While they may look unwieldy, they are far more portable and affordable than the back-breakingly big, heavy and expensive equivalents on mirrorless camera systems.

That said, you still pay a premium for these extenders. OPPO’s Find X9 Pro (from SGD 1,599) with Hasselblad Teleconverter (SGD 329) and HONOR’s Magic8 Pro (from SGD 1,499) with Professional Imaging Kit (SGD 399) proposition sit close to the SGD 2,000 mark.

vivo itself went one step further with the no-compromise X300 Ultra, which sits closer to SGD 2,500 than SGD 1,500 — and that’s not even counting the additional SGD 800 needed for the Photographer Kit with the extenders.

What does the X300 FE offer?

With the Ultra, vivo priced themselves out of the typical flagship candybar smartphone bracket, creating a market gap for itself to fill. In doing so, it may also be perpetuating a new meta: the ‘affordable’ modular camera setup, albeit with just a 200mm-equivalent extender compared to having also a 400mm-equivalent on the Ultra.

On paper, the 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto Camera, a 50MP ZEISS Main Camera, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera paint the X300 FE as a regular entry-flagship/premium midrange offering.

For the highlight telephoto camera, vivo chose a 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor with 3x optical zoom and up to 100x enhanced zoom. With the vivo ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 attached, the phone can reach a 200mm-equivalent focal length. The extender uses 15 glass elements in two groups, and vivo says its weight has been reduced from 210g to 153g compared with the previous generation — a considerable weight-shedding upgrade since you more likely to bring it along to concerts, stage performances, travel and long-distance shooting.

To support that, the phone includes Stage Mode, designed for difficult lighting and distant performers, while Dual-View Stage Video lets users record both the stage and their own reaction. There are also AI image tools such as image expansion, reflection erasing, object removal and creative portrait effects.

How much of the Ultra experience do you lose?

While comparisons with the Ultra are moot given the price disparity, it’s still worth a look for perspective.

The full-fat vivo X300 Ultra is built around higher-end hardware featuring ZEISS Master Lenses: a 50MP, 14mm ultrawide, a 200MP 35mm wide-angle, and a 200MP 85mm telephoto. The X300 Ultra supports both a 200mm-equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 and a 400mm-equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra. The optional Photographer Kit includes both extenders, an imaging grip, a phone case, a tripod collar ring, adapter rings, caps and a strap.

The X300 Ultra has far better camera hardware on paper, but at the cost of a bigger form factor and a far more prominent camera bump. The X300 FE is more ‘everyday’, weighing 191g and measuring 150.83 x 71.76 x 7.99 mm as opposed to 232g  and 162.98 x 76.81 x 8.19 mm on the X300 Ultra.

In short, the X300 Ultra is made for those who take photography across multiple focal lengths seriously. The X300 FE is for someone who wants a compact, high-quality zoom option without paying premium flagship prices, i.e. around SGD 2,000.

‘Business as usual’ premium specs

Cameras aside, the X300 FE is comparable to many of its peers in this price category, be it the processors, battery, or display.

For starters, it’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 platform and features a vapour-chamber cooling system. Pair that with a large 6,500mAh battery supported by fast 90W wired and 40W wireless charging, and you have flagship specs in the SoC and battery departments.

Likewise, the display is par for the course. The X300 FE has a 6.31-inch ZEISS Master Colour Display with LTPO adaptive refresh, 460 PPI, P3 wide colour gamut, 1.07 billion colours, 2160Hz PWM dimming, and 5000-nit local peak brightness.

The X300 FE also gets IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, along with five years of OS upgrades and seven years of security maintenance. The OriginOS 6 adds cross-device features, including vivo Office Kit for Windows, Mac, and iPad, One-Tap Transfer for iPhone, Private Space, and other system tools.

Price and availability in Singapore

The X300 FE will probably be the most interesting litmus test for whether the telephoto extender has a place, albeit a niche one.

Priced at SGD 1,099 (12GB + 256GB), it will be available on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok, as well as through authorised retailers, partners, and telcos, including Challenger, Best Denki, Courts, Harvey Norman, Gain City, and Popular.

The optional vivo X300 FE Telephoto Extender Kit is priced at SGD 299.