The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has just launched in China and brings in a new powerhouse phone to challenge some of the best foldable phones.
That’s because Vivo has equipped its latest folding phone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip the most powerful slice of silicon available to some of the best Android phones, such as the flagship-grade Samsung Galaxy S24 series and the OnePlus 12.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 gives the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro a distinct advantage over its contemporaries, as most of the current crop of foldable phones use older chips like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8 Plus Gen 1, and Tensor G2; the latter being found exclusively in the Google Pixel Fold.
Tapping into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will give the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro an obvious advantage over other high-end foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 in terms of sheer clock speeds and benchmarks. But this performance could also translate into better multitasking and gaming potential.
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is also joined by the Vivo X Fold 3, which comes with the less impressive but still capable Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – a chip commonly in mid-range phones including the OnePlus 12R and Realme 12 Pro Plus.
More than just a powerful chipset
The Vivo X Fold 3 and X Fold 3 Pro’s new chipsets aren't the phone's only high-performance features. Both models use a 6.53-inch OLED cover display with a resolution of 2,748 x 1,172. The inner folding 8.03-inch OLED screen supports a resolution of 2,480 x 2,200 giving it a higher resolution than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, OnePlus Open and Pixel Fold.
The inner and outer screens on both models will support 120Hz refresh rates and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits matching the record previously set by the OnePlus 12.
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro comes in either 512GB to 1TB storage configurations, while the Vivo X Fold 3 includes 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options. The X Fold 3 comes in either 12GB or 16GB RAM variations, while the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro features 16GB RAM only.
The X Fold 3 Pro packs a 5,700mAh battery making it the largest battery in any folding phone currently around, and features 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. The Vivo X Fold 3 is no slouch either housing a 5,500mAh battery and featuring 80W wired charging.
The Vivo X Fold 3 and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro share a similar design and have a circular camera module on the back, as well as the same carbon fiber hinge.
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is also thinner than most foldable phones at 11.2mm when folded while the standard Vivo X Fold 3 is only 10.2mm, slightly thicker than the Honor Magic V2 that's 10.1mm but still thinner than most current foldables. However, when unfolded the Vivo X Fold 3 is only 4.65mm making it slightly thinner than the 4.7mm thickness of the Magic V2.
The standard X Fold 3 is also relatively lightweight weighing 219g, while the X Fold 3 Pro weighs 236g making both of them considerably lighter than the Pixel Fold which weighs 283g and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 which is 253g.
The triple camera system on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro features a substantial upgrade from the 12-megapixel dual-camera module of its predecessor, the X Fold 2. The X Fold 3 Pro now features a 50MP, f/1.68 main camera, a 64MP f/2.57 telephoto camera, and a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide. Alongside these are two 32MP selfie cameras, one on the inner and one on the outer screen. It is also capable of recording up to 8K video, which is only matched by the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Pricing and availability
Pricing for the Vivo X Fold 3 (12GB+256GB) starts at 6,999 yuan, which is approximately £766 / $968 / AU$1,507. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (16GB+512GB) starts at 9,999 yuan, converting roughly to £1095 / $1383 / AU$2153.
If these estimates are in any way close to an official price, the Vivo X Fold 3 and X Fold 3 Pro could be more affordable than the Google Pixel Fold, OnePlus Open and Galaxy Z Fold 5. While the phone is currently only available in China it's unknown if either model is slated for a global release, but leaker Yogesh Brar tweeted that the Vivo X Fold 3 could be released outside of China.
If the Vivo X Fold 3 and X Fold 3 Pro are released outside of China they have the potential to tempt buyers away from manufacturers like Samsung, and Google and even folding phone newcomers like Honor and OnePlus. But it will be interesting how it will compare to Samsung and Google’s next generation of foldables, the former of which is expected to arrive first in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
