Vivo X300 Review

Last updated on 20 April 2026

Like most visually impaired users in my area, I had been using Samsung phones. Recently, however, I switched to the Vivo X300 from Vivo’s premium X series. After using the device for about a week, I wanted to share both my general impressions and my accessibility experience for those interested in Vivo devices.

Unboxing

The device comes in a large, square, black box. Inside, you get the phone itself, a protective case, a charger, and a charging cable.

The included case is not bad in terms of quality. The charger is fairly large and somewhat heavy, shaped like a long rectangle. It has a USB-A output and comes with a thick, durable-looking charging cable that is approximately one meter long. A high-quality screen protector is pre-applied.

I really wish other brands would bring back this kind of rich box content.

Design

Although my previous phone, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, satisfied me in terms of software and accessibility features, its large and wide body was one of the factors that negatively affected my overall user experience from an ergonomic point of view.

For that reason, I was looking for a device that could offer performance comparable to the S25 series while also being more compact and easier to handle. That is exactly when the Vivo X300 caught my attention.

This device has a 6.31-inch display, is 8 mm thick, and weighs 190 grams. With these dimensions, it fits comfortably in the hand. Moreover, the lower edges of the device are very slightly rounded to improve grip comfort, which helps prevent discomfort during long periods of use.

The phone includes an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is both fast and reliable. When enrolling a fingerprint, the system provides guidance to help complete the process. However, unlike Samsung and Pixel devices, there is no guidance when unlocking the phone using the fingerprint sensor.

The frame is made of aluminum, while the rear panel is glass. The phone is rated IP68/IP69 for dust and water resistance, meaning it is protected against high-pressure water jets and can be immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. The camera island is positioned at the upper center of the device. Four cameras are housed inside a circular module, and the module itself is surrounded by a metal frame. The flash LEDs are elegantly positioned on the upper-right side of the camera island.

The glass over the camera island has a very subtle outward curve, which adds a stylish touch to the design. When viewed from the back, the phone almost gives the impression of a digital camera.

On the right side of the device, there is the volume rocker, with the power button placed slightly below it.

On the bottom edge, there is a large speaker grille, a USB-C port positioned in the center, and the SIM card tray on the left side. Between the SIM tray and the USB-C port, there is a microphone hole. It is important to remember this distinction so that you do not accidentally insert the SIM ejector tool into the microphone hole and damage it.

The left side of the device is empty. At the top, there is a second speaker grille on the left side and additional microphones on the right side. Also, at the top center of the 6.31-inch display, there is a punch-hole cutout housing a 50 MP front camera.

Overall, the device follows a symmetrical design approach.

Performance and Hardware

One of the two most important criteria for me when choosing this device was making sure it would not fall behind my previous phone in terms of performance.

The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor at the heart of the device easily meets that expectation. This chipset can reach speeds of up to 4.21 GHz and features an eight-core architecture consisting of one ultra-performance core, three high-performance cores, and four efficiency cores. Built on a 3 nm manufacturing process, its biggest rival is the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

The device comes with 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, which promises a smooth experience even with future Android updates. Vivo has also promised five major Android updates for the X300, which ships with Android 16, regardless of region.

Cameras

On the rear camera island, the device includes a 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50 MP telephoto camera, while the front camera is also 50 MP. The camera app controls are accessible, and it supports face detection.

Battery and Charging

The battery is 1000 mAh larger than the one in my previous phone, which gives me peace of mind. I can be confident the battery will last the whole day, and even after a long day, I usually come home with around 45 to 50% remaining.

The device supports 90W Flash Charge, which is impressively fast.

Audio and Speakers

Thanks to the speaker placement, the stereo effect is easy to notice when listening to music. In addition, instead of using the earpiece as the secondary speaker, the device has a separate speaker at the top. Even though it does not carry a certification such as Dolby Atmos, listening to music on this phone is still enjoyable. The bass may not hit especially deep, but it is clearly present. The mids and highs, meanwhile, are crisp and clear.

Infrared Sensor and Smart Remote

Although it may seem like a minor feature, the infrared sensor can be very useful. Located inside the camera module, it works with the smart remote software to control devices such as TVs and air conditioners in your home.

I tested it successfully with a Local TV from 2014 and a Toshiba air conditioner at my workplace. The main functions of these devices can be controlled easily and without any hassle.

Accessibility

Rather than going through every category one by one, I want to offer a general accessibility evaluation while also highlighting a few details worth mentioning. The phone comes with OriginOS, an interface that feels close to stock Android and strikes a nice balance between customization and simplicity.

When powering on the phone for the first time and holding the volume up and volume down buttons, TalkBack starts speaking with the default TTS voice. During setup, all elements, including the keyboard, are accessible, providing a smooth initial experience.

The control panel, notification center, and sliders are all accessible with screen readers. Although OriginOS does not support screen reader actions on the home screen, this feature works in the notification panel. Even without actions support, arranging the home screen and app drawer remains accessible. However, since I use Nova Launcher, I did not spend much time with the default OriginOS home screen beyond testing.

For braille typers who rely on the Advanced Braille Keyboard (ABK), the experience varies depending on which screen reader is active. The following observations describe how ABK behaves with different screen readers on this phone.

TalkBack works smoothly and consistently, and ABK functions perfectly with it. On my previous Samsung phone, using ABK in two-hand screen-away mode required manual calibration of the dots, but on this phone it works without any calibration while TalkBack is active.

Jieshuo also runs smoothly, but issues appear when ABK is used with it. When the Android navigation buttons are hidden, ABK does not respond. Making the buttons visible restores functionality, though typing certain three-dot letters can still fail.

Prudence Screen Reader shows similar behavior with ABK. It works when the navigation buttons are visible, but after typing for a while the dot assignments may occasionally become mixed up.

The best-performing screen reader on this phone is Tiantan—a lesser-known Chinese screen reader. It runs smoothly and is fully compatible with ABK regardless of whether the navigation buttons are hidden or visible, providing the most trouble-free experience in my usage scenario.

Unlike the UIs from brands such as Xiaomi, Tecno, and Infinix, this phone does not aggressively kill screen readers, speech synthesizers, or the ABK full-screen overlay accessibility service in the background. The only exception occurs when Jieshuo is launched for the first time, when the system asks whether it should continue running because it may consume too much battery.

The phone includes one physical accessibility shortcut. Holding the volume up and volume down buttons can be assigned to turn an accessibility service on or off, while other services can be started or stopped using the accessibility on-screen button. Unlike Samsung devices, Vivo phones do not offer a shortcut that uses the volume up and power buttons together.

In daily use, the interface feels very smooth. Even when swiping quickly or scrolling through long lists, there are no noticeable stutters or screen reader lag. Switching between applications is also seamless.

The recent apps screen supports several layouts, including list, stack, block, and tile. In my experience, the block layout is the most practical. Regardless of which layout is selected, accessibility is not negatively affected. One difference compared to Samsung devices is that background apps are not directly shown in the recent apps screen. Instead, the number of running apps appears at the top of the notification panel, and tapping this indicator allows you to manage them individually.

Another behavior worth noting appears when pressing the “Close all apps” button in the recent apps screen. The screen reader announces “Already in the best state,” yet the apps remain visible when returning to the recent apps screen. To close an app, it is necessary to swipe up with two fingers after the screen reader reads the app name. This approach may be intentional, possibly reflecting Vivo’s attempt to take advantage of the phone’s 16 GB of RAM.

One of the biggest issues visually impaired users often encounter is screen reader speech latency when connecting Bluetooth headphones or speakers. Based on my experience with several devices, this latency is minimal on the X300. The small latency that remains appears to be related to the nature of Bluetooth audio itself and is roughly comparable to what I experienced on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Finally, the ergonomics are very good, making the phone comfortable to use even on the go. The display is also very clear for users with low vision.

Conclusion

While it has both strengths and weaknesses, I tried to evaluate the Vivo X300 as objectively as possible. For visually impaired users looking for an alternative to Samsung, it is a strong option to consider.

The compatibility issues between Jieshuo and ABK will likely be resolved over time. For those who do not use ABK, the device poses no concerns.