Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is the first foldable device officially launched in India. Vivo also sells its clamshell-style X Flip, which was launched in 2023 in China, but the brand has decided to drop all guns and launch its biggest foldable device in India. Given that this foldable device comes with best-in-class hardware, Vivo clearly has an edge in the foldable segment. Whether this translates into sales of these rather expensive devices is more a matter of waiting as Samsung has for the longest time been the only player to offer sophisticated devices in two form factors in India.
That being said, Vivo, like OnePlus, is looking to compete with Samsung by offering something more with sophisticated offerings. After checking out the OnePlus Open and using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, it’s easy to see how different this larger-than-life foldable device is compared to it. Having used it as my primary device for the past week, I’ve been pretty impressed with the phone’s camera considering it folds up. However, durability is one area that Vivo is also focusing on in its new foldable device. So, let’s take a closer look at what’s new and different in its design.
OnePlus took a compact, sophisticated approach for its Open. On the other hand, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is the complete opposite. The phone is equipped with the largest display on a foldable panel of 6.53 inches with a high aspect ratio of 21:9. This results in a rectangular (versus the Open’s mostly square) 8.03-inch display, which looks pretty big on paper. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra is a huge bar-shaped smartphone (even for a regular smartphone). It only works with a 6.8-inch display, so you get a lot of display (8.03 inches) in a compact size that’s smaller than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro carbon hinge can be held at different angles
While the phone looks more compact than regular premium flagships, it’s thicker than the aforementioned ribbon phones at 11.2mm. However, when opened, it shrinks in half to 5.2mm, which is as thin as the new iPad Pro at 5.1mm (excluding the camera bump). The foldable stationary is the thinnest in its segment, beating the OnePlus Open and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 when it comes to the same thing.
Manufacturing a display in this form factor is not easy because the overall dimensions are so thin and have mechanical moving parts. What’s impressive is that Vivo has managed to pack these displays into a foldable device that weighs just 236 grams. That’s only 3 grams lighter than the titanium Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
And to make this possible, Vivo has done things a little differently than other brands.
The main folding display does not seem to be inferior to the competition in terms of protection and durability (UTG + shockproof film). The phone’s display features a different, proprietary Armor (microcrystalline) glass that, thanks to its denser atomic structure, can withstand drops better than current offerings on the market, Vivo said. The back panel also has “Armor” lettering, but it’s not made of glass. The back panel uses a mixture of UPE (plastic) and fiberglass, giving the surface a premium look and feel. This blend of fibers also helps Vivo reduce weight while maintaining better drop strength.
Another area where Vivo has saved on weight and thickness is the hinge. Vivo uses carbon fiber and aluminum alloy for the hinge. It is combined with a more compact assembly in which a carbon fiber wheel is formed into a square with an aluminum alloy bracket. Thanks to this, the hinge weighs only 14.8 grams and is relatively compact. It looks similar but is 5mm thinner than the OnePlus Open hinge. Vivo claims this hinge can last up to 12 years with around 100 folds per day (under its own lab conditions), but we’ll need a long-term device to do the same in real-world conditions.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro desktop calendar AOD mode in action
Another interesting detail about this loop is that it can allow half of the device to hang, and has a comfortable space wide enough for most applications. Like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the X Fold 3 Pro allows me to point half the phone (the camera half) to take sharp low-light shots or capture light trails. While holding the other half in place, you can also watch videos on the top half with controls on the bottom half. In addition to being used for watching videos in this mode or when flipped over in tent mode, the lid display also has a great Desk Calendar AOD screen to show the time, battery status, weather and date, which I think is pretty cool.
Considering the durability requirements of this foldable device, it’s also surprising that Vivo has also managed to give this device an IPX8 rating, which is the same as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5. This means that the phone provides adequate protection against water splashes and immersion. but no protection against dust or sand. However, like all manufacturers and their premium IP-rated devices, the IP rating is not covered by warranty, so it’s always advised not to submerge your premium smartphone, as any resulting damage (if it happens) will be out of your pocket .
