Vivo, the leading smartphone brand in India in terms of shipment volumes, has officially launched its first foldable phone, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, in the country. Building on the success of the Vivo X100 Pro, the company has taken a bold step by venturing into the foldable smartphone market. This move is considered a significant leap of faith by some, as the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is not only Vivo's first foldable device in India but also the most expensive phone the brand has ever launched in the country.

Unlike OnePlus, which undercut Samsung's pricing with the OnePlus Open, Vivo has gone above and beyond both in terms of raw specifications and the asking price. Vivo is primarily targeting high-income buyers and is hoping that some of its X-series loyalists will become early adopters of the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro.

Spec-wise, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers the most high-end hardware one could ever imagine on a device of this class. Even the cameras have received special attention, featuring the ZEISS magic. The timing of the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro's launch is strategic, as Samsung will release its next batch of foldable devices, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, in a month, raising the bar with its latest and greatest offerings.

The one-month gap should be sufficient for Vivo to introduce its product in the market before the ultimate showdown. With a limited number of players offering foldable phones in the Indian market, the arrival of a new entrant like Vivo is a welcome sight.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro: Top Specs & Features at a Glance

Design and Build Quality

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, touted as "India's slimmest foldable phone," boasts an impressive design and build quality. With a thickness of 11.2 mm when folded and weighing around 236 grams, the device features a proprietary armour glass body that extends to the cover screen, offering 11 times greater drop resistance compared to standard glass. Vivo has incorporated carbon fibre in the hinge, ensuring both slimness and durability. The hinge is designed to withstand 100 folds daily for 12 years, allowing for "multi-angle tree hovering" between 60 to 120 degrees. Additionally, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has an IPX8 rating for water resistance.

Displays and Fingerprint Sensors

The phone features two displays: an 8.03-inch inner folding display with a 2,480 x 2,200 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 4,500 nits peak brightness, and a 6.53-inch cover display with matching specifications. Both screens incorporate ultrasonic fingerprint readers for enhanced security.

Performance and Software

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers a single memory configuration in India, boasting 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB of UFS4.0 storage. The device runs on Vivo's Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14.

Camera Setup

In terms of optics, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro features a powerful camera setup, including a 50-megapixel primary camera with optical image stabilization, a 64-megapixel 3x telephoto camera, and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Dual 32MP front cameras cater to selfie needs. Vivo has incorporated its V3 imaging chip and partnered with ZEISS to deliver one of the most potent camera setups on a foldable device.

Audio and Connectivity

The audio experience is enhanced by stereo speakers and Wireless Lossless Hi-Fi audio support. Connectivity options include dual-SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, an IR blaster, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and a physical mute switch.

Battery and Charging

Powering the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is a 5,700mAh battery with support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

Pricing and Availability in India

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is priced at Rs 1,59,999 for a version with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in India.