The new year is still a month away but Vivo has taken the wraps off its flagship phones already.The brand has launched the Vivo X100 and X100 Pro in China, and both phones are expected to arrive in India soon. While both the Vivo X100 and the X100 Pro are expected to come with premium pricing, the X100 is the more affordable of the two devices. In China, it has been launched at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs 46,000) which is well below the CNY 4,999 (roughly Rs 57,000) of the Vivo X100 Pro. It is therefore likely to be the more “mainstream” of the two flagships.
But it being comparatively mainstream is not a reflection on its spec sheet, which is very flagship level. The Vivo X100 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 4 nanometer chipset which is the latest flagship processor from the house of MediaTek and is expected to be capable of handling even the most stressful and power-hungry smartphone tasks with ease.
There would be very few things that the phone wouldn’t be able to take on without having to break a sweat. The front of the phone is all about that tall 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display that comes with 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits peak brightness.
While photography enthusiasts might be more attracted to the Pro version of the phone, the X100 is no small deal either. It comes with a very good camera setup as well — there is a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS, a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom ability and OIS and lastly, a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The cameras on the X100 are also tuned by ZEISS and come with T* lens coating that helps in minimising flare in low-light situations.
The phone runs on a 5,000mAh battery which comes with support for 120 W fast wired charging support. The phone has been released in China and hence runs on Vivo’s OriginOS on top of Android 14 but when launched globally, is likely to come with the usual FunTouchOS.
All this makes the Vivo X100 a very capable device but it is not one without competition. Here are five phones that are going to be a roadblock in the way of success for the Vivo X100 when it comes to India:
OnePlus 11R Solar Red: Loads Of Memory And A Great Design
Price: Rs 45,999
OnePlus might have entered the proper premium flagship market but it has not yet given up on its flagship-slaying nature. The OnePlus 11R is a device that keeps that tradition alive and now OnePlus has pushed its flagship killing horizon a bit more and launched the Solar Red version of the phone.
This new variant comes with almost identical specs as the OG OnePlus 11R – a 6.74 Fluid FHD+ AMOLED inch display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a very powerful albeit slightly old Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, a 5,000 mAh battery with 100 W fast charging support and 100 W charger in the box, a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS backed by an 8 megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 16-megapixel sensor on the front. What’s different is that the phone brings a whopping 18 GB of RAM on board and comes with a very striking red vegan leather back that can easily stand out amongst a sea of smartphones.
While most of these numbers might be a step or two behind the ones on the Vivo X100, the clean and clutter-free OxygenOS running the OnePlus 11R Solar Red show that is also likely to attract all those looking for a premium smartphone, but do not want a loaded interface.
Google Pixel 7a: The Affordable Pixel, With Photo Magic 
Price: Rs 43,999
If it is a clean interface you are looking for, then it does not get any better than this. The Pixel 7a comes from Google which means you not only get the purest version of Android, but also timely software updates for a very long time. The phone runs on Android 13 out of the box and while it is a clean, clutter-free OS, it comes with several features that are unique to the Pixel range. To top this, the Pixel 7a also brings along very good camera performance thanks to Google’s computational photography prowess. The phone has only two sensors on the back — a 64-megapixel main sensor with OIS and up to 8x special Super Res zoom, paired with a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor.
There is another 13-megapixel sensor on the front for selfies. These numbers may not sound like a lot but Google has worked its software magic here which delivers very well detailed and accurate coloured pictures. The phone is also powered by Google’s very own Tensor G2 SoC which is also present on the 2022 flagship Pixel 7 Pro and is a very capable flagship processor.
The phone has a slightly smaller 4,300mAh battery with 18W charging support which is not very impressive, but it also has a more compact 6.1-inch FHD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate which does not drain the battery as fast. The phone can see through a day of usage on a single charge and comes with wireless charging support as well. The phone is quite compact and easy to hold and carry and comes with a distinct camera bar on the back which announces it is a Pixel in every room it enters.
Nothing Phone (2): The Nothing That’s A Lot Of Things
Price: Rs 42,999
Nothing released the successor of the famous Nothing Phone (1) this year and while the Phone (2) had pretty much the same looks as its predecessor, the brand has upped its specs game. The head-turning transparent back laden with tiny LEDs is still present but Nothing has added more functionality to its patterns.
Unlike the Phone (1), which ran on a mid-segment processor, the Phone (2) is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, which is a flagship-level chip.
The dual camera setup on the phone comprising two 50-megapixel sensors (one with OIS, one ultrawide) delivers some really good photos and videos. It has a 4,700 mAh battery on board with 45 W wired, 15 W wireless and 4.5 W reverse charging support, although there isn’t a charger packed in the box.
The 6.7-inch LTPO OLED with 120Hz refresh rate and super narrow bezels, is paired with a 32-megapixel selfie sensor on the front.
The phone also comes with Android 13 out of the box with NothingOS on top which is a very clean, clutter-free Android skin, making it seem very stock Android-ish.
Xiaomi 12 Pro: Still A Multimedia Monster
Price: Rs 41,999
It might be getting a little long in terms of age, but the Xiaomi 12 Pro remains a compelling proposition for anyone looking for a phone under Rs 50,000. It runs on a slightly old but still very fierce Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and comes with a brilliant quad-HD 6.73-inch curved display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
There are three 50-megapixel cameras on the back — a main sensor with OIS, an ultrawide, and a telephoto. The phone runs on MIUI, which makes it quite versatile but not as overwhelming as some other phones with loaded Android skins.
A 4,600mAh battery powers the phone, with support for 120W fast charging support a charger in the box, and 50W wireless charging.
Top this with quad speakers tuned by SOUND by Harman Kardon and support for Dolby Atmos and you have yourselves an all-around entertainment beast.
iQoo 11: Super-Specced Sib
Price: Rs 51,999
This phone is probably the biggest spec spike in the way of Vivo X100’s success, and ironically it comes from its subbrand. The iQoo 11 is a spec monster. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with up to 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage and features a 6.78-inch quad HD+ AMOLED display with a high 144 Hz refresh rate.
The phone also has a very versatile camera arrangement — a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS is paired with a 13-megapixel telephoto with 2x optical zoom and an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor.
There is a 5,000mAh battery on board with 120W fast charging support and a charger in the box. It comes with Android 13 out of the box with FunTouchOS on top. Combine this with a very striking design and the fact that it comes from Vivo’s sub-brand iQoo, and is likely to have a similar interface (Funtouch OS) and this is one phone that could definitely hurt the upcoming Vivo X100’s prospects.