Vivo has launched the X300 series with iterative improvements across both design and specifications. One of the notable upgrades comes in the camera department — a new 200MP ISOCELL HPB sensor from Samsung. It powers the main camera on the standard X300 and the 3.7x periscope telephoto on the X300 Pro.

Samsung, on the other hand, still uses a 10MP sensor for the 3x periscope telephoto on its S Ultra phones. But since the S Ultra still costs significantly more than the X300 Pro (starting at around $750 in China) and is widely regarded as one of the best camera phones out there, it’s worth seeing how the Galaxy S25 Ultra stacks up against Vivo’s X300 Pro.

The camera samples shared by tipster Ice Universe were taken at 10x and 35x zoom in relatively low-light conditions — and they show just how capable Vivo’s zoom setup really is. At first glance, both 10x samples look similarly saturated. But the X300 Pro preserved textures much better than the S25 Ultra, which suffered from noticeable noise and artifacts. To be fair, it’s not just about sensor size — much of it comes down to image processing, especially noise handling. Moving to the 35x shots, the difference becomes even more apparent.

Perhaps there’s a limit to how much “intelligent” image processing can squeeze out of a sensor design that dates back half a decade. Either way, the difference in final output is clear — and for most users, that alone could be a deal-breaker.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra hasn’t exactly thrilled enthusiasts either, with most leaks suggesting a nearly unchanged camera setup. There will likely be more “AI-assisted” imaging improvements in the next flagship, but it’ll be interesting to see how that compares against the Vivo X300 Ultra when it launches.

And for those wondering, there’s also a side-by-side comparison of main camera samples from the standard Vivo X300 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, taken in broad daylight.

Don’t miss a thing! Join our Telegram community for instant updates and grab our free daily newsletter for the best tech stories!

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

(Source)