Why would you buy a foldable phone from Vivo? The answer is rather simple, but I want you to scroll all the way down to find the answer. For now, let’s talk about the X Fold 5 – the brand’s flagship offering in India that Vivo claims is the best they could do in the foldable segment.
Obviously, for a brand that pioneers the hardware part, the spec sheet doesn’t justify that claim. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the X Fold 5 doesn’t boast the nicest chipset available on the market. It also doesn’t get the latest version of Android that Google has to offer. These two reservations were a core factor in analysing the X Fold 5 a lot harder.
However, smartphones these days are more than just a collection of numbers, and the Vivo X Fold 5, in its three weeks with us, tried its best to showcase what it could do. It addresses the key concerns that foldable phone users have, rather than ones made up by tech critics – a slim form factor, a set of nice cameras, a large battery that charges fast, and a software experience to back it all up.
Does it all deliver in the real world? Our test unit of the Vivo X Fold 5 underwent a rough review period to clarify.
Design and Build
The first thing you notice about the Vivo X Fold 5 is its impossibly sleek profile. Measuring just 4.3mm when unfolded and 9.2mm when closed, it feels less like a cumbersome mouth organ with displays inside. It feels as if you are holding a conventional smartphone, not a complex foldable device. Vivo did a lot of clever engineering to keep the weight at 217 grams and position the innards to make it feel no different than your usual iPhone.
Despite the focus on slimness, the build quality is exceptional, featuring a pretty frosted matte glass back and a sturdy aluminium alloy frame. The rear camera hump is large but well-designed to suit the aesthetics. The carbon fiber hinge feels smooth and durable, and considering the IP58/IP59 rating for dust and water resistance, the X Fold 5 should hold up well against India’s challenging atmospheric conditions.
Displays
Whether open or closed, the visual experience on the X Fold 5 is a treat. The device features a large 8.03-inch LTPO AMOLED main display and a highly practical 6.53-inch cover screen, both offering a fluid 120Hz refresh rate. The OLED panels render vibrant colours, sharp details, and easy outdoor legibility.
The main display’s crease is not a concern while scrolling, but the lamination could have been better. The cover display is can be used comfortably for all daily tasks, be it checking text messages or scrolling through Instagram. The main display only magnifies the visual experience of the cover display. No complaints here.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset has been a sore point for the Vivo X Fold 5 ever since it was released. However, there’s nothing in the Android universe that can burden the year-old Snapdragon processor – neither any AI task nor any video game. While the latest generation Snapdragon 8 Elite would have been great, I didn’t encounter any moment where I felt the lack of power.
Hence, while not the absolute latest, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 remains a powerhouse capable of handling anything you throw at it. Paired with up to 16GB of RAM, performance is consistently smooth and responsive. From heavy multitasking across multiple apps on the large inner screen to running graphically demanding games, this folding phone never misses a beat. It might not obliterate synthetic benchmarks, but who buys a fancy foldable phone to shatter performance records? I bet most users will barely do enough beyond utility apps, for which the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is more than enough.
Software
Vivo’s software division is more focused on utility than on an overall experience. Hence, putting the same FunTouch OS on its flagship offering doesn’t impart the same kind of premium feel you’d get on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Other than the fact that Vivo chooses to ship this phone with the older Android 15 instead of Android 16, the X Fold 5’s software experience feels rather basic. The Origin Workbench is a nice attempt at easing multitasking on a large display, but the macOS and iPadOS-inspired idea needs better implementation.
The rest of the interface feels desolate – the multitasking and dual-display productivity features are present, but no easy way to access them. There’s a lack of originality in the software – there’s no unique ‘Vivo feature’ to make me want to use it. I urge Vivo to do something about FunTouch OS and make it deserving of an OS in a phone that costs Rs 149,999.
Cameras
Smartphone cameras in 2025 broadly fall into two categories – one that aligns with real colour science, whereas the other kind takes it upon itself to present the best tweaked version of what it sees. Vivo’s partnership with ZEISS continues to align with the second category and yield impressive results on the X Fold 5. It features a versatile triple-camera setup featuring a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
In daylight, still photos look stunning—rich in detail, with excellent dynamic range and natural, true-to-life colours, especially when using the dedicated ZEISS mode. The Origin mode amps up the colours and adjusts exposures accordingly. Low-light performance is equally strong, capturing bright and clean images with minimal noise. All of this is applicable for all three focal lengths. That said, consistency is an issue, with the X Fold 5’s camera occasionally losing out on clarity and colour accuracy – something that Vivo can fix with an update.
On the whole, though, this is one of the few foldables where the camera system doesn’t feel like a compromise. Its cameras feel like they belong to top-tier traditional flagships.
Battery and Charging
Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of the X Fold 5 is its battery performance. Vivo has managed to fit a massive 6,000 mAh battery into its slim frame, which is the largest in any foldable to date. This translates to great endurance that easily lasts through a full day of heavy use, often with 30-35% charge to spare. Note that this includes using both the main display and cover display.
When it’s time to top up, the 80W wired charging can take the phone from 0 to 100% in about an hour. The inclusion of 40W wireless and 10W reverse wireless charging adds convenience that only premium phones can deliver.
Verdict
The Vivo X Fold 5 marks the moment when Samsung’s class-leading Galaxy Z Fold 7 has competition – solid competition. Considering the product as a whole, Vivo’s focus on making the foldable phone more practical, combined with its more accessible price tag of Rs 149,999, makes it hard to resist. The software could have been better, and Vivo could have added the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, all in a bid to squash value-centric doubts. However, the slim and lightweight body makes it as convenient to use as a regular slab phone. The camera performance is one of the best in its segment, and the unparalleled battery stamina with a fast charging solution makes it the ideal high-end premium phone.
In a nutshell, the Vivo X Fold 5 could be your first book-style foldable that could be hard to resist.
