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vivo X300 FE with Telephoto Extender Gen 2 is vivo’s “compact flagship that moonlights as a long‑lens camera,” aimed at people who want pocketable hardware but still care deeply about zoom, street work and creative photography.
What is the X300 FE?
The X300 FE (“Fashion Edition”) is the most compact member of the X300 family. You get a 6.31‑inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 silicon, up to 12 GB RAM and 256/512 GB UFS storage, all crammed into a sub‑8 mm chassis with an aviation‑grade aluminium frame. It’s IP68/IP69 rated, has stereo speakers, ultrasonic fingerprint, Wi‑Fi 7 and a 6,500 mAh battery with 90 W wired and 40 W wireless charging.
Camera‑wise, the base phone already brings a 50 MP main, 50 MP 3x periscope telephoto and 8 MP ultrawide, plus a 50 MP autofocus selfie. The Telephoto Extender Gen 2 special edition then adds a ZEISS 200 mm lens, a mounting case and a carry pouch, turning the FE into a “mini tele kit” instead of just a nice camera phone.
Pricing.
The vivo X300 FE lands squarely in “compact flagship” pricing. Officially, the 12 GB RAM + 256 GB model starts at S$1,099, with colours like Mist Purple and Luxe Black on sale through vivo’s online store, major retailers (Challenger, Best Denki, COURTS, Harvey Norman, Gain City, Popular) and the usual Shopee/Lazada/TikTok official channels. Telcos such as M1 also carry it on contract with $0‑upfront plans if you prefer to spread the cost over your mobile bill. Early‑bird deals sweeten the pot: launch promos bundle freebies like Vivo Buds Air3 and limited‑time discounts on the Telephoto Extender Gen2 kit, and some shops reportedly push the effective street price under the S$1k mark with instant rebates. In other words, it’s priced like a full‑fat flagship, but with enough promo levers and extras that savvy buyers can bring it closer to “high‑midrange” money if they shop around.
If you prefer to see and try the phone in person, vivo’s Experience and Service Store at 313@somerset (313 Orchard Rd, #B2‑44/45, Singapore 238895) doubles as a full upgrade hub. Customers can bring eligible smartphones from selected brands for an on‑site assessment by trained staff, get an instant trade‑in valuation, and immediately offset that amount against the purchase of a new vivo device—including the X300 FE and its Telephoto Extender Gen2 kit. The idea is a convenient, one‑stop upgrade experience: walk in with your old phone, walk out with a new vivo at a lower effective price, and get advice on the latest models at the same time.
Specs snapshot.
| Aspect | vivo X300 FE + Tele Extender Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.31″ LTPO AMOLED, 1.5K, 1–120 Hz, up to 5000 nits |
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, Adreno GPU |
| RAM / storage | 12 GB LPDDR5X, 256 / 512 GB UFS 4.1 |
| Rear cameras | 50 MP main, 50 MP 3x periscope, 8 MP ultrawide |
| Front camera | 50 MP AF selfie |
| Tele extender | 200 mm ZEISS Gen 2, ~2.35x optical on top of 3x |
| Battery | 6,500 mAh, 90 W wired, 40 W wireless charging |
| Protection | IP68 & IP69, Armor‑style glass, ultrasonic FP |
Design & ergonomics – small phone, big lens energy.
Bare, the X300 FE feels refreshingly compact compared to most 2026 flagships: under 152 mm tall, under 8 mm thick and around 190 g, with flat sides and subtle curves that make it easy to one‑hand. The rear camera block is pronounced but not ridiculous, and the phone sits comfortably in a pocket without feeling like a slab.
Clip on the Telephoto Extender Gen 2 kit case and lens, though, and the vibe changes. The case adds a bayonet mount and some extra grip, while the lens itself sticks out just enough to make it clear this is now “camera mode.” It’s still smaller than the Ultra’s full photographer rig, and you can happily carry it in a sling bag, but you’re definitely in “gear” territory once the lens is on. The upside: you get proper stability when shooting at 200 mm equivalent without doing finger gymnastics.
Picture quality – compact camera territory in your pocket.
Out of the box, the X300 FE’s 50 MP main camera churns out detailed, punchy shots with strong dynamic range and vivo’s typical slightly saturated look that’s tuned to be social‑ready. The 3x periscope telephoto is already a standout: it gives you tight framing on faces and distant subjects with real optical compression, rather than the muddy digital zoom you still see on many phones.
Add the Telephoto Extender Gen 2 and the FE steps firmly into compact‑camera territory. At around 200 mm equivalent, the extender+tele combo produces impressively sharp images: signage, architectural details and mid‑distance wildlife all retain clear lines and micro‑contrast, and the ZEISS tuning keeps colour and flare under control. Portraits at that focal length have lovely separation and natural bokeh without looking over‑processed.
Push beyond 200 mm with digital zoom and you will see the usual trade‑offs—more noise and some smoothing—but it remains usable for casual shots, especially in good light. In low light, you’ll want to stay closer to native focal lengths, but the larger tele sensor and extender still deliver surprisingly clean frames for a compact setup if you’re careful with shutter speeds.
Performance – fast, cool and ready for long days.
In synthetic tests, the X300 FE proves that its compact body doesn’t come at the expense of horsepower. Geekbench 6 reports 2,865 in single‑core and 9,264 in multi‑core, putting it firmly in current‑flagship territory for CPU grunt and translating into the snappy day‑to‑day feel you’d expect: apps open quickly, heavy camera features and editing run smoothly, and multitasking doesn’t cause stutters. 3DMark’s Wild Life Stress Test backs that up with a best loop score of 15,244 and a lowest loop score of 9,964, for 65.4% stability—meaning performance does dip once the chip warms up, but then settles into a consistent plateau rather than falling off a cliff. In real‑world terms, the X300 FE is more than capable of handling extended gaming sessions and long bursts of telephoto shooting, with only modest throttling under sustained load and no dramatic frame‑rate crashes during normal use.
With Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and UFS 4.1 storage, the X300 FE feels every bit like a modern flagship. Navigation, app launches, camera switching and in‑phone editing are all quick, and the phone handles heavy games and multi‑tasking without choking. The smaller body could have made thermals tricky, but improved cooling and smart performance management keep it in check for everyday use.
Battery life is a major win for such a compact phone: 6,500 mAh plus efficient LTPO display means you can shoot, stream and scroll through a full day and still have juice left. 90 W wired and 40 W wireless charging make top‑ups painless—plug in for a short break and you’re back near full.
Telephoto Extender Gen 2 – the star trick.
The Telephoto Extender Gen 2 itself is a neat piece of kit. It’s lighter than the Ultra’s big 400 mm extender, designed specifically for the FE’s smaller frame. Mounting is quick via the dedicated case, and once attached, it behaves like a proper lens rather than a gimmicky clip‑on: focus is fast, stabilisation takes the extra length into account, and the colour profile stays consistent with the rest of the system.
In practice, it’s the kind of accessory that changes how you shoot. You find yourself framing more at mid‑tele and long‑tele, picking out details from across a street, isolating faces in crowded scenes, and getting intimate portraits without standing right in someone’s personal space. It’s especially fun for city shooting, wildlife in parks, events and travel, where “just a bit more reach” usually separates okay shots from truly interesting ones.
Technovore verdict.
vivo X300 FE with Telephoto Extender Gen 2 feels like the “street shooter’s X300”: small enough to be your actual daily phone, but capable enough to replace a compact camera if you commit to using the lens. It’s not trying to be a studio monster like the Ultra; it’s trying to be the phone you always have on you that just happens to do 200 mm telephoto properly.
If you mostly shoot wide and live on TikTok, this is overkill. If you’re the type who sees an interesting detail across the street and instinctively reaches for a long lens, the X300 FE kit is one of the most fun and practical ways to get that experience without packing a separate camera.
The Good.
- Compact body with true flagship hardware and battery, finally killing the “small phone = weak phone” idea.
- Strong camera trio even without the extender, with a genuinely useful 3x telephoto.
- Telephoto Extender Gen 2 adds real 200 mm equivalent optical reach, not just marketing zoom.
- Excellent battery life and fast charging in a small chassis, ideal for full shooting days.
The Bad.
- Once the lens is on, it’s no longer a pocketable phone; you’re back to carrying a small camera.
- Kit pricing pushes it into compact‑camera territory; casual shooters don’t need the extender.
- Extra complexity means many buyers will simply forget to use or carry the lens.
- No microSD and tele‑centric design may feel niche next to more balanced rivals.
Sky Oh, Contributor
Sky's The Technovore's International Man of Mystery. He travels the world, enjoying the high life but still finds the time to write!
