Fold forward with this amazing phone

Foldables season is well and truly upon us. While Apple’s first foldable iPhone takes its first steps into consumers’ pockets today, Vivo’s X Fold series has had several generations to iron out the creases (quite literally) - refining and, for the most part, eliminating the compromises inherent to these phone-turned-mini-tablets. With improvements to the X Fold6’s camera, battery, display, and performance, this foldable wants to be your everyday phone, not just an expensive conversation starter. At ₹2,19,999 for the sole 12GB RAM and 512GB storage variant, though, the X Fold6 has some fairly lofty expectations to meet.

Visually, Vivo hasn’t reinvented the wheel. The X Fold6 looks much like its predecessor, with a glass-and-metal construction, a reassuringly solid hinge and a rather enormous circular camera island on the back. The dual-tone Nebula Teal finish adds some personality, while the 228g weight is reasonable and well-balanced for a book-style foldable, if hardly featherweight. At 4.4mm/9.4mm(unfolded/folded), it’s easy to grip, and unlocks with the fingerprint scanner on the right spine. It’s good to see IP58, IP59, IPX8, and IPX9 dust and water resistance ratings, reassuring on a device this expensive.

The real magic, of course, happens when you open it up. The 6.51-inch outer display is perfectly usable for everyday tasks, so you won't constantly find yourself unfolding the phone to reply to messages or check notifications. Open it, and the 8.02-inch inner AMOLED display makes reading, watching videos and juggling apps significantly more enjoyable – at 5,500 nits peak brightness, both indoors and outdoors. Both screens support 120Hz refresh rates, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and are bright enough to remain legible outdoors. There’s still a less-noticeable-but-not-invisible crease running down the middle of the inner display. It’s not particularly distracting once you’re engrossed in whatever you’re doing, but you can feel it when swiping across the screen. The crease-free dream remains just that.

One of the big upgrades is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 Super Edition chipset, paired with 12GB of fast LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, all of which come together to bring the foldable on par with the flagship lineup in terms of performance. In use, the chip handles demanding apps, games and multitasking with ease, without ever getting uncomfortably warm under heavy loads. Vivo’s OriginOS 7 Fold, based on Android 17, also makes better use of the expansive display, with split-screen multitasking and productivity tools that let you work across apps without feeling cramped. This is where the foldable form factor starts to justify itself, particularly if you spend much of your day switching between documents, email and video calls.

But it’s the cameras that make the X Fold6 stand out, with none of the “second-best photography” compromise buyers are expected to accept in exchange for that extra screen real estate. Vivo’s 200MP Zeiss-branded main camera, accompanied by a 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS, makes no such apology. Images are detailed, punchy and particularly impressive in low light, while the telephoto camera adds welcome reach and versatility. Vivo does tend to favour brighter images and saturated colours over strict colour accuracy, and skin tones can occasionally look overprocessed. Still, this is a camera system that can hold its own against conventional flagship phones. The selfie cameras are less impressive, though. On video, the device supports up to 4K at 30 fps Dolby Vision, 4K at 120 fps, and 8K at 30fps video recording from the rear camera, and like the Vivo X300 series, the X Fold 6 supports the Telephoto Extender kit as well.

Another headline feature is the 6,900mAh battery, enormous by foldable standards, plus 80W wired and 40W wireless charging. Everyday endurance is good, although demanding workloads can naturally drain the battery faster.

Is this all worth ₹2.2 lakh? If you want a premium foldable that doesn’t make you choose between a big screen, capable cameras and dependable performance, it makes a compelling case for itself. It’s an ambitious, no-compromise move by Vivo, but the price ensures it remains an indulgence for most. For those ready to leap, this is one foldable that feels increasingly like a proper flagship first and a folding phone second.

Rating: 8/10

Price: ₹2.2 lakh