Vivo X Fold6: a foldable flagship with Zeiss cameras

Vivo X Fold6 has launched globally with three Zeiss cameras: a 200 MP main camera, a periscope telephoto camera, and a 50 MP ultra-wide camera. The foldable flagship features an 8-inch display and costs €2,200 in Europe.

Vivo X Fold6: a foldable smartphone with a flagship-level Zeiss camera system

Vivo has launched its X Fold6 foldable smartphone on the international market. Its camera system stands out from the compromised camera setups typical of foldable devices: the company equipped the model with three modules developed in collaboration with Zeiss, bringing its capabilities closer to those of Vivo’s best conventional smartphones.

Three cameras and a large main sensor

The main camera is built around a 200-megapixel 1/1.4-inch sensor and a lens with a 23 mm-equivalent focal length and an f/1.7 aperture.

For zoom, there is a 50-megapixel periscope camera. It uses a 1/1.95-inch sensor, while the optics have a 70 mm-equivalent focal length and an f/2.6 aperture. The third module is a 50 MP ultra-wide camera: its 1/2.76-inch sensor works with a 15 mm-equivalent lens with an f/2.1 aperture.

Unlike some competing foldable models, the X Fold6 therefore has a dedicated telephoto lens instead of relying solely on digital zoom from the main camera.

Comparing it with iPhone Duo and Xiaomi 18 Fold

Interest in this category of smartphone has grown ahead of the launch of the first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, which Apple is set to unveil next week. OnePlus, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi have been making foldable devices for several years, but Apple’s arrival has drawn even more attention to the market.

The iPhone Duo’s camera concept differs significantly from Vivo’s approach. Apple’s device has two rear cameras but no dedicated telephoto lens. Instead, the company offers a 48-megapixel main camera with 2× cropping, providing a field of view equivalent to a 52 mm focal length.

Vivo, meanwhile, sticks with the more familiar tall form factor. Apple chose passport-like proportions for the Duo, while Xiaomi has moved away from the traditional elongated design in its new 18 Fold. Xiaomi’s smartphone has a triple Leica camera system with a 200 MP main camera. The wider, shorter designs from Apple and Xiaomi have received mostly positive reviews so far, though the preferred design depends on personal expectations.

Display and positioning

The Vivo X Fold6’s inner display measures 8 inches diagonally, with local peak brightness reaching 5,000 nits. By comparison, the iPhone Duo’s display measures 7.6 inches. Despite their different proportions, the devices are similar in overall size.

The X Fold6’s camera setup falls short of the system in Vivo’s new conventional flagship, the Vivo X500 Pro Max, which the company positions as a smartphone focused on mobile photography. Still, the foldable model comes close in terms of its overall capabilities. The X Fold6 is also compatible with the Vivo Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2.

Vivo calls the smartphone’s camera system a “Zeiss flagship imaging system.” The company also describes its purpose this way: “The camera setup is designed to move from documenting a journey to capturing the people who are part of it.”

The Vivo X Fold6 is already available globally. In Europe, it costs €2,200—about $2,465 at the current exchange rate.

Image: Vivo.