Vivo X Fold 5 In-Depth Review: A Flagship Foldable That Challenges the Giants?

Do you love large, flexible phones? Then July is your month! Big brands like Samsung and Honor just launched their latest foldables. Now, Vivo joins the action with the Vivo X Fold 5. This phone is thin and packed with features. It also has impressive Zeiss-branded cameras. But is the Vivo X Fold 5 a better choice than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or other rivals? We used this phone for a full week. We tested it in real-life situations.

Here is our complete and detailed review of the Vivo X Fold 5. This will help you decide in the competitive foldable market.

Design & Build: Slim, Strong, and Well-Made

The Vivo X Fold 5 is very thin, like most large foldables in 2025. When folded, it is only 9.2mm thick. This makes it almost as thin as some regular phones. It’s a bit thicker than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Honor Magic V5. But this difference is small for daily use.

It weighs just over 200 grams. This is not heavy for a foldable. However, its smooth finish can make it a little slippery. The design looks clean. It has a noticeable, but not “horrendous,” camera bump on the back. This camera part also works as a handy “finger shelf” when the phone is folded. This gives you a comfortable grip.

The Hinge: Smooth and Sturdy

The hinge is a key feature. It moves smoothly and silently. It also feels very strong. There are no creaks or squeaks. This gives confidence in the phone’s long-term use.

Color and Durability

The only color choice is Titanium Gray. This looks sophisticated. But some might find it less exciting. The Vivo X Fold 5 is built very tough. It uses second-gen Armor Glass on the cover screen. It also has a pre-installed screen protector. The frame is metal. The back has scratch-resistant glass with a nice matte finish. We carried the phone in the same pocket as other devices. It did not get any nicks or scuffs. The matte finish might get slightly smudgy over time. But a quick wipe makes it look new again.

Water and Dust Resistance

The phone has impressive IP58 and IP59 ratings. This means it is fully water resistant. You can drop it in water. As long as you pick it up quickly, it should be fine. It is also more dust-resistant than phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Security & Biometrics: Easy and Reliable Access

To unlock the Vivo X Fold 5, you use an edge-mounted fingerprint sensor. It is built into the power button.

Fast and Responsive

This sensor is very thin. But it worked very well during our week of testing. It was responsive even when fingers were slightly wet.

Flexible Unlocking

Its design means you can use it whether the phone is folded or unfolded. This makes unlocking convenient in any situation.

Display Experience: Two Screens, Many Uses

The Vivo X Fold 5 offers two screens. Each screen is good for different tasks.

The Cover Screen

• Size and Use: The cover screen is a 6.53-inch AMOLED panel. It is quite narrow. But it is not so narrow that typing is hard. All your apps and web browsing feel natural on this screen.
• Visual Quality: It has excellent contrast. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision streaming on apps like Netflix. The default color mode looks great. You can also switch to ‘Bright’ mode for more vibrant colors. This makes animations look even better.
• Brightness: The brightness levels are excellent. We tested it in sunny, hazy conditions in Dubai. The screen was easily bright enough to see clearly outdoors at all times.

The Internal Display

• Size and Resolution: When opened, the main screen is a huge 8-inch AMOLED panel. This is very big, even for a large foldable. It is almost the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It has a 2480 x 2200 pixel resolution. This makes everything look sharp despite its large size.
• Aspect Ratio: It has a square aspect ratio. This is not ideal for wide-screen videos. You will see large black bars. However, this aspect ratio is much better for multitasking.
• Reflectiveness and Crease: The screen is quite reflective. This is due to the mandatory pre-installed screen protector. But it is less reflective than some older foldables. The crease in the middle is clearly visible. But it is not too obvious when you look at the screen straight on. This is especially true if you use apps in light mode.
• Selfie Camera and Oddity: There is a selfie camera cutout in one corner. Oddly, there is also a tiny, slightly blurry circle. This is where some other foldables (like last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6) have an under-display camera. This spot is usually barely noticeable. But it becomes quite clear when you play games full-screen, like Wuthering Waves.

Audio: Powerful Stereo Sound

The Vivo X Fold 5 has a stereo speaker setup. The speakers are on both edges when the phone is open or folded.

• Volume and Clarity: The speakers are very powerful at max volume. They deliver loud and clear sound. This is fine for YouTube, Netflix, or general media. However, the reviewer found them “quite tinny.” They would not recommend listening to music on them.
• Bluetooth Streaming: Bluetooth audio streaming worked perfectly during the entire test.
• Headphone Jack: As expected for a modern flagship phone, there is no headphone jack.

Software & User Experience: Funtouch OS on Android 15

The Vivo X Fold 5 runs on Android 15 with Funtouch OS on top. Funtouch OS might not be the “most fun,” as the reviewer jokingly said. But it worked well during testing.

Operating System and Updates

• Current OS: It uses Funtouch OS 15, based on the latest Android 15. This gives you access to Google’s newest features and security updates.
• Update Policy: Vivo promises 4 years of OS updates. (Samsung offers 7 years for the Z Fold 7). It also has unspecified security updates.

Customization and Foldable Features

• Personalization: Funtouch OS is highly customizable. You can change the home screen, lock screen, wallpaper, Always-On Display, themes, colors, and styles. There are also various dynamic effects, like charging animations.
• Flex Modes: The phone supports flex modes for many apps. This lets you prop the phone open at an angle for hands-free use.
• Smart Screen Shift: It smoothly moves content between the cover screen and main screen when you fold or unfold the phone.
• Multitasking: It’s very easy to enter multitasking mode. You can drag an app from the dock. Or you can quickly fold and unfold the screen.
• Mini Windows: It supports small windows that you can resize and move.
• Workbench Mode: This is a favorite mode. One main app takes up most of the screen. Other apps can be quickly swapped in and out from a scrolling column. This mode is great for web browsing and reading.

Minor Glitches and Shortcut Button

• Small Issues: The reviewer saw some “bulkiness” in multitasking mode. Spotify, for example, had issues once.
• Shortcut Button: The phone has a shortcut button on the right edge. (This becomes the left edge when unfolded). A long press switches between ring and vibrate modes. A double-tap can be customized. It can launch apps or features. For example, it can quickly open the camera or a WhatsApp conversation.

Storage & Performance: Big Storage, Familiar Power

The Vivo X Fold 5 comes with a generous 512GB of storage by default. This is quite large compared to rivals like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 base model.

Processor and Daily Use

• Chipset: It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. This is the same processor as Vivo’s previous foldable. This is “a bit of a shame” as they did not upgrade to the newer 8 Elite. This means some rivals, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, are more powerful.
• Everyday Performance: Despite not having the newest chip, daily performance on the Vivo X Fold 5 is “as smooth as you like.”

Gaming and Thermals

• Gaming: Gaming performance is “pretty respectable.” But it is not as smooth as on Elite-powered phones. This is especially true when graphics are set to higher levels. Still, the reviewer did not see many stutters or frame rate drops. It is a “perfectly playable experience.”
• Thermal Management: The Vivo X Fold 5 does not get “too toasty” during heavy use. It only gets “a little bit warm” at the top. This is better than some recent flagship phones.
• Gaming Mode: A special gaming mode helps reduce distractions and allows for setting adjustments.

Battery Life & Charging: Unrivaled Endurance

The battery life on the Vivo X Fold 5 is a major highlight. It is truly impressive for a foldable phone.

Large Battery in Compact Form

• Vivo managed to fit a huge 6,000mAh silicon anode cell into the X Fold 5. This is much larger than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh battery. It is similar to Honor’s Magic V5.
• No Battery Worries: The reviewer had “absolutely zero battery fear” using this as their main phone. This was true even with heavy use. This included travel, reading, music, videos, and nearly an hour of intense gaming.
• Excellent Screen-On Time: Most days ended with about 30% battery left. This was after 22-23 hours of use and 7-8 hours of screen-on time.

Fast Charging

• It supports 80W wired charging. This is much faster than Samsung’s 25W.
• It also has 40W wireless charging (with a compatible dock).

Camera System: Zeiss-Branded Prowess

The Vivo X Fold 5 has a triple 50-megapixel sensor setup. It benefits from Zeiss branding.

Sensor Configuration

• Wide Shooter: 50MP (IMX 921)
• Ultrawide: 50MP
• Telephoto: 50MP (Sony IMX 882 sensor) with 3x optical zoom.
• Overall Quality: This is considered “one of the better camera setups” tested on a foldable.

Image Quality

• HDR Handling: The X Fold 5 handles harsh HDR well on the Zeiss Natural setting. It avoids overexposure. It offers realistic tones in ambient light. There is also a vivid mode for boosted colors.
• Night Shots: Night shots can be “noisy and flat at times.” But the phone handles motion surprisingly well, even in low light.
• Modes: It includes standard modes like Portrait, Stage, and Food modes. These produce “stunning results.”
• Portrait Snaps: Portrait photos were “not the most impressive.” This was true for both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
• Zoom Lens: The zoom lens works well up to about 10x. After that, shots start to look “smoothed out and processed.” Colors can be warm at night, and noise appears.
• Ultrawide: The 50MP ultrawide shooter is “quite good.” It captures decent detail even in softer light.

Video Capabilities

• Resolution: It can record up to 8K resolution at 30fps. Or 4K at 30/60fps.
• HDR Support: It lacks HDR support for video. This is unlike some recent rivals.
• Low Light: Videos shot in low light or at night can look “flat and noisy.” This is “pretty standard for a foldable.”
• Overall: In good lighting, it produces respectable visuals. Audio pickup is also fine.

Selfie Cameras

• Resolution: Both the main screen and cover screen have 20-megapixel selfie shooters.
• Quality: They are “perfectly decent” for video calls. They capture reasonably crisp Full HD resolution footage, if lighting is good.
• Vlogging Advantage: A big benefit of these large foldables is using the main rear camera for vlogging. You can use the cover screen as a viewfinder. This allows for 4K or even 8K resolution vlogs.

Conclusion: A Great Foldable with Amazing Battery

The Vivo X Fold 5 is a “banging foldable phone.” It might not have the very latest Snapdragon 8 Elite performance. (This could help keep its price down). But it offers a very strong package. It is thin and packed with great tech. Its Zeiss-branded camera performs well in most situations. The Funtouch OS experience is solid. But the best part is its brilliant battery life. It is much better than most competitors.

If you want a foldable with premium build quality, a great dual-display, a versatile camera, and top-tier battery life, the Vivo X Fold 5 is an excellent choice. It truly gives rivals a serious challenge.

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About the Author: Tech Spurt Expect in-depth tech reviews, comparisons, unboxings, and hands-on features with fresh new UK smartphones, laptops, wearables, apps and other new gadgets.

Source: Vivo X Fold 5 Review

Disclosure: This review is based on hands-on testing and expert analysis. Product availability and pricing may vary. Always refer to official product pages and trusted retailers for the latest details.