Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Compact combat! [Face Off]

They are two devices that have breathed new life into the compact flagship segment. Both come with flagship-level hardware and claim to deliver a no-compromise flagship experience in a compact form factor. They even come with very similar price tags. But if you are in the market for a phone that does not stretch your palms and can be mostly used one-handed, which of these two should you go for – the Vivo X200 FE or the OnePlus 13s? Let’s figure that out for you:

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Design and appearance

Both phones come with broadly – or should that be ‘compactly’ – similar designs. You get flat displays and backs, with straight sides, with smooth, shiny finishes. The real difference between the two comes in terms of the camera unit design. The OnePlus 13s has a squoval camera unit with two cameras and a flash on its back, while the Vivo X200 FE has a vertical pill-shaped unit with two cameras, with an additional camera and a circular flash next to it. A closer look will also reveal that the OnePlus 13s has a button (the famous plus key) on its left-hand side, while the Vivo’s left side is plain.

They are very alike in terms of size, too. Both are 150.8 mm tall and 71.7 mm wide, although the Vivo X200 FE is slightly slimmer – 7.99 mm to the 8.2 mm of the OnePlus 13s. Both of them are also almost of the same weight: the Vivo X200 FE is 186 grams, while the OnePlus 13s is one gram lighter at 185 grams.

Both phones come with protection in front: Crystal Shield in the OnePlus 13s, and Schott Sensation Core in the Vivo X200 FE. Both have aluminium frames and plain glass backs. Which of these looks better really depends on the shade of that back and the sides. The OnePlus 13s comes in Green Silk, Black Velvet, and Pink Satin, and will appeal to those who like their phones to be understated and elegant. The Vivo X200 FE comes in an understated Luxe Grey, but its other two shades, Amber Yellow and Frost Blue, will turn heads, particularly the former with its jet black sides. The Vivo X200 FE also comes with IP68/69 dust and water resistance, meaning it can survive a fall in the water, while the OnePlus 13s has IP65, which protects it only from water sprays and splashes.

The slightly more unusual Amber Yellow shade and the higher IP rating win this one for the Vivo X200 FE, but it is a very close call.

Winner: Vivo X200 FE

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Hardware and Specs

The spec battle between these two devices is as close as the design one. Both come with almost similarly sized LTPO AMOLED displays – the OnePlus 13s has a 6.32-inch display, the Vivo X200 FE has a 6.31-inch one, with the same 2640 x 1216 resolution, and 120 Hz refresh rates. Both are impressively bright and colorful displays. However, the OnePlus 13s has a slight edge in the processor department, with its Snapdragon 8 Elite being considered superior to the Dimensity 9300+ on the Vivo X200 FE. The Vivo X200 FE comes in 12 GB / 256 GB and 16 GB/ 512 GB RAM and storage configurations, as compared to the 12 GB/ 256 GB and 12 GB/ 512 GB variants of the OnePlus 13s. While both phones use LPDDR5X RAM, the OnePlus 13s uses the faster UFS 4.0 storage, while the Vivo X200 FE uses UFS 3.1.

In cameras, both phones have 50-megapixel main sensors of 1/1.56 inch size, with OIS, but the OnePlus 13s uses the newer Sony LYT-700, while the Vivo X200 FE uses the older but still very good Sony IMX921. They also have 50-megapixel telephoto sensors, but the Vivo X200 FE’s telephoto is a Sony IMX 882 with 3x optical zoom and OIS, while the OnePlus 13s has an S5KJN5 sensor with 2x optical zoom and no OIS. The Vivo X200 FE also has an 8-megapixel ultrawide, which the OnePlus 13s lacks. In the selfie camera department, both phones pack in autofocus cameras, but the Vivo X200 FE has a 50 megapixel sensor while the OnePlus 13s has a 32-megapixel one. The Vivo X200 FE’s cameras also come with Zeiss support.

Even though it is slightly slimmer than the OnePlus 13s, the Vivo X200 FE has a larger 6500 mAh battery with 90W charging as compared to the 5850 mAh battery with 85W charging on the OnePlus 13s. Both phones come with Android 15 out of the box with their own interfaces on top, but OnePlus has assured four OS updates and six years of security updates, as against three years of OS updates and four years of security updates from Vivo. Those who like innovative touches on their phones might also be a bit fascinated by the Plus button functionality on the OnePlus 13s. Both phones come with stereo speakers, NFC, 5G, and in-display optical fingerprint scanners.

It is a very close call, but we think the processor and faster storage, as well as a longer update program, give the OnePlus 13s an edge. Mind you, we can see those who prioritise camera hardware and bigger batteries going for the Vivo X200 FE.

Winner: OnePlus 13s

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Gaming and overall performance

Frankly, we could not detect any massive difference in performance between the OnePlus 13s and the Vivo X200 FE. The OnePlus 13s does seem to be a little faster in terms of handling some games, most notably Genshin Impact, but the Vivo X200 FE is not too far behind, and pretty much matches the OnePlus 13s in titles like Call of Duty and Asphalt. Both phones come with stereo speakers, but we felt that the OnePlus 13s’ speakers delivered richer sound. That said, those compact displays do restrict the gaming experience. The smaller displays also do not make these great devices for watching videos and shows, as compared to taller, wider displays, although they are both bright and vibrant.

Those compact form factors, however, make both phones an absolute joy to use in this age of palm-stretching handsets. Both phones sailed through everyday tasks like web browsing, social media, messaging, and mail without any hitches at all, and best of all, both could often easily be used with one hand. The displays were bright enough to be seen in bright daylight, fingerprint scanners worked swiftly, and call quality was superb on both devices. In short, both are proper flagship-level performers in a compact form factor. Its slight edge in gaming wins the OnePlus 13s this round, but it is a very slight edge – if you are not into micro-monitoring gaming, the Vivo X200 FE is as good!

Winner: OnePlus 13s

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Camera performance

This is a battle of 50 megapixel main sensors, 50-megapixel telephoto cameras, and selfie cameras with autofocus. Yes, the Vivo X200 FE has an additional 8 megapixel ultrawide, but its performance is on the basic side, which means that it does not get into contention here. In other regards, this is really a battle on two fronts – those who simply point and shoot, and those who like to do a lot with their images and videos. In terms of point and shoot, the OnePlus 13s’ main sensor gave us slightly sharper and more pleasant snaps than the Vivo X200 FE’s main sensor and seemed to do slightly better in low light conditions.

However, the Vivo X200 FE pretty much bossed the telephoto zone, with much sharper snaps and greater zoom, and better low-light performance. In portrait mode, too, the Vivo X200 FE delivered better snaps than the OnePlus 13s. The big surprise came in the selfie zone, where we expected the Vivo X200 FE to win easily, given the brand’s expertise in front cameras (seen in the V series), but where we actually saw the 32-megapixel snapper of the OnePlus 13s delivering far more pleasing pictures in terms of both detail and color. In terms of videos, we think that both phones are neck and neck, but the X200 FE’s telephoto and front camera are better than its counterparts on the OnePlus 13s.

Bring in the editing options, however, and the Vivo X200 FE gets into a zone of its own. While the OnePlus 13s has a number of AI tools and editing options, they are simply not in the same class as the plethora of edits that you get on the Vivo X200 FE, which range from seasonal portraits to special Zeiss bokeh modes. In simple terms, you can do far more with images and videos on the Vivo X200 FE as compared to the OnePlus 13s. And it is this that wins the photography round for the Vivo phone. Mind you, if you stick to point and shoot, the difference between the two is not a significant one.

Winner: Vivo X200 FE

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Software and UI

The two phones run on Android 15, but there the UI similarity between them ends, because each has an interface that is very strikingly its own. The OnePlus 13s comes with OxygenOS 15, which is slightly more minimalistic in nature as compared to the FunTouchOS on the Vivo X200 FE. Both devices come with some third-party apps preinstalled, but neither can be said to be too crowded. Both phones also come with a number of AI tools, and it is here that the OnePlus 13s has an upper hand, as its tools are easier to access, while the Vivo X200 FE has a detailed array of AI tools, but these (particularly those related to image editing) can be difficult to find sometimes.

The OnePlus 13s also comes with the Plus button, which analyses and interprets whatever is on the display, which is an innovative touch. In some ways, this is the exact opposite of the camera round – there, the greater feature set of the Vivo X 200 FE works against it, making it a little overwhelming to use as compared to the cleaner feel of the OnePlus 13s. As we stated earlier, the OnePlus 13s also comes with an assurance of four major OS updates and six years of security updates as compared to three years of OS updates and four years of security updates on the Vivo X200 FE, which makes the compact Never Settler a better long-term option in software terms. We are giving this round to the OnePlus 13s, but as with other rounds, it is a close one – the Vivo X200 FE is great if you are ready to invest a little more time in it.

Winner: OnePlus 13s

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Battery life and charging

Both phones come with remarkably large batteries, which are actually bigger than those found on many “normal-sized” phones. The OnePlus 13s has a 5850 mAh battery, while the Vivo X200 FE has a larger 6500 mAh battery. The Vivo also has slightly faster charging, 90W, as compared to 80W of the OnePlus 13s. In terms of battery life, both comfortably get through a day of normal to heavy usage, but the Vivo X200 FE’s battery lasts considerably longer. We could get through close to two days of (slightly careful) normal usage on the Vivo X200 FE as compared to about a day and a half on the OnePlus 13s.

Interestingly, both phones take about an hour to charge (which is impressive for the Vivo X200 FE as it has a bigger battery and only slightly faster charging), but the OnePlus 13s gets to about 70 percent in half an hour, while the X200 FE gets to only about 50-55 percent. The OnePlus 13s’ battery life and charging speed are good, but are beaten by the Vivo X200 FE, which shows you just how good the latter is.

Winner: Vivo X200 FE

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Price

Both phones come with 256 GB and 512 GB storage variants, priced at Rs 54,999 and Rs 59,999, respectively. There is a difference, though – while both phones have 12 GB/ 256 GB variants, the Vivo X200 FE’s 512 GB variant comes with 16 GB RAM as compared to 12 GB on the OnePlus 13s. The Vivo X200 FE takes this round based on its higher RAM/storage variant.

Winner: Vivo X200 FE

Vivo X200 FE vs OnePlus 13s: Verdict: Which one to go for?

If you look at the comparison, the Vivo X 200 FE wins four rounds, with the OnePlus 13s winning three. But both phones win their rounds by narrow margins, often so narrow that individual preference could sway opinions. For instance, some might like the more understated design of the OnePlus 13s, and some others might actually prefer the more feature-packed UI of the Vivo X200 FE. If we were to keep it simple, we would say that it really boils down to what you consider more important – gaming or cameras. Those who prioritise heavy-duty tasks might prefer the slightly greater processor muscle and faster storage on the OnePlus 13s, while those who want a compact phone with good cameras packed with a lot of shooting options would opt for the Vivo X 200 FE. Whatever you choose, you would still end up with a compact champion!

(Interestingly, this is one of the few comparisons where, though every round is very closely contested, no round is tied.)

Buy Vivo X200 FE

Buy OnePlus 13s