vivo X Fold 5 Review: One Big Step Away From Foldable Greatness
The foldable smartphone trend has gone way past the gimmick phase and has now reached full-fledged functionality that will appeal to users – provided they can afford it. Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, and HUAWEI have all had their names in the hat for a while now. New to the scene is vivo’s X Fold5, which recently made its debut in Malaysia.
It joins a heated race, with each challenger vying for the top spot on the podium. From our brief hands-on experience, the X Fold5 made a pretty impressive first impression and showed promise in hardware. After taking it out for a spin, we can say that the X Fold5 does have the mettle to compete – but there’s one really big thing bothering me (which we’ll get to later).
Sleekness comparable with the best
vivo certainly didn’t compromise on hardware, as the X Fold5 is as sleek and lightweight as its foldable flagship counterparts launched this year.
I’m going to put it out here early on: there is a difference in heft depending on the design you choose. The lightest X Fold5 is the Gray model, which comes in at 9.2mm folded and 4.3mm unfolded, weighing only 217g.
Our model is the Feather White design, which is considerably thicker at 9.7mm folded and 4.55mm unfolded. It’s heavier too, weighing 226g. That being said, the heftier white model is still a commendable feat, as it didn’t feel any more burdensome than my standard ROG Phone 9 bar phone. The difference here is that I’m pampered with an 8.03″ AMOLED display for immersive, unbridled Netflix-ing.
Anyway, despite the ‘bulkier’ form, I’d still definitely rank the X Fold5’s white model in the ultra-slim, ultra-lightweight category of smartphones.
Thoughtful small features that add up
The vivo X Fold5 is one of the more feature-packed foldables you’ll find, with a few key additions that differentiate it from the others.
Origin Workbench
On the software level, Origin Workbench provides a multitasking experience that I could see myself using frequently. It allows users to open up to five apps simultaneously, with one main window taking up most of the real estate and the four others minimized to the side.
The keyword here is ‘simultaneously.’ Minimizing an app to the side doesn’t pause it, so tasks will continue even if you’re using another primary app. And no, I don’t say this to tempt you into quintupling your doomscrolling. On a more productive level, the Workbench allows for seamless app switching between YouTube, a web browser, and Google Docs – all within a thumb’s reach, without needing to exit the interface.
Short Cut Button
The shortcut button is one of my favourite concepts on the X Fold5. The feature itself isn’t new – it’s essentially the iPhone’s Action Button or OnePlus’ Alert Slider. But we haven’t seen this on a foldable so far, so it merits some praise.
It’s customizable and supports two gesture inputs: tap and hold, or double tap. There’s already a host of functional actions you can program it for, including switching between sound and vibration modes, torch, notes, camera, recording, and AI captions. It’s another feature I see myself – and many others – using daily.
My only wish is that it were a little lower and more accessible for my thumbs, without having to perform any awkward hand shimmies. Other than that, though, great move.
Rear HD Selfie
Another feature that isn’t particularly groundbreaking but is still crucial enough to take full advantage of the foldable form. Your front camera will never be as good as your rear cameras, and one way to deal with that during wefies is to turn the back of your phone towards you and play guesswork.
The Rear HD Selfie feature turns the cover screen into a viewfinder, allowing you to frame yourselves perfectly while taking a reassuring snap with the rear cameras.
And since we’re on cameras…
Tasty main camera and ZEISS telephoto
vivo’s cameras have always been one of the best in its arsenal, as was evident in the brand’s X200 series phones. I was happy to see that carried forward here, with the X Fold5 armed with ZEISS’ co-engineered imaging systems. The foldable is fitted with triple 50MP camera arrays across the board, consisting of a main, telephoto, and ultra-wide sensor.
The quality is synonymous with vivo phones – crisp detail and vivid, vibrant colours. Things do get a little overprocessed with the telephoto, but by a forgivable amount. I’d still rate it five stars nonetheless, and you can be assured you’ll be getting a really good camera experience out of the X Fold5. Here are a few shots for your perusal.
There’s a problem. And a BIG one
The vivo X Fold5 is hampered by one very important detail, and it’s a choice that has me scratching my head. For some reason or another, vivo has opted for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset – and not the Snapdragon 8 Elite that its competitors use.
Now, the older-gen chip isn’t the problem in itself. The problem comes once you learn that the X Fold5 is priced at a whopping RM6,999 – which, for me, exceeds the threshold that allows for using old hardware. At that price, the latest chipset becomes a non-negotiable.
The 8 Elite is a far more optimized processor that outdoes the 8 Gen 3 by a mile in terms of performance benchmarks and efficiency. Plus, it’s a substantially better choice for AI tasks, which will continue to evolve to no end.
All of the X Fold5’s rivals seem to have gotten the memo, and you wouldn’t have to dig far to find a more reassuring option. I fear vivo will face a big hurdle in justifying why the exorbitantly priced X Fold5 doesn’t pack Qualcomm’s latest and greatest.
vivo X Fold5: Should you buy?
Overall, the vivo X Fold5 has only one weakness – and that’s its outdated processor. To clarify, the 8 Gen 3 isn’t the issue – the 8 Gen 3 at that price point is. It unfortunately begs the question: why opt for the X Fold5’s 8 Gen 3 at RM6,999, when I can get, say, the HONOR Magic V5’s 8 Elite for the same price?
However, if we were to, for a moment, forget the price and the fact that it uses an older-gen CPU, then the X Fold5 would serve as an excellent foldable companion. As I’ve mentioned, there’s plenty of features to like here – features that are functional, convenient, and thoughtful. Its dimensions are comparable with the best out there, and the cameras undoubtedly operate at the flagship level.
The X Fold5, in my view, is one step away from achieving foldable greatness. I’d bank my money that vivo will have ironed out the flaws by the next iteration – so I’m already excited for next year.
For now, though, should you get the X Fold5 at its current retail price? Not for me. But if the price drops by a couple of hundred ringgit over the coming months, it could stand to become a far more appetizing option in the market.
PriceShop Rating
Not Bad Leh!
✅Maintains sleek and lightweight dimensions on par with other flagship foldables
✅ Thoughtful small features that gives it a unique foldable experience (origin workbench, shortcut button, rear HD selfie)
✅ Top-tier triple cameras
❌ Older gen processor coupled with sky-high pricing raises questions
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