If you’re wondering how a company like Vivo can rank in the global top five smartphone vendors quarter after quarter with no presence in key markets like the US, the brand’s latest mid-range Android soldier might provide all the clarification you need.
The Vivo Y300 Pro is predictably unlikely to ever land stateside, starting at the incredibly low equivalent of around $250 in China with the following spec sheet:
6.77-inch curved AMOLED display with 2392 x 1080 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate technology;
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor;
50MP primary rear-facing camera with f/1.8 aperture;
2MP secondary depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture;
32MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture;
6,500mAh battery;
80W charging capabilities;
Android 14 with OriginOS 4 software;
Under-display fingerprint scanner;
IP65 water and dust resistance;
128, 256, and 512GB storage configurations;
8 and 12GB RAM options;
163.4 x 76.4 x 7.7mm dimensions;
194 grams weight.
Do you notice anything… exotic in the above list? Yes, we’re (obviously) talking about that unusually gargantuan 6,500mAh battery, which is somehow squeezed into a razor-thin and reasonably lightweight body. It’s unclear how Vivo has managed to pull off such trend-defying, competition-crushing numbers, but we sure hope that some of the company’s rivals will follow this move and turn it into a new trend of sorts in the near future (at least in China).
For context, the vast majority of the best Android phones money can buy today circle the 5,000mAh cell capacity mark without going much lower (or any lower) than 7.7mm in the overall thickness department. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, for instance, packs a 5,000mAh battery into an 8.6mm thin body tipping the scales at a whopping 232 grams, while something like the OnePlus 12R comes with a slightly larger 5,500mAh cell, 8.8mm profile, and 207 grams weight.
Of course, this is not the world’s first-ever mobile device with a battery of over 6,000mAh, but even the Red Magic 9 Pro, for instance, has to settle for a chunky 8.9mm profile to accommodate a hefty 6,500mAh cell.
Don’t forget that the Vivo Y300 Pro is also phenomenally affordable, fetching 1,799 yuan ($253) with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM, 1,999 yuan ($282) in a 256GB variant packing the same amount of memory, 2,199 yuan ($310) with 12GB RAM and 256 gigs of internal storage space, and last but not least, 2,499 yuan ($352) in a top-of-the-line configuration coupling 12 gigs of memory with no less than 512GB storage.
That’s simply an unrivaled pricing structure for what looks like quite possibly the best budget 5G phone in the world right now for road warriors and everyday users who don’t like to hug a wall every single day (with a little care).
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
