Vivo V40 Pro vs Honor 200 Pro vs Motorola Edge 50 Ultra: The Battle of the Flagship Killers

Vivo recently dropped the V40 series in India. Since we compared the Vivo V40 against the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and Realme 13 Pro+, we thought it'd be apt to see how the Vivo V40 Pro fares against the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra and Honor 200 Pro.

So let's see if ZEISS optics and a new chipset can elevate the Vivo V40 Pro and push it past the competition. It is worth noting that our comparison is based on specifications alone and now real-world performance.

Vivo V40 Pro vs Honor 200 Pro vs Motorola Edge 50 Ultra: Specs Comparison

Design, Display, Build

In terms of their designs, all three phones feature curved displays, although the back panel material varies. The Vivo V40 Pro is also the sleekest of the three phones. The Edge 50 Ultra features a vegan leather or wooden back panel, while both the Vivo V40 Pro and Honor 200 Pro opt for glass backs.

While the V40 and Edge 50 Ultra are equipped with metal frames, the Honor 200 Pro is downgraded to plastic. Additionally, both the Vivo V40 Pro and Motorola Edge 50 Ultra come with an IP68 rating for resistance to dust and water, while the Honor 200 Pro settles for an IP65 rating.

Of the three phones, the Edge 50 Ultra features the toughest Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the front. In terms of overall design and build quality, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra takes the crown by offering a nice balance of comfort and style, while maintaining a pretty tough exterior, while the Vivo V40 Pro comes in close second, followed by the Honor 200 Pro in last.

All three flagship killers feature an OLED display with a high refresh rate, although Motorola does have a slight advantage in terms of smoothness. The Vivo V40 Pro manages the highest peak brightness of the trio, while the Honor 200 Pro is not too far behind. And while the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra does have the worst peak brightness of the lot, normal brightness is more or less uniform for all three devices.

Performance, Battery Life, Charging

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip on the Edge 50 Ultra and Honor 200 Pro offers a slight edge in performance over the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ on the Vivo V40 Pro. However, all three phones are powerful in their own rank and the Snapdragon's performance gains here won't exceed 10 percent.

However, where the Snapdragon chip does excel is in AI performance, giving it a significant edge over its MediaTek counterpart. Additionally, both the Edge 50 Ultra and Honor 200 Pro come with 12GB of RAM and 512 of storage on their base models, whereas the Vivo V40 Pro's base version is equipped with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The Vivo V40 Pro has the largest battery of the three phones, despite its sleek appearance. And while the Honor 200 Pro's battery capacity isn't that far behind, the handset uses a new Silicon-Carbon cell, which is touted to be better equipped to survive extreme temperatures.

Unfortunately, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra has the smallest battery of the three, nearly 25% smaller than the Vivo V40. Both the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra and Honor 200 Pro feature super-fast wired and wireless charging support. On the other hand, not only does the Vivo V40 Pro offer the slowest charging of the three, but it also misses out on wireless charging.

Cameras

The Vivo V40 Pro features a 50-megapixel Sony IMX921 primary sensor with OIS and PDAF, a 50MP Sony IMX816 telephoto sensor with PDAF and 2X optical, and a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide lens with AF. Up front, the Vivo V40 Pro gets a 50MP Samsung JNS camera sensor with AF.

The Honor 200 Pro features a 50MP H9000 OmniVision OV50H primary sensor with OIS and Laser AF, a 50MP Sony IMX856 telephoto unit with OIS and PDAF, and a 12MP ultrawide lens with PDAF. Up front, the Honor 200 Pro opts for a 50MP selfie camera and a 2MP depth sensor.

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra boasts a 50MP OmniVision OV50H primary sensor with OIS and Laser AF, a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide lens with PDAF, and a 64MP OmniVision OV64B periscope shooter with PDAF, OIS, and 3x optical zoom. The Edge 50 Ultra also features a 50MP Samsung JNS selfie camera with AF.

On paper, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra features the best and most versatile cameras. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is also the best for video recording, capable of capturing 4K video at 60fps on all four camera lenes. However, the Vivo V40 Pro comes in close second, although it is the best for portrait photography and selfies.

Additionally, Vivo's collaboration with ZEISS and Honor's with Harcourt Studio also enable some fun portrait modes. While the Vivo V40 Pro and Honor 200 Pro might be better tailored towards capturing human subjects and street photography, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra offers a better overall experience.

Vivo V40 Pro vs Motorola Edge 50 Ultra vs Honor 200 Pro: Conclusion

Since we haven't experienced all three phones, we can't talk about the software experience, although Motorola does offer a bloat-free UI. Now, let's find out what's the difference between the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra, Vivo V40 Pro, and Honor 200 Pro.

While all three phones offer an excellent camera experience, close to flagship-grade, we'd recommend the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra for photography enthusiasts. Apart from cameras, the Edge 50 Ultra also features a flagship build, superb performance, a vibrant display, and the best charging in the segment. However, its battery capacity might not be able to get you through an entire day on a single charge.

The Vivo V40 Pro, on the other hand, is the best-looking phone of the three, although that does come at the cost of comfort. Additionally, the Vivo V40 Pro also features a solid build, the best battery life, and powerful performance. However, it does lack some of the AI capabilities of the Edge 50 Ultra. And while the Vivo V40 Pro is the best phone on the list for portrait photography, overall camera performance is not quite as good as the Edge 50 Ultra.

The Honor 200 Pro is another excellent addition to the country's flagship killer segment. Its cameras are excellent across all lighting scenarios but the lack of autofocus on the front and the low-res ultrawide lens make it the weakest of the three for camera performance. On the plus side, it does offer good battery life, excellent charging support, and solid AI performance, although build quality is not up to the mark.