OV and Honor Take Action: Fierce Battle Among New Mobile Phones in March - Foldable Phones in the Spotlight, Can Small-Screen Phones Make a Comeback?

Which new phone in this wave is the most powerful?

As the Spring Festival holiday comes to an end, mobile phone manufacturers are gearing up for the first wave of new phone releases in the new year. According to the information Xiaolei has collected so far, at least 7 - 9 new phones are expected to be launched in the upcoming March. Among them, there are some products that will go head - to - head with each other, making the competition extremely intense.

Alright, Xiaolei won't keep you in suspense any longer. Now, let's take a look at what interesting new products will be released in March.

All imaging flagships are launched, and the imaging battle officially begins

vivo X300 Ultra: Is the "Imaging Thanos" back?

In the early rumors, we said that the vivo X300 Ultra would meet us after the Spring Festival. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has confirmed that the vivo X300 Ultra has obtained the network access permit, and it is estimated to be released in mid - March.

Regarding the selling points of this product, I believe you all know without Xiaolei elaborating. From the rumors Xiaolei has collected so far, the vivo X300 Ultra may have the most extensive imaging configuration in history.

First of all, the vivo X300 Ultra will globally debut the Sony 200 - megapixel sensor - LYT901. The periscope telephoto lens also uses the 200 - megapixel Samsung HPB sensor. Coupled with a "strongest in the industry" 50 - megapixel, 1/1.28 - inch ultra - wide - angle lens, they together form the current strongest imaging flagship.

(Image source: vivo official)

Secondly, @Digital Chat Station also revealed that the vivo X300 Ultra supports two external lenses. In addition to the previously released 200mm teleconverter, it also supports a 400mm "big gun". You know, in the camera market, the price of a 400mm telephoto lens is basically over 20,000 yuan. Although the image quality of the mobile phone teleconverter is definitely far inferior to that of a professional camera, it can still provide users with a good experience with its portable size and affordable price, which is unique in the industry.

vivo's move is no longer just about "intense competition"; it's about finding a "new path" for mobile phone imaging. While others are still comparing the size of the main camera sensors, vivo has started to take the market share of DSLRs with teleconverters. For ordinary users, they may not need to use the 400mm lens to shoot the moon, but the confidence of "being able to shoot clearly when I want to" is the real meaning of the Ultra series.

Finally, so far, no media has reported whether the vivo X300 Ultra will continue the 35mm main camera focal length of the previous generation. In Xiaolei's opinion, the 35mm focal length is indeed easier to take good pictures, but it also means it's not very convenient for daily use. Moreover, since the main camera is replaced with a 200 - megapixel sensor, it's much more difficult to achieve a 35mm focal length. I wonder if this is a trade - off.

As for other configurations, Xiaolei will briefly mention them here: a 6.82 - inch 2K resolution OLED straight screen with an adaptive refresh rate of 1 - 120Hz, a 7000mAh battery, 100W wired fast charging (compatible with the PD protocol), the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5, and its appearance is basically the same as that of the vivo X300 Pro.

Regarding the price, considering the soaring storage prices and the fact that the price of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has reached 7000 yuan, the price of the vivo X300 Ultra may also cover the 7000 - 9000 yuan price range.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra: Building an imaging flagship with a different approach

In addition to vivo, OPPO will also launch its annual imaging flagship, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra, in March. However, considering that the OPPO Find N6 will be launched first, Xiaolei guesses that the X9 Ultra may be postponed to the end of March.

In terms of core imaging configuration, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra adopts a flagship four - camera layout. It's probably the only four - camera imaging flagship on the market, covering a 200 - megapixel large - sensor main camera (Sony LYT - 901 sensor), a 200 - megapixel periscope medium - telephoto lens, a 50 - megapixel periscope super - telephoto lens (supporting 10x optical zoom), and a 50 - megapixel ultra - wide - angle lens, comprehensively meeting the needs of different shooting scenarios.

In addition, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra will also support a 300mm focal length teleconverter. Although it's not as "extreme" as vivo's, it's completely sufficient for the vast majority of users.

(Image source: OPPO official)

However, different from vivo, the OPPO Find X9 series has gradually focused on the video field. The previously launched Find X9 Pro performed quite well in video shooting. OPPO doesn't aim to make a professional device and doesn't pursue extreme image quality. Instead, it wants to solve the real pain points such as "shooting videos is troublesome", "post - production is cumbersome", and "it's difficult to use the footage".

There's no need for Xiaolei to elaborate on the price. It's roughly comparable to the vivo X300 Ultra. After all, they are both Ultra series, so the price won't be very low.

As imaging flagships have evolved to today, there are increasingly two different paths: one is to compete for the upper limit of image quality, and the other is to compete for creative efficiency. And for those who really love to record their lives, the latter is more of a "must - have". Obviously, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra has chosen the latter.

The folding - screen phones have finally completed the "last mile"

OPPO Find N6: Transforming from an art piece to a primary phone

As folding - screen phones have developed to the present, what really determines whether they can become primary phones is no longer just "being foldable". Instead, it's about whether users can use it as their only phone. This requires manufacturers to ensure that the outer screen is as easy to use as a regular phone, the holding feeling in the folded state is comfortable, the hinge and crease won't bother users in the long run, and the imaging and battery life won't be compromised too much due to the form factor.

The OPPO Find N6 obviously wants to push the folding - screen phone towards being a primary phone to an even more extreme level. Judging from the configuration, it has an 8.12 - inch 2K LTPO inner screen, a UTG main screen, a 6.62 - inch outer screen, is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5, a 50 - megapixel + 50 - megapixel + 200 - megapixel imaging combination, a 6000mAh battery, and at the same time, its weight is controlled at about 225g. Coupled with its almost crease - free performance, it's already a durable, crease - free, and aesthetically pleasing flagship folding - screen primary phone.

(Image source: OPPO official)

However, Xiaolei is worried about how well this thin and light but fully - configured folding - screen phone performs in terms of temperature control and holding balance, and whether the flagship main camera and telephoto lens can stably perform their due strength. If it can really achieve all these, it will truly be the last mile for the folding - screen phone to become a primary phone.

Regarding the price, Xiaolei guesses that the starting price will probably remain at 8999 yuan (12GB + 256GB), and the top - end price may reach 12000 yuan.

Honor Magic V6: Aiming to be the "Grand Slam" in the folding - screen market

If the OPPO Find N6 emphasizes more on "becoming a primary phone", then the Honor Magic V6 is more like a "folding - screen grand slam": it tries to make up for the shortcomings of folding - screen phones as much as possible and create a perfect folding - screen phone with no obvious weaknesses.

According to the current rumors, the core configuration of the Honor Magic V6 is very aggressive: a full - blooded fifth - generation Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition, a 7150mAh battery, a 200 - megapixel large - sensor main camera + a periscope telephoto lens, and at the same time, it also has flagship configurations such as wireless charging, full - level waterproofing, and Beidou satellite communication.

(Image source: Honor official)

It's worth mentioning that the 7150mAh large - capacity battery sends a strong signal for folding - screen phones: Honor wants to solve the problem not of "whether you can use it for a day", but of "whether folding - screen phones can have the same worry - free battery life as regular phones".

Interestingly, it also emphasizes its performance, which is quite rare in the folding - screen market. After all, it's more difficult to manage heat dissipation and power consumption in folding - screen phones. Once the performance scheduling is conservative, there will be a gap between the high - end parameters and the actual user experience. Honor wants the market to know that the Magic V6 can have full - blooded performance, long battery life, and at the same time, not sacrifice imaging and communication capabilities.

However, everything has two sides. A large - capacity battery usually means an increase in the weight and thickness of the phone. But if it's made too thin, the protrusion of the 200 - megapixel main camera and the periscope telephoto lens may be too obvious. If Honor can completely solve these problems, the Honor Magic V6 will be very suitable for heavy - use users who need to use a folding - screen phone as their primary device and require a single phone to meet various needs such as business trips, meetings, weak network environments, and long - term battery life.

Different directions, but all very interesting

OnePlus 15T: Small screen no longer means "compromising on battery life and performance"

The reason why the popularity of small - screen phones has suddenly declined is that a small screen often means a small battery, weak heat dissipation, imaging weaknesses, and conservative performance release. Judging from the currently exposed configuration of the OnePlus 15T, it may just solve these pain points.

According to the rumors, the OnePlus 15T is equipped with a 6.32 - inch small screen, the currently most powerful fifth - generation Snapdragon 8 processor, and an amazing 7500mAh battery. You know, many current flagship phones haven't reached 7000mAh, and it also supports 100W wired fast charging.

(Image source: OnePlus official)

If the combination of "6.32 inches + 7500mAh" is finally realized, its significance is not just to make a small - screen phone, but to make a "small - screen primary phone". For small - screen phones to truly become the mainstream in the market, they must meet two requirements. First, they can perform well in high - load scenarios, such as not overheating or lagging in heavy - use scenarios like gaming, navigation, and shooting. Second, the battery life should be reliable, so that users don't need to charge the phone three times a day just for the sake of the size.

OnePlus has configured the phone to this level, aiming to claim the title of "all - around compact powerhouse".

Of course, small - screen phones also have engineering challenges to face: after increasing the battery size, whether the thickness and weight of the phone can still allow users to hold it with one hand comfortably; and whether the high - performance platform can output stably in a small body for a long time. These will determine whether it's a "dream phone" or a phone with "impressive parameters but hard to hold".

vivo X300 Max: A modest and incremental upgrade

Originally, Xiaolei thought the vivo X300 Max was a model positioned as an extra - large - sized phone, after all, it's called "Max". It wasn't until recently that I learned that this "Max" is based on the 6.3 - inch vivo X300. Therefore, its size is still the mainstream 6.78 inches, and its configuration is also relatively mainstream.

In terms of core configuration, the vivo X300 Max is equipped with the Dimensity 9500 flagship chip, which is at the top of the performance in the Android camp currently. It has a 6.78 - inch 1.5K flagship straight screen, supporting LTPO adaptive refresh rate and 3D ultrasonic fingerprint recognition. The battery capacity is increased to over 7000mAh, supporting 90W wired charging. In terms of imaging, the main camera is upgraded to a 200 - megapixel large - sensor, and it also has a 50 - megapixel medium - sensor periscope telephoto lens, supporting the telephoto macro function and the Zeiss teleconverter.