Why are some of today’s smartphones enamored with rear-mounted lighting systems? ASUS, Nothing, and Infinix all have recently released devices that show off with LEDs at the back. To me, a good number of these phones are either tacky or too gimmicky to be of any practical use. One, however, stands out as a true premium offering for the segment: the Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra.

Smartphone meets supercar

Designed with Pininfarina, the NOTE 60 Ultra subtly mixes the contours of a premium car with the curves of a flagship phone. The result of this pairing is an artistic piece that shines in its simplicity but also stands out in an industry inundated with over-large camera islands.

The rear offers a subdued carbon fiber pattern. The included case accentuates this even further in a tactile sense. Reminiscent of other premium phones, the metallic sides have the usual array of buttons and design quirks, except for a sparkling Pininfarina logo and an optical fingerprint sensor.

Meanwhile, the camera island embraces the current era by extending itself from end to end. A full fourth of the rear is enclosed in glass just for this area. It’s surrounded by pleasantly tactile grooves. The area itself contains the camera system, the Active Matrix Display (which we’ll get into later), and a floating taillight.

Overall, the NOTE 60 Ultra’s design is amazing in its uniqueness. I’m tired of the same-old. Infinix’s latest offering doesn’t break away from the ongoing tradition of over-large cameras but instead pushes the trend to its capacity without ruining its premium feel.

Active Matrix Display: Feature or gimmick?

The last Infinix phone I reviewed was the NOTE Edge. That particular midranger had the Active Halo Lighting, a simple ring that breathes in and out to signify notifications. Though the oddity was largely unobtrusive, I still thought that it was too much of a gimmick to be of any use to most users.

On the other hand, the NOTE 60 Ultra’s Active Matrix Display is something entirely new. Instead of just a notification ring, it’s an actual display. It also has a plethora of uses, including icons for notifications, a graphic for music playback, a quirky “screensaver,” and a few minigames.

Just by sheer numbers, the Active Matrix Display feels more useful than most rear LED systems including my own Nothing Phone 3. Though there were still moments when I ignored the feature, there were more times when I engaged with the interface. The games weren’t difficult but were great ways to pass a few minutes of boredom. The light effect widget, which includes a few personas, looked visually interesting enough to be kept on all the time.

This doesn’t even include the aforementioned floating taillight yet. Much like the NOTE Edge’s Active Halo Lighting, this one breathes in and out. However, the NOTE 60 Ultra’s version is shaped like a car’s taillight and more effectively melds into the contours of the island. This makes it even less obtrusive than the Halo and adds to the phone’s premium feel.

I’m still on the fence about these lighting systems, but the NOTE 60 Ultra actually complements its design and offers something unique. For me, it’s the best version of this ongoing trend.

A set of peepers

The huge camera island isn’t just a gimmick; we’ve established that much with the Active Matrix Display. But besides the LED display, the island also houses a ginormous 200-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HPE sensor, paired with a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN5 periscope telephoto lens and a 112-degree ultra-wide camera.

Just on paper, this feels like overkill already. Do you really need a camera that can zoom in on your blackheads? Well, even if you don’t use the 100x zoom, the camera combination helps eke out so much more detail from moderately distanced subjects. Just take a gander at this bird I took.

The camera is also great at close subjects. It added so much juicy bokeh to focus on this flower. And it doesn’t look too artificial.

Wide-angle photos aren’t too bad, either. Personally, I’m not a fan of the format, but if you are, it’s a great shot.

Can we measure this in horsepower?

Under this supercar-slash-smartphone’s hood, you’ll get a Dimensity 8400 chipset from MediaTek. For all of its looks as a premium phone, the NOTE 60 Ultra misses out on a true flagship chipset. It’s still only a step behind, though.

It’s also adequate enough to play my HoYoverse vice of choice, Zenless Zone Zero. Though the phone put my settings under low to medium graphics settings by default, it had no complaints when I pushed everything to high at 60 frames per second.

My only problem was the immense coverage area of the camera island. Because of how huge it is, no case can ever cover the island completely. So, when you hold the phone horizontally, your hands are making bare contact with the phone.

This is naturally terrible for smudges, but it also doesn’t protect your hands from the phone heating up. And it does heat up after around 40 minutes. Though this ultimately depends on how you use the phone, playing ZZZ for an extended period of time was scalding.

The NOTE 60 Ultra has all the capabilities of a true powerhouse, despite lacking a true flagship chipset. It just gets too hot for comfort. Maybe for the next iteration, this supercar can get some air conditioning.

Now Playing: Steel Ball Run

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure wouldn’t have lasted seven seasons (or nine, if you count the manga) if it weren’t a good series. Having read the manga, Steel Ball Run, the seventh part, is my favorite one, and it’s finally getting an anime adaptation.

It’s apropos that I’m watching a racing anime on a motorsport-themed phone. With the NOTE 60 Ultra’s 6.78-inch 1.5K Ultra HDR display, Gyro Zeppeli bounces to life in full color. Every character — Johnny Joestar, Diego Brando, Sandman, and Pocoloco — looks amazing in the anime’s signature style. It’s less shadowy, more vibrant and smoother.

Hearing Gyro’s signature “Nyo-ho!” was likewise great. The phone’s JBL-tuned speakers made it seem like I was holding my own mini cinema.

It was a bonus treat that the first episode was double the length of a traditional one and included everything in the first leg of the race. Unfortunately, the second episode still doesn’t have a schedule. Plus, who knows if the second “batch” will include more than just one episode? Netflix has been atypically cagey with this release.

Finally, some good mileage

The NOTE 60 Ultra has an impressive 7000mAh battery. A single hour of ZZZ used up only 18 percent of the battery, despite being on the highest possible settings. Following this trend, it took four hours with the game up before the battery dropped to concerning “I need to find a charger” levels, which was around 25 percent to me.

There was no reason to worry at all, though. The battery has spare juice left in the tank even if it’s low. It took an absurdly long time to completely drain the battery from 1 percent. I even turned ZZZ on again to speed things up, but it still lasted around 30 minutes on a single percent.

Because of how big the battery is, it also supports 100W wired charging. To be transparent, I don’t have a 100W charging brick, but I do have a 90W one. It took me 1 hour and 6 minutes to fill the tank from empty. If you’re not particular with filling the battery to full, a short 7.5-minute charge was enough for 10 percent.

Midrange software inside a premium package

When I buy a premium phone, I expect a premium-looking phone when I power it up for the first time.

To be fair, the interface’s custom theme does exude an expensive-seeming feel. However, it prioritizes being thematic over being functional. This isn’t something I expect from a flagship. To me, a flagship should have the easiest interface to use with no bloat or unnecessary frills.

Infinix’s XOS is blatantly unused to the flagship segment. The interface has rolls of suggested apps and games that clutter the home screen. It also has a bunch of pre-installed apps (like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Shopee) and proprietary software.

This was the same problem I had with the NOTE Edge. Since it’s a midrange phone, it was a lot more forgivable, though. After all, that much bloatware usually lets the brand price their lower-end products more competitively. That shouldn’t be the case for flagships.

There is some leeway because it’s Infinix’s renewed shot at the premium flagship market, but hopefully it’ll be fixed in the second go-around.

Is the Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra your GadgetMatch?

For a flagship product, the Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra is a worthy try. It looks and feels premium out of the box. However, the brand clearly has some work left to do on the inside. It’s a tiny step behind on performance, and its interface doesn’t reflect the advertised flagship status.

Still, it’s a Swipe Right if you’re looking for the best version of over-large camera islands today. The NOTE 60 Ultra’s design philosophy should be an inspiration to today’s trends. Indeed, it’s a supercar packed into a smartphone.

However, Swipe Left on this phone if software is just as important to you as a phone’s looks. Though it’s strong enough to perform like a flagship, the phone’s operating system makes it harder to use than most of its contemporaries.

LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Chaewon didn’t set out to show off a feature. But somewhere in the middle of a Weverse live, she ended up doing exactly that. It’s a pretty good flex.

In a clip that’s now making the rounds online, Chaewon shared that she recently switched to the Galaxy S26 Ultra and has been enjoying one specific feature in particular:

“I just changed my phone lately to Galaxy S26 Ultra. And it has a privacy screen feature, right? It’s so cool. You really can’t see anything from the side. I show this to everyone I meet and make them jealous.”

It’s just someone genuinely impressed by a feature — and casually flexing it.

chaewon talking about how she recently got the Galaxy S26 Ultra and how she’s really been enjoying the privacy screen feature pic.twitter.com/Dfh1Tiz6Mx

— AJ | 不死 (@Lesseraphic) March 30, 2026

A feature that makes sense instantly

The feature Chaewon is referring to is Privacy Display, one of the headline additions on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

When enabled, it limits the viewing angles of the screen. That way. only the person holding the phone can clearly see what’s on it. Anyone looking from the side gets a dimmed or obscured view.

If you’ve ever used a privacy screen protector, the concept is similar. The difference here is that it’s built directly into the phone and can be toggled on or off, or even set to activate only for specific apps.

It’s a small addition on paper, but one that solves a very real, very common problem — especially if you’re using your phone in public spaces.

Samsung contract renewed?

It’s worth noting that LE SSERAFIM has been using Galaxy smartphones for a while now. That’s likely due to a partnership with Samsung and/or Google.

The music video for their track “Come Over” heavily features the smartphone, along with Google Gemini features integrated into the experience.

Another member, Sakura, also mentioned to fans recently that she has switched phones — from a Galaxy Z Flip to now also using a Galaxy S26 Ultra.

#SAKURA Weverse dm update

: It’s been a while since I changed my phone
Galaxy S26 Ultra
It’s amazing that it’s not a flip for the first time in a while lol

: I can’t send selfies…
Because…
It’s a secret🤫
What should I eat for lunch

THE BEGINNING OF COMEBACK MAYBE, NEW OF… pic.twitter.com/Tww7mnklSK

— le sserafim pics (@sserapics) March 23, 2026

Whether this points to a renewed partnership or just continued preference isn’t something officially confirmed. But moments like Chaewon’s certainly keep Galaxy devices in the spotlight.

It’s easy to imagine the same scenario playing out anywhere — on a commute, in a café, or sitting next to someone who’s just a little too curious about what you’re doing on your phone.

It’s also something we’ve explored ourselves.

In one of our reels, we showed a straightforward demo of how Privacy Display works. We tilted the phone to show how the screen becomes unreadable from the side. In another, we leaned into a more playful skit: someone trying (and failing) to peek at what’s on the screen of the person beside them.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Matchketeers by GadgetMatch (@matchketeers)

The result is the same. From certain angles, the display practically disappears.

The kind of feature you show off

Privacy Display isn’t the flashiest feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. But it’s the kind of feature you end up showing people. Not because you have to — but because it’s surprisingly satisfying to see in action.

If Chaewon’s experience is anything to go by, it’s also the kind of feature that makes people just a little bit jealous.

Almost six months after the launch of the vivo X300 and X300 Pro, the Chinese smartphone giant finally unleashes the much-awaited X300 Ultra.

Ultra-impressive camera system

First and foremost, its ultra-improved camera system.

Unlike its Pro sibling, the X300 Ultra follows the same configuration as last year’s X200 Ultra. It uses 35mm as its standard focal length instead of the usual 24mm found on most (if not all) smartphones.

This means the main sensor is locked in at a minimum of 1.5x. Still, it’s been upgraded from 50MP to a whopping 200MP f/1.85 based on a large 1/1.18-inch Sony LYT-901 image sensor.

Meanwhile, shooting at “1x” relies on its 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide lens based on the 1/1.28-inch Sony LYT-818. While it’s the same as last year’s X200 Ultra, it’s still considerably bigger and better among newer phones in its league.

Definitively, the X300 Ultra also boasts a newer 200MP f/2.67 periscope telephoto shooter using Samsung’s 1/1.4-inch ISOCELL HP0. Optical zoom distance still starts at 3.5x (85mm equivalent)which is similar to the X300 Pro and X200 Ultra.

If that isn’t enough, vivo announces not one, but two new teleconverter lenses.

The all-new 400mm G2 Ultra ZEISS Telephoto Extender lens is the longest one in a smartphone so far. Still, vivo has achieved to make it as compact as possible — a tad longer than the former 200mm add-on lens in the X200 Ultra and X300 Pro.

There’s also the upgraded G2 ZEISS Telephoto Extender. It’s shorter and smaller compared to previous generation and comparable to a size of a lipstick (around 96mm in length).

This means better portability while trying to shoot subjects from afar with the same 200mm focal length.

Additionally, the vivo X300 Ultra also has a 5MP f/2.45 multi-spectral sensor that other X300 phones lack. This is basically responsible for making colors more accurate by capturing a wider range of light beyond the usual RGB color spectrum.

Ultra-grade video shooter

One of the highlights of the vivo X300 Ultra focuses on its video shooting prowess that targets Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max.

For one, its ultra-wide camera has OIS built-in — a feature often overlooked by other phone makers.

OIS is also enabled when using the said teleconverter lenses.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Other than that, the X300 Ultra is capable of shooting in both 4K/120fps Dolby Vision and 4K/120fps 10-bit LOG support.

This means prospective users can finally apply LUTs in post (or 3D LUTs in the phone) — much like how videographers and cinematographers do when shooting with their expensive mirrorless cameras.

Even though 10-bit LOG has been around in the recent vivo flagships, only the X300 Ultra can seamless switch between all focal lengths while LOG recording is enabled.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

In line with these, the vivo X300 Ultra also possesses a new Professional Video Mode in its native camera app.

Ultra-powerful flagship

The vivo X300 Ultra brings some subtle improvements over the former X200 Ultra flagship.

While they both share the same 6.82-inch 8T LTPO AMOLED 2K display, the X300 Ultra has a faster 144Hz refresh rate support versus 120Hz. It’s also now an Ultra XDR screen, thanks to the improved BOE Q10 Plus panel.

Most of all, the X300 Ultra runs the latest 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. Despite the shortage of components, the X300 Ultra relies on a speedy UFS 4.1 storage standard while memory is even faster with LPDDR5X Ultra (and Ultra Pro) protocol.

Shockingly though, battery hasn’t been bumped by a lot as the X300 Ultra is only equipped with a 6600mAh battery — just 90mAh more than its Pro counterpart.

And just like that subtle improvement, wired charging speeds has been somewhat improved from 90W to 100W FlashCharge.

The Ultra s-idekick

Other than the X300 Ultra, the vivo X300s is also present in the scene. This is a follow-up to last year’s X200s.

It runs MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 SoC like the vanilla X300 but with a bigger 7100mAh battery (versus 6040mAh).

However, the vivo X300s borrows that same 6.78-inch display size as the X300 Pro (and same display as X300 Ultra). This also marks as a departure from that 6.67-inch sweet-spot screen size of the X200s and the “smaller” 6.31-incher X300.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Cameras are similar as of the X300. A 200MP main camera based on Samsung ISOCELL HPB with Sony’s LYT-602 sensor for its telephoto module. The improvement though can be seen when using the camera app.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

There’s also vivo’s new Blueprint Palette that lets you choose a color in a swatch board and save it as a recipe. The user can also adjust settings in real-time — letting you see the look of the image during preview even before hitting the shutter release. The same feat is also found on the X300 Ultra.

And much like the base X300, the vivo X300s is capable of attaching that 200mm teleconverter lens with its own camera kit — something the X200s cannot achieve.

Pricing and Availability

The vivo X300 Ultra and X300s are currently available for pre-orders in China along these colorways and configurations:

GIF by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

X300 Ultra (Film Green, Silver Tune, Black Ka)

• 12+256GB = CNY 6999 (US$ 980 / EUR 835 / GBP 730 / SG$ 1260 / MYR 4130 / PhP 56,440 / INR 87,110)
• 12+512GB = CNY 7499 (US$ 1100 / EUR 900 / GBP 780 / SG$ 1345 / MYR 4355 / PhP 59,590 / INR 90,980)
• 16+512GB = CNY 7999 (US$ 1115 / EUR 960 / GBP 820 / SG$ 1430 / MYR 4645 / PhP 63,685 / INR 95,930)
• 16+1TB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1260 / EUR 1070 / GBP 920 / SG$ 600 / MYR 5225 / PhP 70,905 / INR 107,700)

X300s (Film Green, Dream Core Purple, Silvery White, Titanium Black)

• 12+256GB = CNY 4999 (US$ 700 / EUR 610 / GBP 530 / SG$ 910 / MYR 2970 / PhP 40,900 / INR 62,260)
• 16+256GB = CNY 5499 (US$ 770 / EUR 660 / GBP 570 / SG$ 985 / MYR 3190 / PhP 43,700 / INR 66,720)
• 16+512GB = CNY 5999 (US$ 845 / EUR 730 / GBP 635 / SG$ 1095 / MYR 3560 / PhP 49,085 / INR 74,715)
• 16+1TB = CNY 6999 (US$ 980 / EUR 835 / GBP 730 / SG$ 1260 / MYR 4130 / PhP 56,440 / INR 87,110)

For the camera enthusiasts…

You can buy the vivo X300 Ultra and X300s in their special Photographer Kit Edition with all the accessories bundled:

• X300 Ultra Photographer Kit = CNY 11,999 (US$ 1260 / EUR 1070 / GBP 920 / SG$ 2235 / MYR 6965 / PhP 105,110 / INR 164,550)
• X300s Photographer Kit = CNY 7999 (US$ 1115 / EUR 960 / GBP 820 / SG$ 1430 / MYR 4645 / PhP 63,685 / INR 95,930)

Additionally, separate parts of the kit can also be bought separately:

• Camera Grip = CNY 699 (US$ 101 / EUR 88 / GBP 77 / SG$ 130 / MYR 405 / PhP 6130 / INR 9585)
• SmallRig Case = CNY 1699 (US$ 245 / EUR 215 / GBP 185 / SG$ 320 / MYR 990 / PhP 14,890 / INR 23,300)
• G2 Teleconverter Lens = CNY 1499 (US$ 220 / EUR 190 / GBP 165 / SG$ 280 / MYR 870 / PhP 13,140 / INR 20,560)
• G2 Ultra Teleconverter Lens = CNY 2499 (US$ 360 / EUR 315 / GBP 270 / SG$ 465 / MYR 1450 / PhP 21,900 / INR 34,270)

* These are only rough conversion estimates

As teased way back in MWC 2026, the X300 Ultra is vivo’s first Ultra smartphone to be sold globally. We’ll just have to wait and see which regions will have it.