Most phone makers talk about slow-motion video. Vivo is apparently about to do something about it. According to a teaser revealed by Vivo product manager Han Boxiao, the X500 Pro series will support 4K video recording at 240fps using the Zeiss Super Dynamic main camera. That’s eight times the frames of standard 4K 30fps footage, and you keep the full 4K resolution when you slow it down. That last part is the bit that actually matters.
Slow-motion video on smartphones has existed for years, but it’s almost always been a compromise. You either get high frame rates at low resolution, or decent resolution at boring speeds. The X500 Pro’s approach, if it delivers what Vivo is promising, would be a meaningful step forward for anyone who wants to capture fast action without the footage looking like a muddy mess.
But Vivo isn’t stopping at 240fps. The company is also working on 4K 480fps and 4K 960fps modes, achieved through its own in-house frame interpolation and video speed mapping algorithms. These would produce 16x and 32x slow motion while keeping the 4K output intact. Yes, interpolation means some of those frames are generated rather than captured, so purists will have opinions. Still, for most people shooting splashing water, sports moments, or anything with fast movement, the results could be genuinely impressive.
On the hardware side, the X500 Pro Max is shaping up to be a serious piece of kit. The rear camera system is expected to include three sensors: a 50-megapixel main with a 1/1.28-inch Sony LOFIC sensor, a 200-megapixel telephoto using Samsung’s 1/1.4-inch HP0 sensor, and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide. That telephoto spec alone is wild. A leaked image circulating online shows the Pro Max sitting next to the X300 Ultra, and the camera island on the Pro Max stretches almost the full width of the phone. The X300 Ultra is not a small device, and it looks restrained by comparison.
A separate hands-on video also appears to show a rotating ring around the camera module with markings that could relate to ISO controls. That’s an interesting design choice if true, and one that would give manual shooters something to actually get excited about rather than just another menu buried in settings.
The rest of the phone rounds out the picture nicely. Expect a 6.85-inch LTPO display with a 144Hz refresh rate and MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9600 chipset under the hood. The full X500 lineup is confirmed for a September launch and will include the standard X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max.
The broader context here is worth paying attention to. Camera phones have been locked in a megapixel war for a while now, and consumers are starting to ask smarter questions about what those numbers actually mean in practice. Video quality has become the new battleground, and Vivo is making a calculated bet that 4K slow-motion done properly is what will turn heads. If the X500 Pro Max delivers on these specs, it puts real pressure on Samsung, Apple, and Google to respond. And that competition is good for everyone buying a phone in the next year.
- 4K at 240fps with native capture using the Zeiss Super Dynamic main camera
- 4K at 480fps and 960fps via in-house frame interpolation algorithms
- 50MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch Sony LOFIC sensor
- 200MP telephoto with Samsung’s 1/1.4-inch HP0 sensor
- 50MP ultra-wide camera
- 6.85-inch LTPO display, 144Hz refresh rate
- MediaTek Dimensity 9600 chipset
Pricing and availability details haven’t been confirmed yet, but with a September launch window locked in, it won’t be long before we find out what Vivo is actually asking for all of this. Keep an eye on this one.