A 200MP telephoto camera on a phone. Let that sink in for a second. Vivo just announced the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max in China, and the top-end Pro Max is making some genuinely bold claims around photography and video. This isn’t just a spec sheet flex either. Vivo has clearly made a strategic bet that video production is the next frontier for flagship smartphones, and the X500 series is their biggest move yet in that direction.
Two chips, three phones, one big difference
Not all three phones are created equal, and the chip situation is worth paying attention to. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max run on MediaTek’s new Dimensity 9600 Pro, a 2nm processor. The standard X500 gets the Dimensity 9600M, which is actually a 3nm chip. That gap matters more than the naming suggests. The 9600 Pro is a genuinely new design, while the 9600M is closer to last year’s silicon with a fresh badge on it. So if you’re choosing between models, that’s the first thing to factor in.
The camera setup on the Pro Max is legitimately wild
Vivo didn’t hold back on the X500 Pro Max. The main camera uses a Sony LYTIA L910 sensor at 1/1.28 inches, with 17 EV Ultra-High Dynamic Range. Then there’s the 200MP ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera with support for the 400mm equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra. The ZEISS TrueDynamic main camera hits 3-degree gimbal-grade OIS, and both the main and telephoto cameras reach CIPA 7.0 Professional Stabilization. Vivo also packed in dual imaging chips, the V3+ and VS1+, to handle all of that processing.
The standard X500 steps down to a Sony LYTIA 828 main sensor, the same one found in the X300 Pro, paired with ZEISS gimbal-grade OIS. Its telephoto uses a Sony LYTIA 610 at 64MP, still supporting 4K 120fps slow-motion and CIPA 5.5 stabilization. Still a strong package, just not at the same level as the Pro Max.
The video specs are where things get really interesting
Vivo is calling video capability the “core breakthrough” of the X500 Pro series, and the specs back that up. Here’s what the Pro models bring to the table:
- 4K 240fps Cinematic Slow-Mo Video
- 8K Native Live recording
- 17 EV TrueDynamic Log Video with 10-bit 4:2:2 encoding
- ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) support
- 4K 120fps 10-bit Log direct output
- 4K Cinematic Portrait Video
- DaVinci color grading integration for Log footage
That last point is a big deal for anyone who actually edits video. Vivo partnered with DaVinci to let you color-grade smartphone footage in the same color space as professional cinema cameras. And the Log video hardware was co-developed directly with MediaTek, so this isn’t a software workaround. It’s baked in at the hardware level. Cinema mode also adds four shooting options: Auto Framing Video, Vortex Shot, Super Slow-Mo, and Dual View.
Display, battery, and everything else
The X500 Pro Max has a 6.85-inch BOE Q11 2K ZEISS Master Color Display and an 8,000mAh BlueVolt battery. That is a massive battery, full stop. The X500 Pro drops to a 6.36-inch display and a 6,510mAh battery, which is still generous by any measure. All three phones ship with Android 17 and ColorOS 17 out of the box. They come in Sunny White, Starry Gray, Moonlit Black, and Sunset Orange.
Pricing and availability
Pre-orders are already open in China, with sales kicking off September 24. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but expect it to be updated shortly. As for global availability, Vivo hasn’t said anything official. But based on how the X400 series rolled out, there’s a reasonable chance an international version follows. One thing to watch: the global model may ship with a Dimensity 9500 instead of the 9600M or 9600 Pro, which would be a notable downgrade. So if you’re outside China, it’s worth waiting to see exactly what silicon ends up in the version you can actually buy.