Vivo Launches X500 Series: A Three-Pronged Flagship Assault on Mobile Imaging
Vivo Launches X500 Series: A Three-Pronged Flagship Assault on Mobile Imaging
SHANGHAI, September 21, 2026 — Vivo has officially unveiled the X500 series, its latest flagship smartphone lineup comprising the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max. Unveiled at a launch event in Shanghai, the trio positions itself squarely in competition with Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, with an imaging-first philosophy developed in continued partnership with ZEISS and MediaTek.+1
A New Imaging Benchmark
The headline feature of the X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max is the jointly developed Sony LYTIA L910 50-megapixel main sensor, which Vivo claims achieves a true 17 EV of ultra-high dynamic range — a figure the company bills as a new record in mobile imaging history. The Pro Max escalates further with a 200-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HP0 telephoto sensor paired with the 400mm-equivalent vivo ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra, a 1,536-point multi-zone laser focus system, and up to 30x long-range motion snapshot capability.
Stabilization is handled by the ZEISS TrueDynamic main camera system, delivering 3-degree gimbal-grade optical image stabilization on the Pro Max. Both the main and telephoto cameras on the Pro Max reach CIPA 7.0 professional-grade stabilization, matching the telephoto unit on the X500 Pro, while the standard X500 settles at CIPA 5.5.
On the video front, the Pro Max supports 4K 240fps cinematic slow-motion, while the entire Pro series offers 17 EV TrueDynamic Log video with 10-bit 4:2:2 encoding and ACES color support. Through a partnership with DaVinci, Log footage from these phones can be color-graded in the same color space as professional cinema cameras. The X500 series is also the first lineup across all models to support 8K native live output, maintaining consistent color and perspective between cover frames and video streams.
Performance: MediaTek’s 2nm Debut
Powering the X500 Pro and Pro Max is the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro, the chipmaker’s first processor built on TSMC’s second-generation 2nm (N2P) process. The chip adopts an “All Big Core” architecture with four ultra-large performance cores and four large performance cores, paired with “race to sleep” power logic that should offset the aggressive design. Vivo has baked its self-developed V3+ and VS1+ imaging chips directly into the Dimensity 9600 Pro architecture, alongside an Ultra Performance Imaging NPU 2.0. The standard X500 runs the slightly toned-down Dimensity 9600M.+1
Vivo co-developed professional Log video hardware with MediaTek, supporting 4K 120fps 10-bit Log burn-in direct output — a feature aimed squarely at content creators working in multi-camera cinema pipelines.
Display, Battery, and Build
All three models feature ZEISS Master Color Displays with refresh rates climbing to 144Hz:
| X500 | X500 Pro | X500 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.59" | 6.36" LTPO | 6.85" BOE Q11 2K LTPO |
| Peak brightness | 4,000 nits | 4,400 nits | 4,500 nits |
| Main camera | 50MP Sony LYTIA 828 | 50MP Sony LYTIA L910 | 50MP Sony LYTIA L910 |
| Telephoto | 64MP LYTIA 610 (CIPA 5.5) | 64MP LYTIA 610 (CIPA 7.0) | 200MP ISOCELL HP0 (CIPA 7.0) |
| Chipset | Dimensity 9600M | Dimensity 9600 Pro | Dimensity 9600 Pro |
| Battery (China) | 7,500mAh | 6,510mAh | 7,800mAh |
| Charging | 90W wired / 40W wireless | 90W wired / 40W wireless | 90W wired / 40W wireless |
All three carry IP68 and IP69 ratings, ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanners, and Dolby Vision/HDR support. The X500 Pro is the lightest of the trio at 192g, while the Pro Max weighs in at 225–229g. The Pro series adds ultra-hard AR coating on the camera lenses and hardened armor glass up front.+1
Pricing and Availability
In China, the X500 series starts at CNY 5,499 (roughly $821 / €714) for the base X500 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, CNY 6,499 for the X500 Pro, and CNY 6,999 for the X500 Pro Max. configurations scale up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage on the Pro Max.+1
Global expansion is imminent. Vivo has confirmed an international launch event on October 27 at 4pm CET, with pre-orders opening the same day and retail sales in the EU beginning November 5. Interestingly, listings on the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) suggest the EU variants may ship with slightly smaller batteries than their Chinese counterparts — 5,180mAh, 6,305mAh, and 6,570mAh for the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max respectively, versus 7,500mAh, 6,510mAh, and 7,800mAh in China.+1
Colorways include Sunny White, Starry Gray, Moonlit Black, and Sunset Orange across the Pro models, while the standard X500 adds Dawn Pink and a market-specific Purple option. All three run OriginOS 7 atop Android 17.+1
Closing
“We see the X500 series as the culmination of everything Vivo has learned in mobile optics,” the company said during the Shanghai presentation, underscoring a positioning strategy that treats the smartphone less as a communications device and more as a pocketable cinema camera. Whether that pitch resonates beyond Vivo’s core Asian and European markets — particularly against Apple’s entrenched iPhone 18 Pro — will become clear when the series hits Western shelves this November.