A 400mm camera add-on and 4K/240fps video make this Pro Max flagship a serious video camera

Vivo has spent the past few generations turning its X-series phones into some of the most ambitious camera phones on the market. The X300 Pro impressed us with its photography chops, while the X300 Ultra pushed things even further with a huge 200MP main camera and an almost ridiculous 400mm lens attachment. With the new X500 series, vivo isn’t abandoning that formula. Instead, the company is stepping up its focus on video capture.

The X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max are now official in China, headlined by 17EV dynamic range, 4K/240fps recording, serious Log video tools, and — on the Pro Max — that gigantic ZEISS telephoto extender.

The timing makes the launch even more interesting. Apple has only just introduced the iPhone 18 Pro series, while several Android manufacturers are preparing their own camera-heavy flagships. The X500 Pro Max is the second of the six expected Pro Max phones debuting this month, following the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

vivo X500 series: Cameras and video

The X500 Pro and Pro Max introduce the Sony LYTIA L910 main sensor (1/1.28-inches) with LOFIC technology. LOFIC enables wider dynamic range and vivo claims this sensor has up to 17 stops of dynamic range, giving the phones more room to preserve bright skies and darker subjects in difficult scenes. The Pro Max also gets three-degree gimbal-grade stabilization, while both its main and telephoto cameras reach CIPA 7.0 stabilization.

Vivo isn’t starting from scratch on zoom, either. The X500 Pro Max inherits the 200MP ZEISS APO telephoto camera from the X300 Ultra, along with support for the second-generation 400mm-equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender. This attachment stretches the camera to roughly 17x optical magnification, effectively turning the handset into something resembling a compact interchangeable-lens camera once the grip and extender are attached.

But video is where vivo is making its biggest statement. The Pro models can capture native 4K video at 240fps, opening the door to high-resolution slow motion without dropping to 1080p. Vivo also supports 4K/120fps autofocus tracking, 4K Cinematic Portrait Video, and several film-inspired color styles.

The more consequential upgrade for serious creators could be 17EV TrueDynamic Log. Vivo supports 10-bit 4:2:2 encoding and ACES, with an official DaVinci color transformation for bringing footage into a professional grading workflow. There’s also hardware-assisted 4K/120fps 10-bit Log output.

That last part could become an important battleground next year. A recent Galaxy S27 Ultra leak suggests Samsung is also preparing upgrades to Samsung Log and its APV codec, potentially improving dynamic range while sticking with 4K/120fps and 8K/30fps capture. That rumor comes from an unproven source, but paired with vivo’s push, it suggests flagship video competition is increasingly moving beyond raw resolution toward dynamic range, color, and the editing workflow after you hit stop.

There’s also 8K Native Live across all three X500 models, which vivo says maintains consistency between the captured Live Photo frame and its accompanying video.

The standard X500 isn’t getting left behind

Perhaps the more interesting part of vivo’s strategy is how much camera hardware has trickled down to the cheapest model.

The regular X500 inherits the X300 Pro’s 1/1.28-inch LYTIA 828 main sensor. It also gets a 64MP LYTIA 610 telephoto camera, CIPA 5.5 stabilization, 4K/120fps slow motion, 4K/120fps 10-bit Log, and 4K/60fps Cinematic Portrait Video across its focal lengths.

It can even use its own smaller 200mm-equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender, so vivo isn’t reserving the accessory ecosystem entirely for the Pro Max. It’s worth noting that the X300 also supported a 200mm external lens.

Big batteries meet 2nm silicon

The X500 Pro and Pro Max run on MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 Pro, a 2nm flagship chipset paired with vivo’s V3+ and VS1+ imaging silicon. The Pro Max combines that hardware with a 6.85-inch 2K ZEISS Master Color display and an enormous 8,000mAh battery. The smaller Pro gets a 6.36-inch screen and a 6,510mAh battery.

Meanwhile, the standard X500 uses the Dimensity 9600M, a 6.59-inch display, and a still-substantial 7,500mAh battery. It supports 90W wired and 40W wireless charging.

All three phones run OriginOS 7 in China. The Pro models come in Sunny White, Starry Gray, Moonlit Black, and Sunset Orange, while the regular X500 swaps the latter two for Dawn Pink and Dusk Black.

vivo X500 series price and availability

The vivo X500 series is available for pre-order in China starting September 21, with open sales beginning on September 24. Official pricing for the X500 is CNY 5,499 (~$821) for the 12/256GB model, while the X500 Pro is CNY 6,499 (~$970) for the 12/256GB model. Want the X500 Pro Max? It starts at CNY 6,999 (~$1,045) for the base 12/256GB model and goes all the way to CNY 8,999 (~$1,343) for the 12GB/1TB model.

A global rollout should follow the Chinese launch, although specific markets and international pricing remain to be announced.