vivo has launched its X500 series in China today, bringing three camera focused flagships: the X500, the X500 Pro and the all new X500 Pro Max. vivo is also launching the Watch 6 smartwatch and the Buds Clip earphones alongside the phones.
The X500 Pro and Pro Max are the first phones to be officially announced with MediaTek’s 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset, a day before the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max is due to be announced. vivo has also skipped the X400 name altogether. Reports say this is because the number four sounds similar to the word for death in Mandarin and Cantonese.
X500 Pro Max: 200MP Telephoto With 400mm Support
The X500 Pro Max is a new addition to the X series and sits at the top of the lineup. Its main attraction is a ZEISS 200MP APO super telephoto camera built around Samsung’s HP0 sensor, the same one used in the X300 Ultra. vivo has labelled it Ultra class. The camera comes with CIPA 7.0 professional stabilisation and supports a 400mm equivalent teleconverter.
The X500 Pro gets a telephoto camera of its own. It is a ZEISS APO super telephoto based on a Sony LYTIA 610 sensor, also with CIPA 7.0 stabilisation, and vivo is calling it an industry first. Ahead of the launch, the company had said the lens has an 85mm focal length and 64MP resolution.
ZEISS G2 Ultra Teleconverter
vivo also showed the ZEISS G2 Ultra teleconverter for the Pro Max. The slide shows it fitted to the phone along with a hand grip, and vivo says it supports an equivalent focal length of 400mm. The slide is headlined “Big Cannon 400”, a Chinese slang term for long telephoto lenses. The teleconverter and the grip must be bought separately.
New Main Camera
Both Pro models get a new ZEISS Ultra Dynamic main camera with a 1/1.28 inch sensor, CIPA 7.0 stabilisation and a newly upgraded VCS 4.0. The slide also lists 3 degree large angle, gimbal grade stabilisation, marked for the Pro Max. The camera also uses ZEISS T* coating and deep absorption blue glass.
Ahead of the launch, vivo had claimed 17EV of dynamic range for the main camera, along with 4K 240fps slow motion and 4K 120fps HDR video recording.
vivo named the sensor behind the main camera the BluImage GuangYu 900, pairing it with the ZEISS T* coating and deep absorption blue glass for what the company calls a record low readout noise of 0.75e-. On video, vivo highlighted split track colour grading with six cinematic colour styles and a dedicated Movie shooting mode, alongside the 4K 240fps slow motion already mentioned.
Software: OriginOS 7
The X500 Pro series ships with OriginOS 7, which vivo bills as smoother and easier to use. The launch slide showed a new liquid theme alongside AI powered animated pet interactive themes for the lock screen and always on display.
Imaging Chips and Performance
The X500 Pro series carries two self developed imaging chips, the V3+ and the VS1, which vivo describes as an industry exclusive. General performance comes from the 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro. vivo has also highlighted 4K 120fps 10 bit Log recording, 60fps autofocus and 4K Dolby Vision portrait video.
vivo X500
The standard X500 uses the same main and telephoto sensors as the X300 Pro, according to vivo. Its design is different from the Pro models, with a circular camera unit on the left inside a rectangular module. The X500 comes in white, grey, dawn pink and black, while the Pro and Pro Max come in grey, white, orange and black.
Other Specifications
Reports ahead of the launch suggest the X500 has a 6.59 inch 1.5K display, a Dimensity 9600M chipset and a 7,500mAh battery with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. The Pro Max is said to have a 6.85 inch 2K LTPO OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 90W wired charging, with battery capacity reported between 7,000mAh and 8,000mAh. The X500 Pro is expected to be the more compact model, with a display of around 6.4 inches.
vivo Watch 6
vivo also launched the Watch 6 alongside the X500 series. The smartwatch comes with a sapphire crystal cover and a body as thin as 9.5mm, while its display can reach up to 3,500 nits of local peak brightness. Health tracking is a major focus, with vivo claiming 97.2% average heart-rate accuracy across different scenarios. It also offers sleep monitoring and a 60-second one-click health check. For outdoor use, the Watch 6 supports offline maps, route navigation and track-back, along with sports tracking. Other features include third-party apps, NFC card support and car-key functionality. The watch runs BlueOS and is available in Bluetooth and eSIM versions. vivo has priced them at CNY 999 and CNY 1,399, respectively, with sales starting September 28.
Price
Pricing has been a talking point ahead of the launch. The X300 started at CNY 4,399 and the X300 Pro at CNY 5,299 last year. vivo confirmed pricing for the Pro models on stage. The X500 Pro starts at CNY 6,499 for 12GB+256GB, CNY 7,499 for 12GB+512GB and CNY 8,499 for 12GB+1TB. The X500 Pro Max starts at CNY 6,999 for 12GB+256GB, CNY 7,999 for 12GB+512GB, CNY 8,499 for 16GB+512GB and CNY 8,999 for 12GB+1TB. Leaked price sheets had put the base X500 from CNY 5,499, though another leak placed it at CNY 6,499; vivo has not confirmed X500 pricing on stage. Every confirmed price point is higher than the launch prices of the X300 and X300 Pro.
Rising memory costs are being cited as a main reason for price increases across the industry this year. vivo raised the price of the X300 Ultra on September 18, and Huawei, Xiaomi and Honor raised prices on selected models earlier this month.
Availability in Pakistan
The X500 series has launched in China for now, and vivo has not announced global availability. All three models have reportedly appeared in Malaysia’s SIRIM certification database, and the X500 and Pro Max have been certified in the UAE. Reports point to an international launch in October or November. Pricing and availability for Pakistan have not been announced.
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