Following its initial debut in China, Vivo is officially taking its flagship lineup global. The X500 series brings three new models to the international stage, including the Vivo X500, X500 Pro, and the range-topping X500 Pro Max.
What’s interesting is that the Chinese OEM has just jumped straight past the X400 to the X500, for what reason, we’re not entirely sure. This is a direct follow-on from the X300 lineup, which was released earlier this year and has been such a promising lineup.
Under the hood, both the X500 Pro and Pro Max are powerhouses, becoming the first smartphones to feature MediaTek’s new 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset. The standard X500 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9600M. Display-wise, both Pro models sport 2K 144Hz BOE Q11 LTPO AMOLED displays—6.36-inch on the Pro and 6.85-inch on the Pro Max—reaching up to 4,500 nits peak brightness. The vanilla X500 sits in the middle with a 6.59-inch 144Hz AMOLED screen.
Battery capacities have taken a massive leap forward across the board thanks to high-density silicon-carbon technology: an 8,000 mAh cell inside the Pro Max, 6,510 mAh in the Pro, and 7,500 mAh in the standard X500. All three models support 90W wired FlashCharge and 40W wireless charging, carry dual IP68 & IP69 water and dust resistance, and ship running OriginOS 7 based on Android 17.
But as expected, the cameras are the (pun intended…) main focus here.
Co-engineered with Zeiss, the X500 Pro and Pro Max center around a custom 50MP 24mm-equivalent main sensor (Sony LYTIA L910, 1/1.28-inch) featuring an f/1.57 aperture, Zeiss T* coating, and 17 EV of dynamic range. The Pro Max features a “gimbal-grade” 3-degree OIS setup, while the Pro steps back slightly to 1.5 degrees.
For zoom, the X500 Pro Max packs an 85mm-equivalent 200MP periscope telephoto (Samsung ISOCELL HP0, 1/1.4-inch) backed by CIPA 7.0 pro-grade stabilization. The X500 Pro uses a custom 85mm-equivalent 64MP telephoto (Sony LYTIA 610, 1/2.0-inch) with the same stabilization rating. Both Pro variants share a 15mm-equivalent 50MP ISOCELL JN5 ultrawide lens and support an optional 400mm-equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra add-on lens. The company has banked on Pro photography kits in recent years, and this is yet another device shipping with an option.
Meanwhile, the base vivo X500 features a 23mm 50MP LYTIA 828 main camera, a 72mm 64MP telephoto, and a 50MP ISOCELL JN1 ultrawide shooter.
Video performance gets a serious upgrade, too. The X500 Pro and Pro Max offer 4K 240fps cinematic slow motion, 10-bit video capture with 422 encoding, and ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) support, while the Pro Max tops out with 8K 30fps recording and 4K 120fps Pro AF Tracking Video.
As for aesthetics, the standard Vivo X500 comes in White, Gray, Black, and Pink. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are offered in White, Gray, Black, and a standout Sunset Orange finish. The White, Gray, and Orange finishes feature a subtle micro-dot shimmer, while the Black option features a pyramid-like light-shifting texture.
At the time of publishing, Rrgional pricing and localized availability dates for specific global markets will be confirmed soon. We’ll update once available.
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Damien is a UK-based video producer for 9to5Google.
Email: damien@9to5mac.com / secure email: damienwilde@protonmail.com
