Vivo has unveiled its latest camera-focused smartphone, the X500 Pro Max, bringing a new 200MP telephoto camera, improved image stabilization and some serious video upgrades to its flagship lineup.
It’s another phone designed for photography enthusiasts, although UK buyers will once again miss out on an official launch.
The biggest upgrade is the camera system, which pairs a 50MP Sony Lytia main sensor with a 200MP periscope telephoto camera and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. The main camera uses LOFIC technology to deliver up to 17 stops of dynamic range to retain detail in particularly bright and dark areas of an image. Meanwhile, the larger 200MP telephoto sensor supports lossless zoom up to 10x.
Vivo has also put a lot of effort into video recording. The main camera features three-degree gimbal-grade stabilization, while the telephoto lens gets CIPA 7-rated optical image stabilization to reduce camera shake, especially when shooting at longer focal lengths. There’s also 4K recording at up to 240fps, double the X300 Ultra’s 120fps limit, alongside a Pro Video mode that supports custom LUTs with live preview and an ACES-compatible log workflow for more advanced editing.
The phone also supports Vivo’s existing Zeiss Gen 2 teleconverter lenses, which offer an additional 2.35x or 4.7x optical magnification. That’s useful for anyone already invested in Vivo’s camera accessories, although a new compatible case and mounting plate will be required. Early hands-on impressions suggest that stabilization works particularly well, but the phone’s image processing can sometimes make photos overly sharp, especially when using the telephoto attachments.
In addition to photography, the X500 Pro Max packs MediaTek’s new Dimensity 9600 Pro 2nm processor, a 6.85-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate and up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness. There’s also a substantial 7,800mAh battery in select markets, 90W charging, bypass charging and IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance. However, Vivo’s Origin OS 7 software still seems filled with unwanted prompts and pre-installed apps.
Although described as a global launch, the X500 Pro Max will not officially arrive in the UK or the US. Availability is confirmed for markets including Spain, India, Brazil, Italy and Singapore, with pricing expected to be announced at the Vivo launch event.
In our X500 Pro Max review, we said: “The Vivo X500 Pro Max has a huge battery, a great display and a versatile camera system, but aggressive throttling, camera bugs and software quirks leave it unfinished next to the more polished Oppo Find X10 Pro Max.” You can see the full review below.
The Vivo X500 Pro Max has a huge battery, a great display and a versatile camera system, but aggressive throttling, camera bugs and software quirks leave it unfinished next to the more polished Oppo Find X10 Pro Max.
Really big battery
Great display
Versatile camera system
throttle performance
Bugs and quirks in the camera app that are hard to understand
The more polished Oppo Find X10 Pro Max exists