I’ve been reviewing smartphones for years, and Vivo’s flagships have consistently ranked among the top in my list for the best camera phones. The Vivo X300 Ultra is the best the company has to offer, and its successor is finally here, bringing a ridiculous collection of lenses for zoomed photography.
The newly launched Vivo X500 Pro Max leads the X500 series with a new Sony main camera, a 200MP Zeiss telephoto, and even more impressive stabilization hardware. Add to it new detachable lenses, and you can shoot at a 400mm-equivalent focal length. Vivo is positioning it as a phone capable of handling photos, professional video, and live content without requiring creators to reach for another camera. Judging purely by its hardware, this doesn’t seem like a far-fetched claim.
The camera hardware is excessive, to say the least
The centerpiece is a newly co-developed 50MP Vivo x Sony LYTIA L910 main sensor. Vivo says it can deliver a true 17 EV of dynamic range, while the camera gets 3-degree gimbal-grade optical image stabilization. Both the main and telephoto cameras carry a CIPA 7.0 stabilization rating.
The Pro Max then pairs that with the same 200MP Zeiss APO telephoto camera used on the X300 Ultra, adding 1,536-point laser autofocus, subject tracking, and long-range motion capture. Vivo’s X300 Ultra impressed us with one of the most versatile smartphone camera systems we’ve tested, particularly at longer focal lengths, and the X500 lineup carries that same DNA.
Vivo is also selling a gigantic Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra for it, pushing the optical system to a 400mm-equivalent focal length. The launch imagery shows just how far mobile photography has come. It isn’t a replacement for your compact mirrorless camera, but the idea is to have a similar experience by putting more control in the hands of the users.
Vivo is going just as hard on video
Photography has always been a strong suit for Android. Videos, on the other hand, have often lagged behind iPhones. Though Vivo is coming for Apple’s throne with even better videography chops on the Vivo X500 Pro Max. The X500 Pro Max can record 4K cinematic slow-motion video at 240fps, alongside 4K/120fps autofocus-tracking video. Its TrueDynamic Log mode supports 10-bit 4:2:2 recording and ACES, while Vivo has worked with DaVinci on an official color-conversion workflow for grading footage alongside professional cinema-camera material.
Vivo is also using MediaTek’s new 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro, supplemented by its own V3+ and VS1+ imaging chips for camera processing.
It’s still a proper flagship behind the cameras
Away from the cameras, the Pro Max gets a 6.85-inch 2K Zeiss Master Color display, OriginOS 7, 90W wired charging, and 40W wireless charging. The smartphone is powered by a massive 7,800mAh battery capacity. Specs alone can’t crown the X500 Pro Max the best camera phone of 2026. But considering how good the X300 Ultra already was, I’m confident they won’t disappoint still.
The Vivo X500 Pro Max starts at 6,999 Yuan (roughly $1,045). On the more expensive end, you can spend 12,999 Yuan (roughly $1,940) and get the whole set, which includes a carry bag, dedicated photography case and lenses.
