vivo X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max announced

The vivo X500 series is now official and it brings three members but it’s the X500 Pro Max that sits at the top. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are the first phones to launch with MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro chip while the vanilla vivo X500 gets the Dimensity 9600M which is essentially a rebadge of last year’s Dimensity 9500.

vivo X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max

It’s the cameras that make the X500 series stand out, and that’s what we’re focusing on first.

vivo X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max bring a custom 24mm equivalent 50MP main cam using Sony’s LYTIA L910 sensor (1/1.28-inch) co-developed with vivo. It still offers Zeiss T* coating and brings a f/1.57 fixed aperture, which covers 17 EV dynamic range. The main shooter on the X500 Pro Max features a “gimbal-grade” 3-degree OIS, while the one on the X500 Pro is rated at 1.5 degrees.

It’s joined by an 85mm equivalent 200MP periscope telephoto on the X500 Pro Max, which uses Samsung's ISOCELL HP0 1/1.4" type sensor, which is CIPA 7.0 pro-grade stabilization.

The X500 Pro gets a custom 85mm equivalent 64MP vivo x Sony LYTIA 610 sensor (1/2.0") with the same OIS capabilities as the Pro Max. Both Pro models support the optional 400mm Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra. They also share the same 15mm equivalent 50MP ISOCELL JN5 ultrawide sensor (1/2.75").

The vanilla X500 features a 23mm equivalent 50MP Lytia 828 (1/1.28”) main cam, a 72mm equivalent 64MP telephoto and a 50MP (ISOCELL JN1) ultrawide.

But it’s not just still shots, the X500 Pro and Pro Max are also proficient in their video recording capabilities. Both phones support 4K 240fps cinematic slow motion, while the X500 Pro Max is also capable of 8K 30fps recording. The Pros can also capture 10-bit video with 422 encoding and support for the ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) color management framework.

vivo X500 Pro camera modes

Both X500 Pros feature LTPO AMOLEDs boasting 2K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. X500 Pro gets the smaller 6.36-inch diagonal, while the Pro Max has a 6.85-inch panel. Both are BOE Q11 displays and are rated at up to 4,500 nits peak brightness. The vanilla slots in the middle with a 6.59-inch AMOLED (2K + 144Hz) and slightly lower 4,000 nits peak brightness.

As for the rest of the specs, the X500 Pro Max gets an 8,000 mAh Si-C battery, the X500 Pro packs a 6,510 mAh cell, while the X500 brings a 7,500mAh capacity. All three phones support 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. They also share the same IP68 & IP69 ingress protection and boot OriginOS 7 based on Android 17.

vivo X500 series color options

vivo X500 comes in white, gray and black colors. It starts at CNY 5,499 ($821) for the 12/256GB trim.

X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are available in white, gray, black and orange colors. X500 Pro starts at CNY 6,499 ($970), while the X500 Pro Max starts at CNY 6,999 ($1,045). Here's a quick unboxing of the X500 Pro Max in white.

Open sales in China are scheduled to begin on September 24. Vivo did not detail any plans for a global launch just yet.