TL; DR
- vivo has officially started teasing the X500 Pro series in China, confirming that the new lineup is coming soon.
- The X500 Pro series is expected to launch in September with 4K 240fps slow-motion video, a new LOFIC main camera sensor, and up to 17EV of dynamic range.
- vivo has also teased a new camera-focused design, while leaks point to MediaTek’s upcoming 9600 platform and several major camera upgrades.
After several months of leaks and rumors surrounding the vivo X500 series, we finally have official confirmation of its upcoming release. vivo has started teasing the X500 Pro series (X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max) in China, and given how early the teaser campaign has started, we can expect the lineup to launch in September.
vivo X500 Series Early Details
Along with the official teaser, vivo has also revealed some of the key upgrades and features coming to the X500 Pro series. The company hasn’t talked about the base X500 yet, but it’s safe to assume that it will launch alongside the Pro series.
As for the X500 Pro series, the duo will feature the industry’s first 4K 240fps slow-motion video recording. The current industry standard tops out at 120fps, so vivo jumping straight to 240fps is pretty impressive. This is likely made possible by the new LOFIC main sensor they’re using, the LYT901, which vivo is calling the Blueprint 900.
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vivo claims the sensor boasts an ultra-high dynamic range of 17EV. For comparison, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s main camera, which also uses a LOFIC sensor, boasts a dynamic range of 16.5EV. That would make vivo the new leader in smartphone camera dynamic range, unless OPPO also ends up using the same sensor on its Find X10 series.
vivo is also improving stabilization on the X500 series, with a CIPA 7.0 rating and 3° wide-angle image stabilization exclusive to the Pro Max. Both phones will also support 4K 120fps HDR recording.
vivo’s entire pitch with this teaser revolves around the new high-dynamic-range main camera (likely using LOFIC), which the company claims “delivers clear images even in backlight, with every frame boasting cinematic quality.” That’s hardly surprising, since we already knew that LOFIC was going to become a major trend for smartphone cameras, especially among Chinese manufacturers, in late 2026.
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X500 Series Might Be Getting a New Design
We also got a glimpse of the vivo X500 series design, thanks to a leaked image on Weibo. However, the camera layout in the leaked image doesn’t seem to match the design shown in the official teaser, suggesting we could be looking at the base X500 instead of the X500 Pro/Pro Max.
Also, the camera module is arranged on the far left side of the phone instead of being centered. And since that is supposed to be a X500 Pro series device, it’s safe to say that the X500 Pro could also carry a similar design, albeit with a different camera layout.
This new design could remind you of two things: vivo’s own past design language with the X80 and X90 series, or a clear inspiration from the iPhone 17 Pro series. Most people would probably say it’s inspired by the iPhone, especially since vivo moved away from the X90 series design several generations ago. Let us know what you think about this design change. Did you like the X300 series design more?
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vivo X500 Series Expected Specifications
As for the rest of the specs, nothing is official yet. However, we do know that the X500 series will be powered by MediaTek’s upcoming 9600 platform. Leaks suggest there could be a 2nm “Pro” variant of the chip powering the Pro Max alongside the standard 3nm variant powering the Pro and the base model.
The X500 Pro is expected to feature a 6.37-inch flat 1.5K+ LTPO OLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, LIPO packaging, and narrow, evenly sized bezels around the screen. The Pro Max could go bigger with a 6.82-inch or 6.89-inch flat 2K LTPO display.
Camera-wise, the X500 Pro series is expected to feature a 50MP main camera with LOFIC, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP periscope telephoto on the Pro, while the Pro Max could feature a 200MP periscope telephoto. Again, these specifications remain unconfirmed.
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Launch Window
As discussed earlier, the vivo X500 series is expected to debut in China as early as next month (i.e., September). As for the global launch, some rumors suggest vivo could move the launch to October this time. And since RAM and storage prices are currently skyrocketing, expect a major price hike across all models in the X500 series, both in China and globally, including India.
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