vivo X500 series debuts with Dimensity 9600 Pro, camera-led

vivo announced the X500 series on 21 September 2026, introducing three phones where the X500 Pro Max occupies the top tier. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are the first phones to ship with MediaTek's flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro chip, while the base X500 uses the Dimensity 9600M, which vivo says is effectively a rebadge of last year's Dimensity 9500.

Cameras and video

vivo is positioning the X500 family around camera hardware. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max use a custom 24 mm equivalent 50 MP main camera built on Sony's LYTIA L910 sensor, a 1/1.28-inch chip co-developed with vivo. The main optic retains Zeiss T* coating and a fixed f/1.57 aperture, and vivo specifies a 17 EV dynamic range for the module. The X500 Pro Max's main shooter adds what vivo calls a "gimbal-grade" 3-degree optical image stabilization, while the X500 Pro is rated for 1.5-degree OIS.

The Pro Max pairs that main cam with an 85 mm equivalent 200 MP periscope telephoto using Samsung's ISOCELL HP0 1/1.4-inch type sensor and what vivo describes as CIPA 7.0 pro-grade stabilization. The X500 Pro uses a custom 85 mm equivalent 64 MP vivo x Sony LYTIA 610 sensor (1/2.0-inch) with the same OIS capability as the Pro Max. Both Pro models support vivo's optional 400 mm Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra. For ultrawide work, both Pros use a 15 mm equivalent 50 MP ISOCELL JN5 sensor (1/2.75-inch).

The standard X500 has a different camera suite: a 23 mm equivalent 50 MP Lytia 828 main sensor (1/1.28-inch), a 72 mm equivalent 64 MP telephoto, and a 50 MP ISOCELL JN1 ultrawide.

The X500 Pro and Pro Max also emphasise video. Both support 4K 240 fps cinematic slow motion. The Pro Max can additionally record 8K at 30 fps. vivo says the Pro models can capture 10-bit video with 4:2:2 encoding and include support for the ACES Academy Color Encoding System workflow.

Display, performance, battery and software

Both Pro models use LTPO AMOLED panels with 2K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate; LTPO stands for low temperature polycrystalline oxide and allows the screen to change its refresh rate dynamically to save power. The X500 Pro has a 6.36-inch panel, while the Pro Max is 6.85 inches. Both are BOE Q11 displays rated up to 4,500 nits peak brightness. The vanilla X500 has a 6.59-inch 2K AMOLED with the same 144 Hz refresh rate and a slightly lower 4,000 nits peak brightness.

On silicon, vivo pairs the Pro and Pro Max with MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro, and the base X500 runs the Dimensity 9600M. Battery capacities are 8,000 mAh (Pro Max), 6,510 mAh (Pro) and 7,500 mAh (X500). vivo describes the Pro Max cell as a Si-C battery. All three models support 90 W wired charging and 40 W wireless charging. They share IP68 and IP69 ingress protection ratings and boot OriginOS 7 based on Android 17.

Color options differ by model. The X500 is offered in white, gray and black. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max come in white, gray, black and orange.

vivo published Chinese pricing and configurations as follows. The X500 starts at CNY 5,499 for 12 GB/256 GB (CNY 5,999 for 12 GB/512 GB; CNY 6,999 for 12 GB/1 TB). The X500 Pro starts at CNY 6,499 for 12 GB/256 GB (CNY 7,499 for 12 GB/512 GB; CNY 8,499 for 12 GB/1 TB). The X500 Pro Max starts at CNY 6,999 for 12 GB/256 GB (CNY 7,999 for 12 GB/512 GB; CNY 8,999 for 12 GB/1 TB). Higher Pro Max trims include 16 GB/512 GB at CNY 8,499 and 16 GB/1 TB at CNY 12,999. The announced USD equivalents in vivo's materials are CNY 5,499 at $821, CNY 6,499 at $970 and CNY 6,999 at $1,045 for the base 12 GB/256 GB tiers respectively.

Open sales in China are scheduled to begin on September 24. vivo did not provide details on a global launch at the time of the announcement.