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Vivo has released the X500 Pro Max, a new flagship that borrows several features from its X300 Ultra, including the same periscope telephoto camera, a 1440p 144Hz OLED display, 90W wired and 40W wireless charging, and a 7,800mAh battery. It runs a MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro chip rather than the latest Snapdragon, and is priced at roughly €1,799 ($2,000).
Vivo has expanded global availability of its X500 series, about a month after launching the lineup in China. The range includes the base X500, the X500 Pro, and the flagship X500 Pro Max, all running OriginOS 7 on Android 17 with 90W wired and wireless charging, 50MP selfie cameras, and IP68/69 ratings. The two Pro models add Dimensity 9600 Pro chips and 4K/240fps slow-motion video, while the standard X500 uses a Dimensity 9600M chip, a 7,500mAh battery, and a triple rear camera setup.
Vivo's new X500 Pro Max flagship features a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia main sensor with LOFIC technology for 17 stops of dynamic range, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 200MP periscope telephoto lens supporting lossless 10x zoom. The phone adds three-degree gimbal-grade stabilization on its main sensor and CIPA 7-rated optical image stabilization on its telephoto camera, alongside a Pro Video Mode with custom LUT support and ACES workflow compatibility.
An Android Authority writer reviewing the OPPO Find X10 Pro Max praises its hardware and battery life but criticizes its software for imitating Apple's Liquid Glass visual style. The columnist notes that OPPO, vivo, HONOR and other largely Chinese Android manufacturers have adopted similar transparent, glass-like interface elements inspired by Apple's recent iOS redesign.
Oppo's Find X10 Pro Max is the first smartphone to pack three 200-megapixel rear cameras, covering main, telephoto and ultrawide lenses, plus a 50-megapixel selfie camera. The phone uses pixel-binning but outputs images at 26 megapixels by default across its three rear lenses from 0.5x to 9.9x zoom, rather than the 12-13 megapixels typical of most Android rivals.
CNET tested Vivo's new X Fold 6 foldable phone for several days, praising its vibrant blue frosted-glass design, strong camera performance and battery life. The device is a traditional book-style foldable running last year's MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset, and is not officially sold in the US or UK, though it can be imported from resellers in China or parts of Europe.
Counterpoint Research reports that Apple became the top-selling smartphone brand through European carriers in Q2 2026, with its share rising from 33% to 37% year-over-year while Samsung's fell from 39% to 34%. Overall European smartphone sales fell 8%, with carrier sales down 4% versus an 11% drop in the open market; vivo and Motorola also grew carrier sales by 90% and 27% respectively.
Leaker Digital Chat Station says Xiaomi had designed a Xiaomi 18 Ultra with a top-tier chipset, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and a triple 200MP camera array including main, ultrawide and periscope telephoto lenses plus a magnetic external lens. The post claims Xiaomi planned to price the device at roughly CNY 9,999 (about $1,490) but scrapped the launch, concluding the cost was unsustainable for sales.
Vivo has expanded global availability of its X Fold 6 book-style foldable, now listed in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Italy after debuting in China in June. The global model keeps the same 6,900mAh battery, 200MP main camera, and Zeiss-tuned triple-camera system, but runs a newer Origin OS 7 skin based on Android 17. It's powered by a custom Dimensity 9500 Super Edition chipset and supports a second-generation 200mm telephoto extender lens for 2.35x added optical zoom.
Vivo is rolling out its X Fold 6 foldable outside China after debuting it domestically in June. The phone keeps a traditional tall, narrow foldable shape with a 6.51-inch 20:9 cover screen and 8.02-inch inner display, but pairs it with a large 1/1.4-inch 200-megapixel main sensor, 50-megapixel telephoto and ultrawide cameras, a 6,900mAh battery, and a custom MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip. Vivo has not yet disclosed pricing or which markets will get the device.
Weibo leakers Smart Pikachu and Digital Chat Station claim vivo executives confirmed an X500 Ultra model is in development, pointing to a March or April 2027 release. The report follows vivo's China launch of the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max, with the Ultra variant still unconfirmed by vivo itself. Separately, the standard X500 lineup has reportedly appeared on the EU's EPREL database, hinting at an international rollout.
Vivo has unveiled its X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max smartphones in China, with the Pro Max model built around a 200MP ZEISS telephoto camera that can attach to a 400mm-equivalent extender. The phone also supports 17EV dynamic range video capture and 4K recording at 240 frames per second, positioning it as a tool for serious mobile filmmakers. Chinese sales start September 24, though international pricing and release plans haven't been announced yet.