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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.
Vivo has launched its X500 series in China, led by the new X500 Pro Max flagship, which uses Sony's Lytia L910 sensor with LOFIC technology to claim 17 stops of dynamic range. The Pro and Pro Max models also debut MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro chip, enabling 4K 240fps slow-motion capture, 10-bit Log recording, and new cinematic styles, while the base X500 uses the 9600M variant.
Vivo's X Fold 6 foldable is expected to expand beyond its home market into Europe, positioning it as a direct competitor to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Reports suggest the device could ship with double the storage of Samsung's flagship while matching its price point.
Vivo executives confirmed the X500 series will debut in China on September 21, following the acclaimed X300 Pro and X300 Ultra. The lineup will add 4K/240fps recording, 4K HDR portrait video, and new preset and custom video color styles that can be shared between users, an upgrade over the X300 Ultra's photo-only sharing.
Leaker Digital Chat Station claims the upcoming HONOR Magic 9 series will offer an external 500mm teleconverter lens, delivering roughly 20.8x optical zoom. That would surpass the vivo X300 Ultra's 400mm teleconverter, which offers about 16.6x zoom. The leak also points to dual 200MP ARRI-branded cameras, a camera grip, a cooling fan and an ~8,000mAh battery.
Vivo confirmed via a Weibo post from product manager Han Boxiao that the upcoming X500 will use the same 50MP Sony LYT-828 main sensor and CIPA 5.5 stabilization found in last year's X300 Pro. The phone will also carry a 64MP Sony LYTIA-610 periscope telephoto camera shared with the X500 Pro, supporting a 200mm ZEISS teleconverter and 4K/120fps slow-motion video.
A phase of clinical testing involving sixteen patients with multiple sclerosis and related autoimmune disorders showed symptom improvement after researchers used a modified virus to instruct T cells inside the body to produce chimeric antigen receptors, targeting the B cells responsible for autoimmune attacks. The findings, published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine, mark one of the first demonstrations that CAR-T therapy can be generated directly inside a patient rather than engineered in a lab and reinfused.
According to leaker Digital Chat Station, OPPO's upcoming Find X10 Pro Max will use 200MP sensors for its main, telephoto, and ultrawide cameras, making it the first phone with three such sensors. The same source has previously indicated a September or October launch window for the device.
Despite ranking among the world's top five smartphone makers by shipments, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have essentially no official retail presence in the United States. US buyers largely see only Apple, Samsung, Google and Motorola on carrier shelves, even as these Chinese brands dominate sales across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
CNET has outlined its expectations for major smartphone launches through 2026, following recent releases from Samsung, Google and Apple. The report suggests Apple may split its iPhone 18 launch, debuting a foldable iPhone Ultra soon while delaying the standard iPhone 18 to early next year, as RAM shortages and AI competition pressure manufacturers to balance innovation with pricing.
Vivo product manager Han Boxiao revealed on Weibo that the upcoming X500 Pro will use a custom 'Ultra Dynamic Camera' sensor, co-developed with ZEISS and Sony, offering 17 stops of dynamic range. The phone is also claimed to be the first to record slow-motion video at 4K resolution and 240 frames per second, ahead of an expected September launch.