By Prasanth Kumar · September 9, 2026 · updated September 10, 2026
vivo has given us our first official look at the X500 Pro Max, the top model in its upcoming X500 series. The lineup launches in China on 21 September 2026, and the Pro Max is shaping up to be the most camera-focused phone vivo has ever made — including support for a clip-on 400mm Zeiss teleconverter that pushes it well past what any phone can do on its own.
Here is what vivo has actually confirmed, what is still rumour, and what it means for buyers in India.
Quick specs
Anything marked Rumoured comes from leaks and supply-chain reports, not from vivo. We will update this page after the launch event.
| Feature | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Launch date | 21 September 2026, China | Confirmed |
| Lineup | X500, X500 Pro, X500 Pro Max | Confirmed |
| Colours shown | Silver, Orange | Confirmed |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro (2nm) | Reported / not yet official |
| Display | Around 6.85-inch, 2K | Rumoured |
| Main camera | 50MP, 1/1.28-inch sensor with up to 17EV dynamic range | Reported / awaiting full launch specs |
| Telephoto | 200MP Samsung HP0 periscope | Rumoured |
| Ultra-wide | 50MP | Rumoured |
| Stabilisation | 3° OIS on the main camera; CIPA 7.0 professional stabilisation | Confirmed |
| External lens | Zeiss 400mm teleconverter support | Confirmed |
| India launch | Not announced | — |
Design: familiar X-series camera styling
vivo Product Vice President Huang Tao shared the first official design images on Weibo. The phone has been shown in silver and orange colour options, with a dual-tone rear design and a large circular camera island carrying three rear cameras and ZEISS branding. The LED flash sits off to the top-left of the module rather than inside it.
Anyone who has handled an X300 Ultra will recognise it instantly. There is also an action button on the frame, and the render shows a protective case with a lens mount built into it.
The 400mm teleconverter is the real story
vivo has confirmed that the X500 Pro Max supports a ZEISS 400mm-equivalent telephoto extender. The same 400mm-equivalent extender is already offered for the X300 Ultra, so the accessory ecosystem carries over to the new flagship. It clips onto the outside of the phone and extends the native 85mm periscope to roughly 16.6x reach — real optical reach, not the smeared digital crop you get from most phones at that zoom level.
If you shoot wildlife, cricket, or distant subjects, this is one of the X500 Pro Max’s standout features. The phone’s 400mm-equivalent extender is unusual in the smartphone market and is aimed at long-range photography without relying only on digital cropping.
Camera and video
vivo is positioning the X500 series around video as much as stills. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max have been reported with CIPA 7.0 stabilisation and support for 4K/240fps slow-motion video. Additional recording details should be treated cautiously until vivo publishes the complete retail specifications; features from the X300 Ultra should not automatically be assumed to carry over.
Current reports point to a 50MP main camera using a 1/1.28-inch sensor with up to 17EV dynamic range, alongside a 200MP Samsung HP0 telephoto. The 200MP telephoto and 400mm extender support have been specifically reported ahead of launch, while the complete camera specification should still be checked against vivo’s final announcement on 21 September.
Why “Pro Max” and not “Ultra”?
The X500 Pro Max takes the position of vivo’s top X500-series model. Its design and imaging approach clearly build on the company’s recent Ultra-tier camera phones, but the exact relationship between the Pro Max branding and the previous X300 Ultra should not be treated as a formal rename until vivo explains the naming strategy.
What about India?
vivo has not announced an India launch date or India price for the X500 series yet. India availability is therefore still unconfirmed, and any prediction about the timing or which X500 models will launch in India should be treated as speculation until vivo India publishes official details.
For a price anchor, the vivo X300 launched in India from ₹75,999, while the X300 Pro launched at ₹1,09,999 in December 2025. Those figures are useful context only; they are not an estimate of the X500 Pro Max’s eventual India price. We will update this article when vivo India confirms availability and pricing.
Should you wait for it?
If you shoot a lot and the teleconverter appeals to you, yes — nothing else in the Android market does this. If you just want a good flagship camera, the X300 Pro will almost certainly see price cuts once the X500 lands, and that is the better value play for most buyers in India.
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When does the vivo X500 Pro Max launch?
21 September 2026 in China, alongside the X500 and X500 Pro. India availability has not been announced.
Which chipset does it use?
Current reports and a recent Geekbench listing point to the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro. Because vivo has not yet published the full retail specification sheet, treat the chipset as reported rather than fully confirmed until the September 21 launch.
Does the 400mm teleconverter come in the box?
Not confirmed. On the X300 Ultra it was sold as a separate accessory in some bundles. Wait for vivo’s pricing announcement.
Last updated: 9 September 2026. We will revise this page after vivo’s launch event. More in News and Smartphones.
Prasanth Kumar is the founder and editor of technew.cloud. He is a technology professional with over 10 years of experience in DevOps, SRE, cloud computing, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD and infrastructure. He writes about smartphones, laptops, graphics cards, gadgets, AI tools, and the technology and products he researches, uses and evaluates. Based in India.
