vivo X500 Series Goes Global, but Europe Gets Only the Pro and Pro Max

vivo has launched its X500 flagship series outside China, bringing the X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max to Europe and the standard X500 to select Asian markets such as Malaysia. The phones first debuted in China on September 21 and share ZEISS camera systems, 4K video at up to 240fps, 90W charging and OriginOS 7 based on Android 17. The two Pro models are also the first phones to ship with MediaTek’s 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro chip, and they’re vivo’s biggest camera push since the X300 series last year.

Launch and availability

vivo held its European launch on October 27, with pre-orders opening the same day and open sales starting on November 5. The standard vivo X500 isn’t part of the European lineup, so buyers there can only choose between the Pro and the Pro Max. Prices and configurations vary by market, and the X500 is on sale in some Southeast Asian countries, where it starts at MYR 4,699 for 12GB + 256GB.

Model	Europe	Starting price (12GB + 256GB)
vivo X500	Not available	Sold in select Asian markets (MYR 4,699 in Malaysia)
vivo X500 Pro	Yes	€1,399
vivo X500 Pro Max	Yes	€1,599

Those prices are well above last year’s, when the X300 launched at €1,049 and the X300 Pro at €1,399, and vivo offered a €120 discount to people who registered before launch. Our coverage of Xiaomi’s European pricing shows other Chinese flagships are facing the same price jump.

Specifications compared

Feature	vivo X500	vivo X500 Pro	vivo X500 Pro Max
Chipset	Dimensity 9600M	Dimensity 9600 Pro (2nm)	Dimensity 9600 Pro (2nm)
Display	6.59-inch AMOLED	6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED	6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED, 3168 x 1440
Refresh rate	Up to 144Hz	Up to 144Hz	Up to 144Hz
Main camera	50MP Sony LYTIA 828	50MP Sony LYTIA L910	50MP Sony LYTIA L910
Telephoto	64MP	64MP, 85mm	200MP, 85mm, 3.5x optical
Ultrawide	50MP	50MP	50MP
Battery	7,500mAh	6,510mAh	8,000mAh (7,800mAh in Europe)
Charging	90W wired, 40W wireless	90W wired, 40W wireless	90W wired, 40W wireless
Protection	IP68/IP69	IP68/IP69	IP68/IP69
Software	OriginOS 7 (Android 17)	OriginOS 7 (Android 17)	OriginOS 7 (Android 17)

The standard X500’s Dimensity 9600M is essentially a rebadged Dimensity 9500, so the real performance step is on the Pro models.

Cameras

The X500 Pro Max is the camera flagship. Its 200MP periscope telephoto uses a 1/1.4-inch Samsung ISOCELL HP0 sensor with an 85mm-equivalent lens, 3.5x optical zoom and CIPA 7.0 stabilization, and it sits alongside a 50MP main camera with gimbal-grade 3-degree optical stabilization and a 50MP ultrawide. vivo sells an optional ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra that stretches the reach to 400mm equivalent, and the Pro Max is offered in Europe with a Photographer Kit that includes a camera-grip case, teleconverters and a lanyard.

The X500 Pro uses the same 50MP Sony LYTIA L910 main sensor and 50MP ultrawide, but swaps the telephoto for a 64MP Sony LYTIA 610 with an 85mm lens and CIPA 7.0 stabilization. Its main camera has 1.5-degree stabilization instead of the Pro Max’s 3-degree unit, and it supports the same 400mm extender. The standard X500 keeps a 50MP main camera, a 64MP telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide, and it works with a 200mm extender.

Video recording

Video is a major focus on the two Pro phones, which record 4K at up to 240fps for slow motion, 8K video and 4K/120fps in 10-bit Log with 17 EV TrueDynamic Log, plus 10-bit 4:2:2 recording. vivo also ships an official DaVinci Resolve color transform for editing Log footage. The standard X500 is more limited, with 4K/120fps slow motion, 4K/120fps 10-bit Log and 4K/60fps cinematic portrait video.

Battery and charging

The batteries are bigger than last year’s across the range. All three models use silicon-carbon cells and support 90W wired and 40W wireless charging, along with reverse wired and wireless charging.

The Pro Max is the one to watch. Its 8,000mAh battery is the largest on a vivo phone, but Europe gets a slightly smaller 7,800mAh version, according to GSMArena’s review. That’s still a big jump from the X300 Pro’s 5,440mAh European battery. The X500 Pro keeps its 6,510mAh capacity everywhere, and the standard X500 packs 7,500mAh.

Display and design

The Pro Max has the biggest screen at 6.85 inches, a 3168 x 1440 LTPO AMOLED with a 144Hz refresh rate, DolbyVision and a peak brightness of 4,400 nits. The X500 Pro is the compact option at 6.36 inches with a 2660 x 1216 panel, while the X500 sits in the middle at 6.59 inches. All three have IP68 and IP69 ratings, an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner and an infrared blaster. In Europe, the Pro Max will be sold in Moonlight Black and Starry Gray.

Software

All three phones run OriginOS 7, based on Android 17, with the new Origin Smooth Engine, which vivo says keeps the system responsive even after six years of daily use. That’s a smoothness claim rather than an update promise, and GSMArena lists up to five major OS updates for the Pro Max. vivo brought OriginOS to international markets for the first time with OriginOS 6 on last year’s X300 series.

The vivo X500 Pro Max is the one to look at

The X500 series is vivo’s most ambitious camera lineup yet, and the Pro Max stands out with its 200MP telephoto, large battery and 4K/240fps video. The catch is price: the X500 Pro starts at €1,399 and the Pro Max at €1,599 in Europe, and the standard X500 isn’t coming to the region. The most affordable path to the new camera system is the 6.36-inch X500 Pro, which keeps the same main sensor and video features in a smaller body. We also reported earlier that the X500 Ultra is being tested with a larger 200MP telephoto sensor, which suggests the Pro Max may not stay vivo’s camera flagship for long.