Vivo X500 Pro Max revealed — here are my favorite photos taken with the potentially iPhone-beating flagship camera phone

Vivo X500 Pro Max phone in user's hand, alongside a photo of a female model in a field of hay at golden hour
  • Vivo reveals its new flagship X500 series of phones, with three new models
  • The X500 Pro Max is the priciest model, succeeding the X300 Ultra

It's no longer a secret that some of the best camera phones are coming out of China, and Vivo is very much competing with Oppo and Xiaomi with its flagship 'X' series — it has just revealed the latest crop; the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max.

I'm at the launch event in Shanghai, China, and have already had 24 hours with the Vivo X500 Pro Max, which effectively replaces last year's X300 Ultra. Like the previous flagship, it features a triple front camera array comprising ultra-wide, main, and telephoto Zeiss optics, only this time, the main lens has a 24mm focal length, like most other flagship wide cameras (whereas the X300 Ultra stood out with a tighter 35mm main camera lens).

The 3.5x telephoto lens has an 85mm equivalent focal length — a well-loved focal length by portrait photographers — and a mode which unleashes a 200MP resolution, while the 50MP boosted resolution is available for the ultra-wide and main cameras.

The Vivo X500 Pro Max phone in user's hand
The Vivo X500 Pro Max phone in user's hand, they are editing a photo
The Vivo X500 Pro Max phone complete photographer's kit, with telephoto converters, grip, additional cases and more, in black presentation box
The Vivo X500 Pro Max phone complete photographer's kit, with telephoto converters, grip, additional cases and more, in black presentation box

I'll be bringing you an in-depth camera comparison soon with the Vivo X500 Pro Max, Vivo X300 Ultra, and the Oppo Find X9 Ultra (a top camera phone from last year) soon, plus more details on the former. In the meantime, I've included some of my favorite photos that I've taken with the X500 Pro Max already, so you can begin to see what it's capable of.

The X500 series was announced on September 21 and, at launch, is exclusive to China, with a wider rollout expected later, although it's unlikely to come to the US. With the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Ultra, both now available in the UK, I'll be keeping an eye out for Vivo's release plans with the X500 models.

Woman in a field of hay

A sky scraper in Shanghai, with stormy clouds above it, black and white

Woman in long overcoat, framed by an arch of an old town and there's snow on the ground

The famous Bund skyline over the Haungpu river in Shanghai, at night
Clousep of the Natural History Museum in famous Bund skyline over the Haungpu river in Shanghai, at night
The famous Bund skyline over the Haungpu river in Shanghai, at night
Clousep of the Natural History Museum in famous Bund skyline over the Haungpu river in Shanghai, at night
Man in a classic Mercedes with the driver's door open — there's a bright red and orange studio backdrop
Man in a classic Mercedes with the driver's door open — there's a bright red and orange studio backdrop
Man in a classic Mercedes with the driver's door open — there's a bright red and orange studio backdrop
Man in a classic Mercedes with the driver's door open — there's a bright red and orange studio backdrop

Long haired cat sat on a concrete floor indoors

Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'

Tim joined the TechRadar team as Cameras Editor in 2023 and has enjoyed more than 15 years as a tech journalist specializing in camera gear. He's previously worked at Amateur Photographer, for a photo accessory manufacturer and as a freelance photographer and video producer, with clients including Studio 44 and Canon. He also started a media team in Nairobi, Kenya, where he lived for a few years volunteering for a faith-based organisation. Tim is married, father of three children, and loves being active, primarily running since hanging up his football boots.

Original source Vivo X500 Pro Max revealed — here are my favorite photos taken with the potentially iPhone-beating flagship camera phone

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