Vivo X500 Pro Max Puts 17 EV Video and 4K 240fps at the Center of Its China Debut

TL;DR: Vivo launched the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max in China on September 21, 2026, with the Pro Max pairing Sony’s LOFIC-based Lytia L910 sensor for 17 EV dynamic range with native 4K 240fps video.

Vivo introduced three flagships for China on September 21, 2026, adding a new top tier to its X lineup in the form of the X500 Pro Max alongside the X500 Pro and X500, according to Vivo Kenya. The company positioned imaging and cinematic video as the defining theme of the series, with OriginOS 7 and large BlueVolt batteries across all three models, according to Vivo Kenya. The debut took place in China, while international availability and pricing were left for later announcements, according to The Verge.

That structure matters because the Pro Max is not a modest step above the Pro. It combines a new 50-megapixel main sensor, a returning 200-megapixel telephoto, an optional long-range extender, MediaTek’s newest flagship silicon and an 8,000mAh-class battery in China, according to GSMArena. The result is a phone explicitly aimed at creators who want high dynamic range, high-frame-rate capture and pro-grade logging without moving to a separate camera, according to Android Authority.

A three-phone launch with a new top model

Vivo’s September 21 unveiling covered the X500 Pro Max, X500 Pro and X500, according to Vivo Kenya. GSMArena, which said it attended the Chinese launch in Shanghai, described the Pro Max as a third member joining a lineup that previously had only two tiers, according to GSMArena.

The Verge reported that the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max launched in China during September, with a global release expected later but without a confirmed date, according to The Verge. Vivo Kenya likewise said the series was unveiled in China on September 21, 2026 and would also be introduced to the Kenyan market, with local availability, pricing and sales details to be announced by Vivo Kenya, according to Vivo Kenya.

Pre-orders in China began September 21, with open sales beginning September 24, according to Android Authority. That near-term China schedule frames the launch as completed in its home market while the wider rollout remains a plan rather than a completed event.

Sony Lytia L910 and claimed 17 EV dynamic range

The headline imaging change is the main camera on the Pro models. Both the X500 Pro and Pro Max introduce the Sony LYTIA L910 main sensor, a 1/1.28-inch component using LOFIC technology, according to Android Authority. The Verge described the Lytia L910 as Sony’s first sensor to use LOFIC, a sensor technology intended to expand dynamic range, according to The Verge.

The sensor is 50 megapixels and 1/1.28-inch-type, delivering what Vivo calls “true 17 EV ultra-high dynamic range,” according to The Verge. Vivo Kenya similarly described 17 EV dynamic range as a feature intended to retain more detail in bright and dark areas and provide greater flexibility when editing footage, according to Vivo Kenya.

For context, The Verge compared that figure with the 16.5 stops claimed by the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, according to The Verge. GSMArena described the same 24mm-equivalent 50MP main camera as co-developed with Vivo, with Zeiss T* coating and coverage of 17 EV dynamic range, according to GSMArena.

Stabilization is part of the same main-camera story. The X500 Pro Max features 3° gimbal-grade optical image stabilization, while both its main and telephoto cameras reach CIPA 7.0 stabilization, according to Android Authority. Vivo Kenya said the Pro Max combines its telephoto with 85mm-equivalent focal length, CIPA 7.0 Professional Stabilization and an X-Track Engine for subject tracking across photo and video modes, according to Vivo Kenya.

Native 4K 240fps slow motion leads the video push

Video, rather than stills alone, is where Vivo made its largest claim. The Pro models can capture native 4K video at 240fps, allowing high-resolution slow motion without dropping to 1080p, according to Android Authority. The Verge attributed that capability in part to the new 2nm Pro chip, while also noting 10-bit Log recording and new cinematic video styles, according to The Verge.

Vivo Kenya gave more implementation detail, saying the ZEISS TrueDynamic Main Camera supports native 4K 240fps high-frame-rate video in Video, Pro Video and Slo-mo modes, according to Vivo Kenya. The same company report said the Pro Max and Pro support 4K 120fps Pro AF Tracking Video and Auto Framing Video for sports, concerts, wildlife and other fast-moving scenes, according to Vivo Kenya.

GSMArena listed broader capture options for the Pro Max, including 8K at 30fps, 4K at 30, 60, 120 and 240fps, 1080p at up to 240fps, 17 EV TrueDynamic Log, Dolby Vision HDR, 4K 120fps 10-bit Log and 10-bit 422 APV, according to GSMArena. GSMArena separately said both Pro phones support 4K 240fps cinematic slow motion and can capture 10-bit video with 422 encoding and support for the ACES color-management framework, according to GSMArena.

For serious editing, Android Authority pointed to 17EV TrueDynamic Log with 10-bit 4:2:2 encoding and ACES, plus an official DaVinci color transformation for bringing footage into a professional grading workflow, according to Android Authority. The report also noted hardware-assisted 4K 120fps 10-bit Log output, according to Android Authority.

Everyday video tools were also included. Vivo Kenya said the series introduces 4K Cinematic Portrait Video, combining cinematic color styles with portrait enhancement, alongside Multi-Focal 4K 120fps high-spec video and 4K Cinematic Color Video, according to Vivo Kenya. Film Style mode offers a 2.4:1 aspect ratio and film-inspired effects, while Movie Workshop includes tools such as Auto Framing and Vortex Shot, according to Vivo Kenya.

200MP telephoto and 400mm extender option

Vivo did not replace its long-zoom hardware on the top model. The Verge said the 200-megapixel, 3.7x telephoto from the X300 Ultra returns on the X500 Pro Max, along with support for that phone’s 400mm teleconverter lens, according to The Verge.

Vivo Kenya identified the camera as a 200MP ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera and said the Pro Max supports the 400mm Equivalent Vivo ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra, with more than 10 shooting modes including Stage, Snapshot and Pro modes, according to Vivo Kenya. GSMArena described an 85mm-equivalent 200MP periscope telephoto using Samsung’s ISOCELL HP0 1/1.4-inch-type sensor with CIPA 7.0 pro-grade stabilization, according to GSMArena.

The company also emphasized tracking and distance shooting. Vivo Kenya said the camera can track subjects at up to 60 frames per second in Snapshot Mode, while the Super Snapshot Engine supports 30x Long-Range Motion Snapshot on the Pro Max and 20x on the Pro, according to Vivo Kenya.

The Pro takes a different telephoto path. It uses a 64MP Vivo x Sony LYTIA 610 sensor in an 85mm-equivalent ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera, certified to ZEISS APO standards for chromatic-aberration control and featuring ZEISS T* Coating, according to Vivo Kenya. GSMArena identified that 85mm-equivalent 64MP sensor as a 1/2.0-inch unit with the same stabilization capabilities as the Pro Max, according to GSMArena.

The standard X500 is less extreme but retains a triple-camera approach. Vivo Kenya said it combines a 72mm-equivalent ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera with a 50MP ZEISS Pro-Level Ultra-Sensing Camera, while adding Cinematic Portrait lighting adjustments and Vivo Color Palette controls for tone, glow and grain, according to Vivo Kenya.

Dimensity 9600 silicon, batteries and displays

The X500 Pro and Pro Max are the first phones to run on MediaTek’s new Dimensity 9600 Pro, with the 9600M in the base X500, according to The Verge. GSMArena likewise said the Pro and Pro Max are the first phones to launch with MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro chip, while the vanilla X500 gets the Dimensity 9600M, according to GSMArena.

GSMArena listed the Pro silicon as a 2nm MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro platform, with Android 17 and OriginOS 7 and up to five major OS updates, according to GSMArena. Android Authority described the same 2nm flagship chipset as paired with Vivo’s V3+ and VS1+ imaging silicon, according to Android Authority.

Battery capacities are among the largest in the series. Vivo Kenya listed a 7,800mAh battery on the X500 Pro Max, 6,510mAh on the Pro and 7,500mAh on the X500, with 90W wired FlashCharge and 40W wireless FlashCharge on all three, according to Vivo Kenya. GSMArena reported a particularly large 8,000mAh unit for the Chinese Pro Max version, noting 7,800mAh for the global variant, alongside a 7,500mAh cell in the vanilla model and 6,510mAh in the Pro, according to GSMArena.

Display sizes span compact to large. The Verge said sizes range from the compact 6.36-inch Pro to the 6.85-inch Pro Max, with the base X500 in between, adding that all three use OLED displays, according to The Verge. Vivo Kenya specified a 6.85-inch 2K display on the Pro Max, a 6.36-inch display on the Pro and a 6.59-inch display on the X500, with ZEISS Master Color Displays offering up to 2,000 nits of global peak brightness and 100% P3 color gamut, according to Vivo Kenya.

Durability and input hardware are shared. Vivo Kenya listed IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, 3D Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanning, USB 3.2 and an infrared blaster across the series, according to Vivo Kenya. GSMArena listed IP68 and IP69 protection, under-display ultrasonic fingerprint readers, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 7, NFC and infrared ports on the Pro Max, according to GSMArena.

Prices and China sales timetable

Pricing disclosed for China starts at CNY 5,499 for the X500, CNY 6,499 for the X500 Pro and CNY 6,999 for the X500 Pro Max, according to GSMArena. Those entry figures correspond to 12GB RAM with 256GB storage, with higher storage tiers raising prices through the range, according to GSMArena.

Android Authority gave the same starting points: CNY 5,499 for the 12/256GB X500, CNY 6,499 for the 12/256GB Pro and CNY 6,999 for the base 12/256GB Pro Max, rising to CNY 8,999 for the 12GB/1TB Pro Max, according to Android Authority. Converted figures cited in launch coverage placed the entry Pro Max at about $1,045, the Pro at about $970 and the base X500 at about $821, according to GSMArena.

The immediate timetable is China-only. Open sales in China were scheduled to begin September 24, according to GSMArena. Android Authority likewise said pre-orders began September 21 with open sales beginning September 24, while global rollout, markets and international pricing remained unconfirmed, according to Android Authority.

Sources referenced