We unboxed the Vivo X500 Pro Max: the European version of the camera phone with a 200Mpx telephoto lens is in our editorial office

Last year’s Vivo X300 Pro was one of the phones that impressed us mainly with its telephoto lens. This year, Vivo goes a step further, placing a new model with the Max moniker above the Pro model. The Vivo X500 Pro Max adopts the camera equipment that the manufacturer had previously reserved for the Ultra series, and a European unit arrived at our editorial office even before its official launch. We unboxed it, reviewed its parameters, and looked at what the phone brought from China – and what it lost along the way.

Box with a case, but no charger

The packaging follows a proven recipe. Besides the phone, you’ll find a protective case, a USB cable, a SIM ejector tool, and documentation; a protective film is also pre-applied to the display. What’s missing is the charging adapter. The Chinese version includes it in the box, a 90W one at that, but the phone is heading to Europe without it, just like last year. For the X300 Pro, Vivo at least included a charger as a gift in the Czech Republic as part of a launch promotion. Whether they will repeat this, we will see when sales begin.

The case included in the box is a practical item for a phone of this class, as no one would want to carry it unprotected for even a day. Conversely, those who want to utilize the full charging power must acquire an adapter themselves.

Big phone, even bigger circle

Right out of the box, it’s clear that Pro Max is not just a fancy moniker. The body measures 163.3 × 76.8 millimeters, and with a 6.85-inch diagonal, it’s a phone that requires long fingers and a bit of dexterity to operate with one hand. The thickness stays around eight millimeters (the black version is 7.95 mm, other colors are 8.12 mm), which is a decent result for a phone with a large battery and a periscope telephoto lens.

On the other hand, to be fair to the phone, it feels noticeably lighter in hand than my iPhone 18 Pro Max. It’s also slightly smaller in dimensions, so for me personally, it’s actually a pleasant change, although a compact phone is out of the question for obvious reasons.

Weight varies by market. The Chinese version with a larger battery weighs 225 and 229 grams, respectively, while the European version, thanks to a smaller battery, is expected to weigh around 200 grams, which is where I feel the difference compared to the iPhone, which weighs 249 grams.

The construction is based on an aluminum frame, the front is covered by Armor Glass, and the display is flat, eliminating rounded edges that could register accidental touches. The dominant feature on the back is the enormous circular camera module, a hallmark of recent Vivo generations. It occupies a large portion of the upper half of the back and reveals from a distance that it is a camera phone. Durability corresponds to IP68 and IP69 certifications, meaning the phone should withstand not only submersion but also high-pressure hot water jets.

Beneath the display lies an ultrasonic fingerprint reader. The features are complemented by stereo speakers, an infrared port for controlling home electronics, and a USB-C port with USB 3.2 speeds, which will be especially appreciated by those who transfer large videos from the phone.

Battery lost weight on its way to Europe

The biggest difference between the Chinese and European versions lies within. While the X500 Pro Max in China features a silicon-carbon battery with an 8,000 mAh capacity, the European version has to settle for 6,750 mAh. The reason for this is shipping regulations for lithium cells, which some European countries set more strictly than others. Vivo also sells in Austria, where the limit is reportedly the lowest, and therefore adapts the European version to that standard.

It sounds like a disappointment, but in the context of last year, it’s not that dramatic. The European X300 Pro had only 5,440 mAh (Chinese 6,510 mAh), so the X500 Pro Max will offer 1,310 mAh more, roughly a quarter more, here. According to the European energy label, the phone is expected to last 72 hours and 5 minutes on a single charge in a standardized test, and the battery is designed to handle 1,200 charging cycles. How it performs in real-world use, we’ll save for the review.

Charging remains the same as in China: 90 W wired and 40 W wirelessly. The phone can also transfer power, both wired and wirelessly, serving as a backup power source for headphones or smartwatches, for example.

200 Mpx at 85 millimeters and an attachment up to 400

The camera equipment is the main reason why the X500 Pro Max even exists. The main camera is built around a 50Mpx Sony Lytia 910 sensor with a 1/1.28-inch diagonal, which Vivo developed jointly with Sony. The key is LOFIC technology. Each pixel has a small “overflow” into which excess charge drains when there is too much light. Thanks to this, Vivo promises a dynamic range of up to 17 EV.

The main camera lens has a focal length of 24 mm and an aperture of f/1.6. According to the manufacturer, stabilization works with an angular range of up to 3°, which Vivo compares to a gimbal. Zeiss, with whom Vivo has a long-standing collaboration, also contributes to its mastery.

The second star is the 200Mpx Zeiss APO periscope telephoto lens with a Samsung ISOCELL HP0 sensor measuring 1/1.4 inches. The 85 mm focal length corresponds to 3.5x optical zoom, and the aperture is f/2.7. Vivo used the same sensor this year in the top-tier X300 Ultra, so the Pro Max brings it down a notch in the series hierarchy. The setup is complemented by a 50Mpx wide-angle camera with a 15 mm focal length and a 50Mpx selfie camera with autofocus.

Image processing is handled by two proprietary chips, V3+ and VS1, which work in conjunction with the main processor. The main camera records 4K at up to 240 frames per second, with 8K at 30 frames also available, along with 10-bit recording in Log profile and APV codec with 4:2:2 sampling. The Pro Max also supports the Zeiss G2 Ultra teleconverter, which extends the equivalent focal length up to 400 mm. This is, by the way, part of the photography kit, which also includes another teleconverter with a 200 mm focal length.

Two nanometers, 2K, and 144 Hz

Performance is handled by the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro, MediaTek’s first chipset manufactured with a 2nm process. The octa-core processor combines two Arm C2-Ultra cores at 4.55 GHz, three C2-Pro cores at 4.35 GHz, and three C2-Pro cores at 3.1 GHz, with graphics handled by the Mali-G2 Ultra. The European version comes with 12 GB RAM and 512GB/1TB UFS 4.1 storage; the phone does not support memory cards.

The display has a 6.85-inch diagonal, a resolution of 3168 × 1440 pixels (507 ppi), and is a BOE Q11 LTPO AMOLED panel with an adaptive refresh rate of 1–144 Hz. The manufacturer states a brightness of 2,000 nits in high-brightness mode and up to 4,500 nits peak, with support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats. How this translates in sunlight and during video playback will be verified in the review.

System-wise, the phone runs on OriginOS 7 based on Android 17, and Vivo promises up to five major system updates. Connectivity is provided by 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC for payments, and support for two nano-SIMs and eSIM.

All parameters in one place

Price and verdict to be revealed on October 27

We’ll have to wait a few more days for the most important details. Vivo will announce the Czech price, availability, and any introductory promotions on October 27, when pre-sales will also begin here. It won’t be cheap. Last year’s X300 Pro entered the Czech market for 34,999 CZK, and the Pro Max positions itself a step higher in the series hierarchy. Moreover, it will face competition from the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max with the same chipset and similar ambitions.

After unboxing, it’s clear that Vivo is once again betting everything on the camera and subordinating the rest of the features to it. The smaller battery of the European version is disappointing, but it still offers more power than last year’s European model. If the camera lives up to its promises on paper, it will be one of the main contenders for the best camera phone of the season. The phone is already undergoing testing here, and we will provide a detailed review of the Vivo X500 Pro Max, including sample photos, after the official premiere.

What do you think of the Vivo X500 Pro Max?