Vivo X500 Pro Max drops 35mm main and strong ultrawide for creators

Vivo’s first Pro Max tiers between Pro and Ultra but drops the X300 Ultra’s 35mm main and capable ultrawide. It still offers strong telephoto, 17 stops of dynamic range and 7,800mAh battery for €1,799.

What happened

Vivo introduced the X500 Pro Max, its first flagship to sit between the Pro and Ultra tiers. It adopts several features from the older X300 Ultra: the same size, a matching 1440p, 144Hz OLED display, a bigger 7,800mAh battery with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging, and the exact same periscope telephoto camera. The phone is priced at €1,799 (about $2,000), putting it in the ultra-premium bracket. It uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro instead of the latest Snapdragon chipset, but delivers roughly comparable performance.

The camera system is excellent with world-leading dynamic range, but it drops the two things that made the X300 Ultra stand out: the 35mm main camera and the most capable ultrawide in any phone. The X500 Pro Max main camera is a 50-megapixel, 1/1.28-inch-type sensor with a 24mm focal length and 17 stops of dynamic range from Sony’s Lytia L910 LOFIC technology. The ultrawide is a much smaller 1/2.75-inch-type sensor, and the review calls it a weak link. The X500 Pro Max is still more capable than any phone you can officially buy in the US, but it is much less unique than the X300 Ultra. The review notes that Oppo’s Find X10 Pro Max feels like it picked up where the X300 Ultra left off.

Key facts

• The X500 Pro Max is the first Vivo flagship to sit between its Pro and Ultra tiers, priced at €1,799 (about $2,000).
• Main camera: 50-megapixel, 1/1.28-inch-type sensor, 24mm focal length, 17 stops of dynamic range from Sony Lytia L910 LOFIC.
• Keeps the exact same periscope telephoto as the X300 Ultra; video includes Log recording and 4K at 240fps slow motion; supports a 400mm teleconverter option.
• Battery is 7,800mAh with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging; display is 1440p, 144Hz OLED.
• Ultrawide sensor is 1/2.75-inch-type, a step down from the X300 Ultra whose ultrawide sensor was the same size as the X500 Pro Max main camera.

Our analysis

The Pro Max trend across Xiaomi, Oppo, Honor, and now Vivo likely signals a new premium tier designed to close the gap between Pro and Ultra models. The source notes some cynicism that “Max” masks RAM-induced price hikes, but there are also real upgrades. For creators, this matters because focal length and ultrawide quality directly affect how they frame and shoot short-form video, product content, and event coverage. Dropping the 35mm main camera in favor of 24mm is significant: 35mm sits evenly between the 14mm ultrawide and 85mm telephoto, offering natural portrait-friendly framing without digital zoom. Returning to 24mm means the default wide angle forces stepping back or relying on telephoto, which can introduce low-light quality compromises.

The weaker 1/2.75-inch ultrawide also undermines the X300 Ultra’s ethos that all three lenses should deliver comparable quality. In a nighttime Champions League test, the ultrawide blew out white details on the pitch and player kits and left the crowd in comparative darkness, while the main and telephoto handled highlights better. That inconsistency matters for mixed-light shooting and multi-shot edits. On the other hand, the telephoto remains exceptional, the Zeiss color tuning is naturalistic, and video features like Log recording and 4K at 240fps are useful for creators who need post-production flexibility. The absence of the 35mm main and large ultrawide suggests Vivo is reserving those differentiators for the rumored X300 Ultra sequel next year, making this Pro Max a capable but less distinctive tool.

The €1,799 price places this phone squarely against premium flagships, but without the most unique camera features. For operators deciding between this and waiting, the X300 Ultra still rumored to see a direct sequel sometime next year is likely the better bet if uniqueness and ultrawide quality are priorities. The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max appears to have adopted a similar approach to the X300 Ultra, so alternatives may exist.

What it means for operators

• If your content depends on ultrawide shots — events, real estate, large group scenes — test the X500 Pro Max’s ultrawide before committing. The review found it a weak link with blown highlights and dark crowds under bright lights.
• Use the telephoto by default for tighter framing and better bokeh, as the reviewer does on many phones. Avoid digital zoom from the 24mm main if you want to make the most of the lens’s optics.
• If you shoot portraits or need purposeful 35mm framing, this phone will not match the X300 Ultra. Plan compositions around 24mm or telephoto, or wait for the rumored X300 Ultra sequel next year.
• For video teams, Log recording and 4K at 240fps slow motion are strong tools, but note the naturalistic Zeiss color tuning may reduce grading time. The 7,800mAh battery supports two days of use, which helps on long shoot days.