vivo X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max Review: Which One Should You Buy?
SpexHive Editorial
October 8, 2026
review
One chip family, three phones, and a price that runs from CNY 5,499 to CNY 12,999. The vivo X500 series is built to answer three different questions: which phone lasts longest, which one fits your hand, and which one takes the best zoom photos? The surprising part is that the answers are not the ones you would guess from the names.
The cheapest model has a bigger battery than the middle one. The smallest phone shares the fastest chip with the biggest one. And the Pro Max costs only CNY 500 more than the Pro. We went through the specifications, the official figures, the regulatory ratings in the SpexHive database and early hands on impressions from our sources to work out which of the three deserves your money. Keep reading for the one number that makes the Pro Max the easiest recommendation of the series.
How we reviewed it: this review is built on official specifications, the energy label in our database, and early hands on impressions from our sources. We have not yet put these phones through our own lab tests, and we say so wherever a conclusion depends on one. We will add our measurements to this page and show an updated date when we do.
vivo X500 Pro Max: the one to buy if you want the best camera and the longest battery life. 8,000 mAh, a 200 MP telephoto and a 2K screen for only CNY 500 more than the Pro.
vivo X500 Pro: the one to buy if you want a compact phone that still has the top chip and a serious camera. It is also the lightest, and its battery is the smallest in the series.
vivo X500: the value choice. A 7,500 mAh battery and a real telephoto lens at the lowest price, with an older chip.
Specifications for the China models, from vivo, the SpexHive database and our sources. Prices are for 12 GB and 256 GB.
Design and build
The family look is a large circular camera island, as vivo’s own image above shows. For the model we have full data on, the vivo X500 Pro Max has a glass front and an aluminium frame, with a back made of glass or glass fibre reinforced plastic depending on the colour, and ZEISS optics on the cameras. It comes in black, grey, white and orange.
The real design difference is size and weight. The X500 Pro is the compact one, at about 192 to 197 g, according to our sources. The X500 sits in the middle at about 212 g. The Pro Max is a big phone at 225 to 229 g and 163.3 x 76.8 mm. For comparison, that is lighter than the 249 g iPhone 18 Pro Max and slightly lighter than the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max at 235 to 240 g.
All three have the top water and dust rating you can find on a phone: IP68 and IP69. That means dust tight, protected against immersion (up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes on the Pro Max) and resistant to high pressure, high temperature water jets. An IP69 rating is still uncommon on phones.
Verdict: the Pro wins for comfort, the Pro Max for screen size, and none of them is flimsy.
Display
This is the first place where the three phones split. The X500 has a 6.59 inch AMOLED panel at a 1.5K resolution (2750 x 1260) and a top refresh rate of 144 Hz. The X500 Pro shrinks to 6.36 inches but upgrades to an LTPO panel that can drop to 1 Hz to save power, and it adds Dolby Vision. The Pro Max has the biggest panel at 6.85 inches and the sharpest resolution, 1440 x 3168 pixels at about 507 ppi.
The Pro Max specification in our database lists 2,000 nits in high brightness mode and 4,400 nits at peak, with HDR10 Plus and Dolby Vision, Armor Glass protection and 1 billion colours. That peak is well above the 3,000 nits of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and slightly above the 4,000 nits of the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max.
Verdict: the Pro Max has the best screen of the three on paper, and the X500 the weakest, since it is listed as a standard AMOLED rather than an LTPO panel.
Performance
The chip is where the naming gets confusing. The two Pro models use the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro on a 2 nm process. In our database the Pro Max’s CPU is listed as eight cores: two at 4.55 GHz, three at 4.35 GHz and three at 3.1 GHz, with a Mali G2 Ultra NX graphics chip. The standard X500 uses a step down, the Dimensity 9600M on 3 nm.
All models start at 12 GB of RAM, and only the Pro Max goes up to 16 GB. Storage tops out at 1 TB with fast UFS 4.1.
We have no independent benchmark results to report yet, and we will not guess. The honest expectation is that the Pro and Pro Max will be very close, since they share a chip, while the X500 will trail a little in heavy games. For everyday use, all three will feel fast.
Cameras: the reason to buy this series
vivo builds its reputation on cameras, and the X500 series shows why. All three models have a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra wide and a 50 MP selfie camera. The telephoto is what separates them.
X500: a 64 MP telephoto at about 72 mm (roughly 3x), with a high stabilisation rating.
X500 Pro: a 64 MP telephoto at 85 mm (3.5x), plus 4K video at up to 240 fps and a claimed 17 stops of dynamic range in Log mode.
X500 Pro Max: a 200 MP periscope telephoto at 85 mm (3.5x) on a large 1/1.4 inch sensor with optical stabilisation. According to our sources, it is the same telephoto hardware as vivo’s X300 Ultra.
Our database gives the full detail for the vivo X500 Pro Max. The main camera is a 50 MP sensor of 1/1.28 inch size at f/1.6 with optical stabilisation. The ultra wide is a 50 MP lens at f/2.0 with a 119 degree view. Features include laser autofocus, a colour spectrum sensor, ZEISS optics with T* coating and 3D LUT import. Video goes up to 8K at 30 fps and 4K at up to 240 fps, with Dolby Vision HDR, 17 EV Log recording and 10 bit 4:2:2 APV for editors.
A large sensor and a 200 MP telephoto should give the Pro Max excellent detail at 3.5x, but we have not shot with it, and the processing is what really decides image quality. Look for full photo tests before you rely on the 200 MP number.
One more thing makes this series special. vivo sells ZEISS telephoto extenders for the camera: a 200 mm equivalent extender for CNY 999 that all three phones accept, a 400 mm equivalent extender for CNY 1,999 (check which models support it) and a clip on rear monitor for CNY 699. If you shoot wildlife or events, that is a rare option.
Verdict: Pro Max for the best zoom, Pro for the best camera in a small body, X500 for the best camera per yuan.
This is where the series gets interesting, and where the order is not what you would expect:
X500 Pro Max: 8,000 mAh;
X500: 7,500 mAh;
X500 Pro: 6,510 mAh.
All use silicon carbon cells, and all charge at 90 W by wire and 40 W wirelessly. vivo claims about 50% in roughly 10 minutes and a full charge in about 30 minutes on the Pro Max. The Pro Max also supports reverse wireless and reverse wired charging, so it can top up earbuds or another phone.
The best evidence for endurance is the European energy label, which is in our database. The vivo X500 Pro Max is rated Class A for energy, with 72 hours and 5 minutes of endurance and a lifespan of 1,200 charge cycles. That endurance figure is better than the 62 hours given to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which has a much smaller battery. Repairability is Class C. One caution: according to our sources, the global version of the Pro Max may ship with a 7,800 mAh cell instead.
The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max has an even bigger 8,500 mAh battery, but the vivo’s 8,000 mAh is the larger one in a lighter body. To understand why silicon carbon changes everything, see how these huge batteries work.
Verdict: Pro Max for endurance, X500 for the best value, Pro if you accept a smaller battery for the smaller size.
Software
All three run OriginOS 7 on Android 17. Our database lists up to 5 major Android updates for the Pro Max, a strong promise. The China versions come with local apps and services, including a ride hailing app, the Blue Heart assistant and satellite messaging through China Mobile, and these are not what a global buyer will get. The global versions will have Google services and different software.
That is the big warning about this series: it has only launched in China. vivo has not announced international models, prices or dates. Judging by the previous X300 series, our sources expect a global release no earlier than December. If you import a China model, expect software differences, a possible warranty problem and network band questions.
Memory costs have pushed every price up: the X500 starts CNY 1,100 above the X300, and the Pro Max starts CNY 1,700 above the X300 Pro. In dollars, the base X500 works out to about $815, the Pro about $963 and the Pro Max about $1,037, at roughly the current exchange rate. Our database lists the Pro Max at about €910, which is far below the €1,599 of an iPhone 18 Pro Max and close to the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max’s €920.
The important comparison is inside the family: the base Pro Max costs only CNY 500 more than the base Pro for a bigger screen, a bigger battery and a 200 MP telephoto. That is the easiest decision in the series.
Pros and cons
What we like
Three sizes with a real telephoto on every model;
Huge silicon carbon batteries, and an excellent 72 hour endurance label on the Pro Max;
IP68 and IP69 on all three;
The Pro Max camera hardware: 200 MP periscope, 17 EV Log and 8K video;
90 W wired charging and 40 W wireless;
Every model starts at 12 GB of RAM.
What we do not like
China only for now, with no global prices or dates;
The Pro has a smaller battery than the cheaper X500;
The Pro Max is a large, heavy phone;
The names suggest bigger gaps than the hardware shows, so check the chip before you buy;
Camera and battery claims still need independent testing.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the vivo X500 Pro Max if…
you want the best camera, the longest battery life and the sharpest screen;
you shoot zoom photos or video and may use the extenders;
you do not mind a 225 g phone.
Buy the vivo X500 Pro if…
you want a small phone that still has the fastest chip and a strong camera;
weight matters more than battery life.
Buy the vivo X500 if…
you want the lowest price with a large battery and a proper telephoto;
Which vivo X500 has the biggest battery? The X500 Pro Max, with 8,000 mAh. The X500 has 7,500 mAh and the X500 Pro has 6,510 mAh.
What is the difference between the X500 Pro and the X500 Pro Max? The Pro Max has a bigger 6.85 inch 2K screen, a bigger battery and a 200 MP telephoto, against a 6.36 inch screen and a 64 MP telephoto on the Pro.
Do they all have the same chip? No. The X500 Pro and Pro Max use the Dimensity 9600 Pro on 2 nm. The X500 uses the Dimensity 9600M on 3 nm.
Are they sold outside China? Not yet. vivo has not announced international models or prices.
How much does the X500 Pro Max cost? CNY 6,999 for 12 GB and 256 GB in China, or about €910 in our database.
The verdict
The vivo X500 series is one of the most interesting phone launches of the autumn, mostly because of its batteries and its cameras. The standout is the vivo X500 Pro Max: a bigger screen, the biggest battery and a 200 MP telephoto for just CNY 500 over the Pro, with an endurance label that beats the iPhone’s. The Pro is the clever small phone, and the X500 is the bargain.
The only real question is availability. Until vivo announces a global launch, the series is for importers and for people watching what comes next. We will add our own test results to this review as soon as we have them.
Which one would you pick? Tell us in the comments below.
