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Vivo’s X500 Pro Max borrows Ultra features but lacks its distinctive cameras
Vivo’s X500 Pro Max brings several features from the company’s camera-focused Ultra line to a more accessible flagship tier, but it lacks the distinctive camera choices that made the X300 Ultra stand out. Its strong image quality and excellent telephoto camera do not make it a direct replacement for the older Ultra, which is still expected to get a sequel.
The phone has a 7,800mAh battery, a 1440p 144Hz OLED screen and a 50-megapixel main camera using Sony’s Lytia L910 sensor, whose LOFIC technology supports a 17-stop dynamic range. However, that main camera has a wider 24mm focal length and a smaller sensor than the Ultra’s 35mm camera, while the Pro Max costs €1,799 and uses a MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro chip.
In short
- The Pro Max adds flagship features and a 7,800mAh battery.
- Its camera has strong dynamic range and a top telephoto lens.
- It lacks the Ultra’s distinctive 35mm main camera.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The X500 Pro Max brings several premium features to a more accessible tier, including a large battery, a high-resolution 144Hz display and strong image quality with an excellent telephoto camera. Its newer main sensor and broad feature set may make it a compelling flagship for people who value versatility and everyday performance over the Ultra’s specialised camera design.
The case against
The Pro Max does not reproduce the X300 Ultra’s distinctive 35mm main camera, instead using a wider 24mm lens and a smaller sensor, so its strengths do not make it a direct substitute for the Ultra. At €1,799, buyers could reasonably expect the camera choices that set the Ultra apart, particularly with an Ultra sequel still expected.
Explained simply
Vivo is a Chinese smartphone maker whose flagship phones include an X series aimed at buyers who want advanced cameras. Within that range, the Ultra models have been the most camera-focused, while Pro Max models offer high-end features at a lower tier.
Camera design involves choices such as sensor size and focal length, which affect how much light a camera captures and how wide or close a view appears. A phone can share technology with an Ultra and still produce different kinds of images if its cameras are configured differently.
These distinctions matter to people comparing expensive phones for photography, as well as to Vivo’s positioning of its different models. The Pro Max’s price and specifications also make it relevant to comparisons with other premium phones.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Vivo’s first Pro Max phone proves its Ultra is still in a league of its own”.