Vivo X500: Sony LYTIA-828 sensor made official, flat 6.59-inch 144Hz display [UPDATED]

📌 Updated 3 September 2026 — The camera is no longer a rumour. Han Boxiao, product manager at Vivo, has published the official X500 poster: the main sensor is a 1/1.28-inch Sony LYTIA-828, the very one fitted to the X300 Pro, and the telephoto a Sony LYTIA-610 carried over from the X500 Pro. Both carry Zeiss branding and CIPA 5.5 stabilisation. The Chinese launch remains set for this month, September 2026.

While Vivo continues the international rollout of its previous line-ups, the industry’s attention has already shifted to China, where the brand is preparing its next generation of flagships. The manufacturer’s strategic choices are coming into sharper focus, confirming a decisive move towards flat displays and a complete overhaul of the naming scheme.

A generation skipped: goodbye X400, hello X500

The first significant change concerns the very name of this future smartphone family. Vivo is skipping the “X400” designation altogether and jumping straight to the Vivo X500 badge.

The marketing decision draws on a deeply rooted tradition in several Asian countries: tetraphobia. The number 4 is phonetically close to the word for “death”, which regularly pushes tech brands to avoid that numbering for their flagship products.

A distinct design for the standard model

Here lies one of the biggest revelations from this new leak: for the first time, Vivo will introduce a clear visual split between the standard model and its Pro variants.

• Vivo X500 Pro and Pro Max: will sport a large circular camera module centred on the back panel.
• Standard Vivo X500: takes a different approach with a substantial circular camera module placed in the upper-left corner.

Up front, the entire range goes for completely flat panels, dropping curved edges. Ultra-thin symmetrical bezels and slightly rounder corners should deliver optimised viewing comfort and handling.

Three screen sizes to cover every use case

The screen size split within the X500 series is now much clearer:

• Vivo X500 Pro (compact): 6.37-inch LTPO panel (1.5K resolution).
• Standard Vivo X500 (mid-size): 6.59-inch flat panel (1.5K resolution).
• Vivo X500 Pro Max (large format): huge 6.85-inch LTPO panel (2K resolution).

The whole series will benefit from a refresh rate climbing to 144Hz, ensuring maximum smoothness for browsing and gaming alike.

3C certification: 7,500 mAh and 90 W charging

The Vivo X500’s listing with China’s 3C regulator (China Compulsory Certificate) marks the final administrative step before an official launch. Once a handset clears this stage, its market release is imminent and the registered charging figures become entirely reliable.

The document confirms that the Vivo X500 supports 90 W wired fast charging. According to related leaks, that charging speed is reportedly backed by 40 W wireless charging and feeds a battery of roughly 7,500 mAh.

On a mid-size device (6.59 inches), that kind of capacity translates into very comfortable battery life, while 90 W charging tops up most of the tank in the time it takes to have breakfast. The X500 Pro and Pro Max have been certified with the same 90 W output, and the Pro Max has also received approval in Indonesia, a sign that a global rollout is in the works.

MediaTek Dimensity SoC and Sony LOFIC camera tech

Under the bonnet, Vivo is continuing its close partnership with MediaTek by launching the new generation of high-end silicon:

• The standard Vivo X500 is tipped to carry the MediaTek Dimensity 9600, built on a 3 nm process.
• The Pro and Pro Max versions move up a tier with the Dimensity 9600 Pro.

On the software side, the device is said to run the new OriginOS 7 interface, based on Android 17. This release should enrich the user experience and fine-tune background task management.

When it comes to photography, the Pro models will set themselves apart with a 50-megapixel Sony main sensor featuring LOFIC technology (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor). The component is specifically designed to handle high-contrast scenes (harsh backlighting, night shots in the city) by avoiding blown-out areas and preserving an unprecedented level of detail in the highlights.

Camera: Vivo confirms a Sony LYTIA-828 sensor and a Zeiss APO periscope

On 3 September, Vivo put an end to the guesswork. Han Boxiao published the camera poster for the standard model, and it comes down to one line: “the main camera is Pro, and so is the telephoto”. Both optics are co-developed with Zeiss.

• Zeiss high-dynamic main sensor: a 1/1.28-inch Sony LYTIA-828. It is the largest main sensor ever fitted to a standard X-series model, and it is no stranger: it already sits in the Vivo X300 Pro we stock, with its 1.22 µm pixels and f/1.57 aperture. The standard model therefore inherits, unchanged, the main camera of the previous generation’s Pro.
• Ultra-wide: 50 megapixels. This module does not appear on the poster and remains, at this stage, a leak.
• Zeiss APO periscope telephoto: a 64-megapixel Sony LYTIA-610, and Vivo specifies that it is the same periscope chip as the X500 Pro’s. The APO label refers to apochromatic lenses, corrected so that the different colours converge at the same point: in practice, fewer purple fringes along backlit edges. It records 4K video at 120 frames per second.

Both sensors are rated at CIPA 5.5. That scale, set by the Japanese camera industry association, measures stabilisation in stops of shutter speed gained: 5.5 stops means a scene that would demand 1/60th of a second handheld stays usable at around 1/1.5th. This is gimbal-class territory, and applying it to both optics is what the poster’s “dual Pro” wording refers to.

A word on the megapixel count, which could mislead. The Vivo X300 of the previous generation carried a 200 MP main camera, a 1/1.4-inch Samsung ISOCELL HPB opening at f/1.69. The X500 drops to 50 MP, on a larger sensor and behind a brighter lens. Sensor area and aperture govern how much light is collected, while resolution governs the level of detail in good light. Vivo has chosen the former, and that choice shows up mostly after dark.

Two points sit outside the official announcement. The phone is said to support the Lipstick 200, the brand’s compact telephoto extender, which clips onto the periscope to stretch the focal length — an interesting prospect for concert photography. A 50 MP autofocus selfie camera is also being reported, without confirmation.

How the range will evolve and what comes next

The brand’s roadmap doesn’t stop at the initial launch. Mid-cycle refreshes (Vivo X500s) are already being discussed, along with a Vivo X500 Ultra pencilled in for the first half of 2027. This ultimate model, a genuine technology showcase, is expected to drop MediaTek in favour of the rival Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. All the details are in our dedicated article: Vivo X500 Ultra, the 200 MP zoom caught in a dilemma.

Vivo X500 (standard) spec sheet

Vivo X500 or Pro versions: what’s the difference?

• Size: the X500 Pro targets compact-phone fans (6.37 inches), the standard X500 offers the middle-ground compromise (6.59 inches) and the Pro Max goes for a big display (6.85 inches).
• Design: upper-left camera block on the X500, centred camera block on the Pro versions.
• Camera and power: the Pro versions get the Dimensity 9600 Pro and the Sony sensor with LOFIC technology.

To find out more about the high-end variants, have a look at our dedicated articles on the Vivo X500 Pro and the Vivo X500 Pro Max.

In summary

Confirmed for September 2026 in China by Han Boxiao, the Vivo X500 is shaping up to be a very tempting alternative thanks to its flat 6.59-inch 144Hz display, its 7,500 mAh battery and a camera section now documented by the brand itself, which brings the X300 Pro’s main sensor and the X500 Pro’s periscope down to the standard model. The gradual arrival of international certifications suggests global availability shortly after the Chinese announcement.

You’ll find the range in our shop as soon as it launches. In the meantime, feel free to browse our Vivo smartphones, along with our Vivo cases and Vivo tempered glass screen protectors.