Vivo tests 3 different 200MP zoom cameras for X500 Ultra

Vivo still appears to be undecided on the camera setup for its future X500 Ultra. According to leaker Digital Chat Station, the company is testing three different 200-megapixel periscope modules before choosing a final design. For a flagship expected to center heavily on mobile photography, that decision may matter more than another jump in raw performance.

Vivo is reportedly comparing three sensor sizes: 1/1.12-inch, 1/1.3-inch, and 1/1.4-inch. The largest option is described by the source as the boldest choice for telephoto shooting. The other two look more like compromises between image quality, phone thickness, and the practical limits of fitting such hardware inside a smartphone.

That tradeoff is straightforward. A larger sensor can gather more light at long focal lengths, where smartphones usually struggle, but it also takes up more space. Big periscope modules do not fit easily into slim phones, and they create added pressure for industrial design.

The leak also lines up with June rumors that Vivo had dropped a separate 10x periscope camera for the X500 Ultra. At the time, the same leaker said the company scrapped a prototype with a 10x camera and returned to a setup built around one 200MP periscope paired with in-sensor zoom. If that is accurate, Vivo is no longer deciding how many telephoto cameras to include, but how large that single module should be.

The company has precedent here. Earlier camera-focused phones from the brand, including the X100 Ultra and X200 Pro, also leaned on large 200MP periscope hardware. Rivals are taking a similar approach: Xiaomi has been pushing a 200MP telephoto in its Ultra line, while Samsung has helped re-establish megapixels as a selling point for zoom, not just main cameras.

Recommended reading

Oppo Reno 16 adds IP69K and a bigger battery

The launch is still some way off. If Vivo keeps to its usual schedule, the X500 Ultra is not expected before the first half of 2027, launching first in China and later globally. By then, it should be clear whether Vivo goes with the massive 1/1.12-inch telephoto sensor or opts for the more restrained 1/1.3-inch or 1/1.4-inch alternatives.