A fresh leak from reliable tipster Digital Chat Station suggests Vivo has not yet finalized the camera hardware for the upcoming Vivo X500 Ultra. Instead, the company is reportedly evaluating multiple 200-megapixel periscope telephoto sensors before locking in the final imaging system.

Vivo X500 Ultra’s periscope telephoto sensor undecided

According to the tipster, Vivo is currently testing three different 200-megapixel telephoto sensors with varying sizes: 1/1.12-inch, 1/1.3-inch, and 1/1.4-inch. The largest 1/1.12-inch sensor is described as a more aggressive approach for telephoto photography, while the 1/1.3-inch and 1/1.4-inch options are considered more balanced solutions.

The leak indicates that Vivo’s engineering team is still comparing the strengths and trade-offs of each sensor. A larger sensor could deliver improved light gathering and image quality at long focal lengths, although it would also require a more complex and space-intensive camera module. The smaller alternatives may offer a better balance between imaging performance, device thickness, and overall camera design.

This development also aligns with an earlier report from June, which claimed Vivo had dropped plans to adopt a dedicated 10x periscope camera for the X500 Ultra. At the time, Digital Chat Station said the company had cancelled a prototype featuring a 10x telephoto lens and instead planned to continue using a single 200-megapixel periscope camera paired with in-sensor zoom technology.

Since the X500 Ultra is still under development, the final camera configuration remains subject to change. However, the latest information suggests Vivo is carefully evaluating different hardware options to optimize the phone’s telephoto capabilities before mass production begins.

The Vivo X500 Ultra is unlikely to launch this year. Probably, it will be unveiled in the first half of 2027 in China as well as the global market.

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Reliable tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS) has shared an interesting exclusive today claiming that the Oppo Find X10 Ultra could again be the only Android flagship in 2027 with dual periscope camera and a 10x super telephoto lens.

According to DCS, when it comes to “top-tier” Android flagships next year, the Find X10 Ultra looks set to be the only device offering this combination. The tipster hints that this setup will also see further upgrades over its predecessor, though specifics haven’t been shared yet.

This lines up well with what we already know about the phone. The Find X10 Ultra is expected to sport a 6.89-inch 2K LTPO OLED display, a 7,000mAh+ battery, and a next-generation 200MP Samsung HPA LOFIC primary camera sensor. The Ultra model is expected to launch in the first half of 2027, following the rest of the X10 lineup.

Vivo quietly backs from 10x telephoto for X500 Ultra

The more intriguing part of DCS’ claim is that, allegedly, a rival has quietly backed away from the 10x zoom race. The tipster reveals that one Android brand was evaluating a 10x telephoto solution, but its latest prototype has now been cancelled.

The brand is now said to be sticking with its existing formula of a 200MP periscope camera paired with ISZ (In-Sensor Zoom) technology instead. 

All signs point to this being the Vivo X500 Ultra. Just days ago, a leak surfaced suggesting Vivo was testing a 10x telephoto camera for the X500 Ultra, which would have been a major upgrade from the X300 Ultra’s single 200MP periscope offering around 3.7x optical zoom. It now appears those plans have been scrapped before they got off the ground.

So while Vivo falls back on its tried-and-tested periscope + ISZ approach, Oppo looks set to double down on its dual-periscope strategy. 

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(Source)

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A new leak suggests Vivo could be experimenting with a much longer zoom camera for its next Ultra flagship.

According to the leak, Vivo is currently testing a 10x telephoto camera for what is believed to be the Vivo X500 Ultra. If true, it would represent a fairly significant change in strategy for Vivo’s Ultra lineup.

The current X300 Ultra relies on a single 200MP periscope camera that offers around 3.7x optical zoom, while rival devices have started pushing much further. Oppo’s Find X9 Ultra, for example, combines a 200MP 3x telephoto with a separate 50MP 10x periscope camera, giving it a clear advantage when it comes to long-range photography.

Huawei also made headlines last year with the Pura 80 Ultra, which featured a 9.4x periscope solution and demonstrated just how much reach modern smartphone cameras can achieve. With Huawei now rumored to be skipping a Pura Ultra successor in 2026, and competitors continuing to push zoom capabilities, it would not be surprising to see Vivo experimenting with a dedicated 10x periscope of its own.

Over the past few years, the Ultra segment has gradually become a camera race. Sensor sizes increased first. Then came larger periscope cameras, variable apertures, and increasingly complex computational photography systems.

Vivo has traditionally been one of the more aggressive brands when it comes to mobile photography, particularly through its long-running partnership with Zeiss. That alone makes the rumor a little easier to believe.

For now, though, the 10x camera remains just that: a test configuration. Whether Vivo ultimately ships it is another question entirely. But if the company can make a 10x telephoto camera work without significantly increasing size, weight, or cost, it could end up being one of the more interesting hardware upgrades in the next wave of camera-focused flagships.

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(Source: Smart Pikachu on Weibo)

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Vivo is gearing up to launch the Vivo X300 Max and Vivo X300 Ultra flagship smartphones in China. These devices are expected to debut in March this year, with a global launch likely around the second quarter.

At the same time, the rumor mill has already shifted focus to Vivo’s next-generation flagship lineup, namely the Vivo X500 and Vivo X500 Pro. Reports suggest the brand may skip the X400 naming altogether, with the X500 series expected to arrive around September or October this year. Interestingly, leaks have also started surfacing about an Ultra variant in the X500 lineup.

Vivo X500 Ultra launch accelerated

According to tipster Smart Pikachu, the Vivo X500 Ultra could launch earlier than initially expected. However, the tipster has not shared any details regarding the device’s specifications, design, or camera hardware so far.

Recent reports have revealed that Qualcomm will announce its next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, along with a Gen 6 Pro variant, later this year. If that happens, it is likely that Ultra-branded flagships from major Chinese smartphone brands, including the Vivo X500 Ultra, could be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro platform, positioning them as true next-generation performance flagships.

Xiaomi surprised the tech world by launching the Xiaomi 17 Ultra in December 2025. So, there is a possibility that the Xiaomi 18 Ultra may launch by the end of this year. It won’t be surprising if Vivo decides to unveil the X500 Ultra by the end of this year or by January 2027.

At the same time, Smart Pikachu has also shared fresh insights about the Vivo X300 Ultra. The device is said to be one of the heaviest Ultra flagships yet, indicating a hardware-heavy build. It is tipped to debut in March with dual 200-megapixel cameras, a new-generation Zeiss lens coating, and a redesigned zoom lens system. The leak further suggests strong night photography performance, reinforcing its positioning as a top-tier imaging-focused smartphone.

The Vivo X300 Ultra’s March launch event will also see the arrival of the Vivo X300 Max and the company’s first action camera, the details of which are scarce. The X300 Max is said to have a 6.78-inch OLED 1.5K display, a Dimensity 9500 chip, a 7,000mAh battery, and a 200-megapixel triple camera unit.

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Vivo is expected to unveil the Vivo S50 series later this month as a successor to the Vivo S30 lineup, which debuted earlier this year. The S40 branding will be skipped as the number “4” is considered unlucky in some Asian markets, including China. It appears that the company will apply the same naming strategy for its flagship line next year. Through this, we could see the possible name for the Vivo X300 series’ successor.

Vivo X400 series to be skipped

As can be seen above, tipster Digital Chat Station has claimed that the next generation after the X300 will be called the X500. So, this means that the next-generation lineup may possibly include the Vivo X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Ultra as the successors to the current generation’s Vivo X300, X300 Pro, and X300 Ultra.

Likely, the Vivo X500 and X500 Pro will debut in September or October 2026. Early speculations suggest that these devices will be the first to feature the Dimensity 9600, which is said to be manufactured through TSMC’s 2nm process, making it MediaTek’s first-ever 2nm mobile chip.

It is reported that TSMC’s enhanced 2nm process technology has a 1.2 times higher logic density than the existing N3E process, a performance improvement of up to 18 percent at the same power consumption, and a power consumption reduction of about 36 percent at the same speed.

At present, it is too early to talk about the X500 series as the company has several new phones lined up for launch in China in the coming months. After the S50 and S50 Pro Mini, expected by this month’s end, the company is expected to unveil the Vivo X300s and X300 Ultra in the first half of 2026. While the X300s will be an updated version of the Vivo X200, the Ultra edition is expected to debut as the world’s first phone with dual 200-megapixel cameras.

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