Vivo X500 Pro Max Brings Gimbal-Grade Video Sans Gimbal
By @sharedot · · 7 pages
- Gadgets
- Vivo X500 Pro Max
- Smartphone Cameras
Engadget's hands-on found Vivo's X500 Pro Max captures some of the smoothest judder-free phone video ever shot without a dedicated gimbal.
Vivo goes international with a camera-first flagship trio
Vivo's X500 series has just gone global with three models — the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max — launched at an event in the Canary Islands in Europe, per News18. The Pro Max is the camera-centric headliner, and Engadget's Mat Smith went hands-on with it the day before the global rollout.
Vivo remains less well-known outside China than rivals Xiaomi and Oppo, but the X500 Pro Max is a major upgrade over the X300 Pro and even bests the flagship X300 Ultra in some areas, most notably video.
The spec that surprised reviewers: gimbal-grade stabilization
The surprise for reviewers is the stabilization package. According to Engadget, the main 50MP Sony Lytia 1/1.28-inch sensor at f/1.6 uses three-degree gimbal-grade stabilization, while the 200MP 1/1.4-inch periscope telephoto carries CIPA 7-rated OIS for long zoom and low light.
Engadget reports the resulting footage is some of the smoothest, judder-free video it has ever captured without a dedicated gimbal, and low-light clips lacked the pulsing-pixel focus struggle common in weak light.
Pro video tricks: custom LUTs, ACES and 4K 240fps
Video is the Pro Max's true feature set. Engadget notes Pro Video Mode supports custom LUTs with real-time preview, and Vivo's log format supports the ACES workflow for professionals — News18 reports it as TrueDynamic Log for greater color-grading flexibility.
With an upgraded processor over the X300 Ultra, the phone supports 4K recording at up to 240fps, double the Ultra's 120fps cap, and News18 tips 4K slow-motion up to 960fps plus 60fps autofocus-tracking snapshots.
The LOFIC sensor adds capacitors per pixel to store overflow light, delivering 17 stops of dynamic range — the same figure Oppo reaches with its different DeepPix technology.
Hardware: a 7,800mAh battery and Zeiss teleconverters that carry over
Under the hood, Engadget reports the Pro Max uses MediaTek's new 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro and a 7,800mAh battery in some territories — up from the X300 Ultra's 6,600mAh — with 90W charging and bypass charging for gaming or recording.
The 6.85-inch display hits 4,500 nits peak brightness at 144Hz with Dolby Vision, and the phone carries both IP68 and IP69 ratings. It also works with Vivo's Zeiss-made Gen 2 teleconverter lenses, adding 2.35x or 4.7x magnification — though a new compatible case and mounting plate are required.
What comes next: pricing, India launch and the caveats
News18 reports the series is tipped to reach India by the end of November 2026, with the Ultra to follow later; no pricing or storage options are confirmed, though the older X300 launched at Rs 75,999 and X300 Pro at Rs 1,19,999, and soaring component costs could push prices higher.
Engadget flags two caveats: OriginOS 7 is cluttered with unsolicited tips and the ad-stuffed V-App Store, and AI interference still mangles text and faces in telephoto shots.
GSMArena's unboxing notes the vanilla X500 starts at MYR 4,699 (about $1,149) in Malaysia and will skip Europe, with no US or UK availability for the Pro Max.