Vivo X500 Ultra Could Pack a Larger 200-Megapixel Telephoto Sensor, Tipster Claims

The Vivo X500 Ultra has been in the rumour mill recently. The company recently confirmed that its launch is slated for early next year. With its unveiling several months away, the purported handset's specifications remain under wraps. A new leak, however, has shed light on its camera specifications. As per a tipster, Vivo is testing a new telephoto camera sensor for its upcoming flagship. This upgrade is said to enable the Vivo X500 Ultra to capture more light, potentially improving image quality.

New Camera Sensor for the Vivo X500 Ultra

According to a post by tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, the latest engineering sample of the Vivo X500 Ultra is testing a 200-megapixel telephoto camera sensor. The phone is believed to use a 1/1.2-inch sensor.

The leak builds upon a previous claim by the same tipster, where it was revealed that the brand was testing three different 200-megapixel sensors for the camera, measuring 1/1.12-inch, 1/1.3-inch, and 1/1.4-inch. At the time, the company was reportedly weighing camera performance against the space required for the camera hardware.

If the tipster's claims are to be believed, the brand could have finally settled on a larger sensor for the upcoming flagship. Vivo is also said to have found a way to accommodate the hardware without taking up too much internal space. Specifics about the camera module's design, however, remain under wraps.

For comparison, the Vivo X300 Ultra (review) features a 200-megapixel telephoto camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor. The larger sensor reportedly being tested for the X500 Ultra could capture more light, potentially benefiting low-light photography and image quality.

Vivo, notably, has already confirmed that the Vivo X500 Ultra will launch in China between March and April 2027. Vivo Vice President of Product Huang Tao reportedly confirmed that the handset would arrive next year, with imaging capabilities expected to surpass those of the Vivo X500 Pro Max.

The phone is tipped to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, built on a 2nm process. It is also tipped to feature a 6.85-inch LTPO BOE display with a resolution above 2K and a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. Other reported features include a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and a triple rear camera setup with three 200-megapixel sensors.