Vivo confirms X500 series India launch on November 26

The confirmation resolves a question that had remained open until today. The X500 Pro Max had already been confirmed for the Indian market. The 12 November announcement adds the standard X500 and the X500 Pro to the launch, so the full series will be presented at a single event. The announcement was reported on 12 November by GSMArena, 91mobiles, Gadgets360 and Business Today, and by GizmoChina.

What launches on 26 November

The event will introduce the three handsets, the Vivo Watch GT2, the X500 Pro Max Photographer Kit and the Vivo Imaging Grip Kit. Two telephoto extenders will also be offered in India. The 200 mm ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 is compatible with all three models, while the 400 mm ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra is compatible with the Pro Max only. Both extenders are sold separately.

The Vivo Watch GT2 will launch at the same event. According to Vivo's advertising in India, the watch offers battery life of up to 25 days, and it carries a 2.07-inch display. The company has not published a price for the watch, and the 25-day figure is a manufacturer claim rather than an independently measured result.

The three models

The three models differ in chipset and battery capacity. The standard X500 uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9600M. The X500 Pro and the X500 Pro Max use the Dimensity 9600 Pro, a 2 nm chipset manufactured by TSMC. The distinction places the Pro models on the newer silicon, while the standard model uses a related but separate part.

Battery capacities for the Indian models are stated by Vivo as typical values on the company's India website. The X500 carries a 7,500 mAh battery, the X500 Pro a 6,510 mAh battery, and the X500 Pro Max a 7,800 mAh battery. The 8,000 mAh figure that appears in some coverage describes the China variant of the Pro Max and does not apply to the Indian model. The difference is material: the Indian Pro Max carries 200 mAh less than the China variant.

All three models support 90 W wired charging and 40 W wireless charging. Vivo has not published charging times for the Indian models, so the time required for a full charge remains unconfirmed.

Cameras and the ZEISS system

Imaging is the central differentiator of the series, and the ZEISS partnership remains central to it. The X500 and the X500 Pro both carry a 64 MP ZEISS APO periscope telephoto camera. The X500 offers 3.1x optical zoom, while the X500 Pro offers 3.5x optical zoom at an 85 mm equivalent focal length.

The X500 Pro Max carries a 200 MP ZEISS APO telephoto camera built on the Samsung HP0 sensor, also at 3.5x optical zoom. The Pro and the Pro Max additionally carry a 50 MP ZEISS TrueDynamic main camera and a 50 MP ultra-wide camera. The telephoto extenders announced alongside the phones extend this system further, with the 400 mm extender reserved for the Pro Max.

A new finish for the standard X500

The standard X500 will be offered in a new red finish that has not been seen on the series before. The red model carries a smaller circular camera module with a separate flash, a design detail that distinguishes it from the other finishes. The red finish is not offered in China, and it is not on sale in Europe or Southeast Asia. It therefore appears to be a finish prepared specifically for the Indian market, although Vivo has not stated that explicitly.

What remains unannounced

Indian pricing, memory configurations and the sale date have not been announced. Unconfirmed reports from tipsters place the starting prices at ₹1,19,999 for the X500, ₹1,49,999 for the X500 Pro and ₹1,79,999 for the Pro Max, with sales reported to begin on 2 December. These figures are not confirmed by Vivo and should be treated as unconfirmed until the company states them. No official statement on pricing or availability has been issued as of 12 November.

Why it matters

The launch matters for three reasons. First, Vivo is bringing the complete series to India in a single event, including the Pro Max that had already been confirmed and the two models confirmed only today. A complete launch gives buyers a choice across the range at the outset, rather than a staggered release.

Second, the series is built around telephoto imaging to a degree that is unusual for a mainstream flagship line. A 200 MP periscope telephoto camera, a 400 mm extender and a dedicated Photographer Kit together position the Pro Max as a device aimed at buyers who treat the phone as a camera. The ZEISS branding on the optics and on the extenders shows that the partnership extends beyond the phone body into accessories.

Third, the battery figures are large for flagship devices. A 7,800 mAh battery in the Pro Max and a 7,500 mAh battery in the standard model exceed the capacities commonly found in premium handsets. The trade-off is visible in the Pro, which carries the smallest battery of the three at 6,510 mAh despite its higher position in the range, a difference that Vivo has not explained.

What happens next

The launch event takes place on 26 November 2026 at 12:00 PM IST. Pricing, memory configurations, the sale date and the price of the Watch GT2 are expected to be disclosed at the event. Until then, the confirmed facts are the date, the three models, the accessories, the chipsets, the battery capacities and the camera specifications stated above. Any price quoted before the event is unconfirmed.