Vivo X500 Pro Max is the world's first 2nm phone — but don't expect it in the US anytime soon
Vivo has launched the X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max, the world's first smartphones powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro — a chip built on a 2nm process. The company beat rival Oppo to the punch by a single day, per GSMArena. Chinese pre-orders opened September 21, with sales starting September 24 for the Pro Max and September 29 for the Pro. No US or UK launch date has been confirmed.
The chip
The Dimensity 9600 Pro contains over 33 billion transistors arranged in a 2+3+3 CPU configuration. It's the first mobile chip to support both LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage. According to MediaTek's own figures, multi-core power consumption drops 61% compared to the previous generation — a meaningful efficiency gain for a flagship-class processor. Single-core performance improves 17%, multi-core by 15%. The built-in NPU can run AI models with up to 30 billion parameters locally, on-device, without a cloud connection. You can read more about the chip's architecture in our Dimensity 9600 Pro deep-dive.
The cameras
The Pro Max is where Vivo makes its boldest claim. Its headline sensor is a 200MP Zeiss APO super-periscope on a Samsung HP0 1/1.4-inch unit, with 4x hardware zoom and a 400mm extender mode for wildlife or sports shooting. The main camera uses a new 50MP BlueTouch 900 sensor that Vivo says delivers 17EV dynamic range — though that figure comes from the manufacturer and hasn't been independently verified. Rounding out the system: a 64MP Sony LYTIA 610 periscope (85mm equivalent) and a 50MP ultrawide on both models.
Vivo X500 Pro — 6.36-inch LTPO display and a 6,510mAh battery.
The standard X500 Pro shares most of the same camera hardware but swaps the 200MP periscope for the Sony 64MP unit as its telephoto anchor. Both phones shoot 4K video and include Zeiss colour tuning across the system.
Vivo X500 Pro Max — 200MP Zeiss APO super-periscope on a 1/1.4-inch Samsung HP0 sensor.
The X500 Pro Max packs an 8,000mAh battery with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. The Pro carries a still-generous 6,510mAh cell with identical charging speeds. The Pro Max screen is a 6.85-inch 2K LTPO panel running at up to 144Hz; the Pro uses a smaller 6.36-inch version of the same Q11 BOE display. Vivo calls the Pro Max display the world's first Zeiss Master Color Screen on this panel — Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported on both.
The Dimensity 9600 Pro: 33 billion transistors on a 2nm process, with a 2+3+3 CPU layout.
Prices and availability
In China, the X500 Pro starts at around $1,044 (12GB/256GB) and tops out near $1,268 for the 1TB variant. The Pro Max starts at the same entry price, rising to roughly $1,343 for 12GB/1TB — or about $1,940 for a Creator's Package with satellite connectivity. Currency conversions are approximate and based on CNY-to-USD rates.
That puts the Pro Max in direct range of the iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199) and Galaxy S25 Ultra ($1,299) at current US pricing — on paper, at least. A European launch event is confirmed for October 27, where pricing and availability for those markets should become clearer. Outside China, Vivo's X-series has historically had a patchy retail presence, and no US or UK store partnerships have been announced. For the full spec rundown on both models, see our X500 Pro and Pro Max overview.