Vivo X500 series may arrive in China around September

Vivo is expected to launch the X500 series in China around September, earlier than the company’s usual October timeline, and the Vivo X500 series may bring vlogging camera features through a compact device with built-in stabilisation. The next flagship lineup may also support telephoto extender functionality, which could move into the mid-range through the Vivo S60 series, expected to launch between May and June.

At a recent media interaction, Vivo executives Huang Tao and Han Boxiao said that smartphone rear cameras have improved, but users who shoot vlogs or live content still rely on separate devices. The company’s planned pocket-style camera is aimed at self-recording, and its camera accessory plans may also reach the S60 series, known globally as the V series.

Vlogging camera project lines up with X500 launch

Vivo appears to be broadening its imaging push beyond phones. The company is working on a compact vlogging camera that includes built-in stabilisation, and it is likely to debut alongside the X500 series if the current timeline holds. The device is described as a pocket-style camera made for creators who shoot vertical video, vlog clips and live content, with the focus on portability and stabilised recording.

Details remain limited, but the positioning puts it in the same category as devices such as the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and the upcoming DJI Osmo Pocket 4. Those products already offer stabilised video in a small form factor, and Vivo’s version would be entering a space where size, convenience and phone integration matter. The input does not give full specifications for the camera, only that stabilisation is built in and that it is designed for self-recording.

The plan also fits into Vivo’s ongoing imaging work with Zeiss. The partnership began in 2020 with the Vivo X60 series, later expanded to mid-range devices, and was renewed in 2025 to explore imaging technologies beyond smartphones. That background is part of why the company is now looking at accessories and standalone imaging devices as well as handset cameras.

Telephoto extender support may move to Vivo S60 series

In the same interaction, Han Boxiao also discussed Vivo’s external telephoto extenders, including the G2 and G2 Ultra. These accessories are currently offered with the X300 Ultra in China, and they are reported to come to India even with the Vivo X300 FE in May. They are meant to improve long-distance photography in situations such as concerts or events.

Vivo is now considering bringing similar support to the Vivo S60 series, which is expected to launch between May and June. The S series is typically rebranded globally as the V series, placing it in the upper mid-range category where Vivo already puts a strong focus on camera performance. If telephoto extender support reaches these models, it would extend a feature that has mostly been tied to flagship devices into a more accessible segment.

Huang Tao noted that the wider rollout is not guaranteed. According to the input, extending telephoto support to this lineup depends on keeping image quality consistent when the accessory is attached. That condition leaves the plan open rather than confirmed, even as Vivo explores how far it can push its imaging tools.

The broader picture is that Vivo is testing two different paths at once. One is a dedicated vlogging camera for creators who want something smaller than a full camera setup. The other is accessory-based telephoto support for phones beyond the premium tier. Both ideas point to the company’s camera-first strategy, but the rollout details are still not fixed in the information provided.

The next flagship family is expected to be called the Vivo X500 series, skipping the X400 naming. It could launch in Q3, likely around September, which would be slightly earlier than the X300 series rollout last year. For now, the reported schedule puts the X500 series, the vlogging camera and the possible telephoto extender expansion in the same wider imaging push.

Vivo has not laid out final launch details in the provided material. What is clear is that the company is preparing multiple imaging products and features at once, with China expected to be the first market for the next round of launches.

• Vivo X500 series expected in China around September
• Compact vlogging camera tipped to launch with built-in stabilisation
• Telephoto extender support may expand to Vivo S60 series
• Vivo S60 series expected between May and June
• S series is typically rebranded globally as the V series

Vivo’s imaging plans remain partly unconfirmed, but the current timeline places the X500 series launch ahead of the company’s usual October window. The vlogging camera and telephoto extender plans could follow different rollout paths, depending on how Vivo handles product quality and regional availability.