Vivo has finally pulled back the curtain on its all-new flagship phone for 2026, the Vivo X300 Ultra, and if the camera specs are anything to go on, it could be the go-to pick for amateur and professional photographers.
Big camera improvements
The main 200Mp 1/1.12-inch Sony Lytia 901 sensor is larger than the 50Mp 1/1.28-inch equivalent on the Vivo X200 Ultra, promising greater detail in shots as well as better low-light performance.
Although the 1/1.28-inch 14mm ultra-wide camera is seemingly identical to what we’ve seen in the phone’s predecessor, there is another upgrade to the 200Mp 1/1.4-inch periscope telephoto lens, as it now uses the improved ISOCELL HP0 sensor from Samsung, which notably doubles the speed of the autofocus. For capturing fast-moving subjects from afar, this could be a game-changer.
Content creators may appreciate that there’s now full focal length OIS baked into all of the cameras, although the telephoto lens goes one step further with ‘Gimbal-Grade’ stabilisation. Given that so many phones struggle to get buttery smooth footage without the help of a dedicated gimbal, this will no doubt appeal to videographers who don’t want to be weighed down by accessories.
The camera tweaks aren’t just related to hardware, though, as there’s a revised Photography App pre-installed on the phone that comes with a 3D LUT library to help users find the right colour grading to match the photo they want to take.
A photographer’s dream
As is now customary with a lot of camera-focused flagships, the X300 Ultra can be paired up with a dedicated photography kit (which we previously laid eyes on at MWC 2026).
This includes a new 400mm equivalent lens that can be docked in front of the telephoto sensor, alongside a more compact 200mm lens. There’s also a camera grip to better replicate the feeling of using a dedicated camera.
Alex Walker-Todd / Foundry
The whole apparatus doesn’t look too dissimilar to the Professional Imaging Kit that’s recently been unveiled for the Honor Magic 8 Pro.
We’d also be surprised if the upcoming Oppo Find X9 Ultra, which will end up being the X300 Ultra’s biggest competitor, doesn’t also launch with a similar kit of accessories.
A first for Vivo
Outside of the camera space, the Vivo X300 Ultra will use the faster Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and there’s a 6600mAh battery to keep the whole thing powered up. Charging is similarly speedy with 100W over a wired connection, and 40W when charging wirelessly.
Vivo’s Ultra phones don’t typically launch in the West, but the X300 Ultra will buck that trend after a short period of exclusivity in China. Although prices have yet to be announced, we are anticipating a fairly significant uptick after existing Vivo phones saw their prices increase amidst growing economic turmoil.
At the very least, the simultaneous reveal of the Vivo X300s (which also has its own photography kit) could be a huge help in offering a more affordable alternative to enthusiasts, although there’s no word yet on whether the phone will also be making its way to markets outside of China.
