Vivo's New X300 Ultra Shows How Seriously it Takes Photography

Vivo officially launched its latest flagship smartphone, the X300 Ultra in China. Vivo says its new phone features Vivo’s best-ever suite of cameras and photography features, and the company promises that the X300 Ultra redefines mobile imaging for still photography and video.

The company comes out swinging, saying that the X300 Ultra is “designed for professional photography.” Like prior high-end Vivo smartphones, the new X300 Ultra features Zeiss optical technology, collectively called the “Zeiss Master Lenses Collection.”

Out of the box, the X300 Ultra has three rear cameras, which can be expanded via optional Zeiss add-on lenses. PetaPixel previewed these add-on lenses earlier this month after Vivo teased the X300 Ultra at MWC Barcelona 2026. At the time, the company kept specifics under wraps, but showed off the Vivo Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra, which offers a 400mm equivalent focal length on the X300 Ultra. With digital cropping, the 200-megapixel camera and 400mm add-on lens deliver a wild 1600mm equivalent focal length range. There is also a 200mm add-on, since the Zeiss telephoto extender released for last year’s X200 Ultra also works on the X300 Ultra.

Alongside unveiling the X300 Ultra, Vivo also shared more details about its new 400mm add-on lens. The Vivo Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra features 15 lens elements arranged across two groups. It also works alongside all the features of the X300 Ultra’s telephoto camera, including its “gimbal-grade” stabilization and faster autofocus system.

Without any add-on lenses, there is still a lot for photographers to like about the X300 Ultra. The Zeiss Ultra Wide-Angle Camera features a large 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 818 sensor (Type 1/1.28) and a 14mm equivalent lens.

The main camera, officially called the Zeiss Documentary Camera, features a relatively long 35mm equivalent lens. The main camera features a big new 200-megapixel Type 1/1.12 Sony Lytia 901 sensor and a 35mm f/1.9 Zeiss optic. Most smartphones have main cameras around 24mm, so Vivo seemingly hopes to cater toward more serious photographers with its longer lens, a popular focal length among street photographers and photojournalists.

Rounding out the Vivo X300 Ultra’s rear cameras is the fifth-generation Zeiss 200-megapixel Telephoto camera. This camera uses a Type 1/1.4 Samsung HP0 image sensor, which, while smaller than the ultra-wide and “Documentary Camera” sensors, is relatively large for a telephoto camera. Beyond capturing what Vivo describes as “stunning shots,” the new telephoto camera also includes improved optical image stabilization that is CIPA-rated to seven stops, and Vivo says the autofocus system updates twice as fast as before, 60 times per second.

The Vivo X300 Ultra also promises significant strides in video. The phone supports 4Kp120 10-bit Log recording with APV 422 encoding across all of its cameras, and Vivo Log is fully compatible with the ACES professional post-production workflow. It, of course, supports wireless mics, but it also has upgraded quad-mic recording out of the box. The phone’s 6.8-inch 2K display, the Zeiss Master Color Display, supports Dolby Vision HDR.

There is also a new Multi-Focal 4K Master Color Video feature, which is Vivo’s new video color tone pipeline based on its celebrated color science. This color tone pipeline applies color adjustments earlier in the imaging process and utilizes RAW data, which Vivo says delivers smoother tonal transitions and improved image quality. This ode supports all focal lengths at 4Kp60 with Dolby Vision HDR.

There are also new cinema-inspired color grading presets, Film Style and Film Look, which the company says incorporate film-like halo and grain. These presets work in a wide 2.4:1 aspect ratio and deliver a “classic cinematic aesthetic.”

Other features include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a large 6600 mAh battery, 100-watt fast charging (wired), 40-watt wireless charging, and OrigonOS 6 support.

The Vivo X300 Ultra is launching first in China. Unlike prior Vivo Ultra smartphones, which were exclusively available in China, Vivo says the X300 Ultra will have a global release sometime this year. The device starts at 6,999 yuan, or just over $1,000, in China, per Android Headlines. Devices with more RAM and storage cost up to 8,999 yuan, or about $1,300. It is worth noting that official global market pricing may differ, and these converted prices should not be treated as perfect stand-ins.

Image credits: Vivo