Vivo’s New Flagships are Coming Early, and My Wallet Isn't Ready

Tuesday, 03 February 2026 at 10:15

It seems Vivo is already moving the goalposts for its flagship cycle, and if the latest whispers are true, we’re looking at a very crowded—and very heavy—future for the brand. While the tech world is currently bracing for the Vivo X300 Ultra and its "Max" sibling to drop next month, the rumor mill has already leapfrogged ahead to the X500 series.

Wait, why X500? Apparently, Vivo is skipping the X400 name entirely. It’s that classic regional superstition regarding the number four, which we've seen other manufacturers do before. What’s actually interesting, though, is how fast they are moving.

Key Points:

Accelerated Timeline: The Vivo X500 Ultra could launch much earlier than expected to align with new Qualcomm chipsets.
Naming Leap: Vivo is reportedly skipping the "X400" series entirely due to tetraphobia, jumping straight to X500.
Hardware Heavyweight: The upcoming X300 Ultra is rumored to be exceptionally heavy due to its complex 200MP camera system.
Next-Gen Power: Speculation points to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro powering the Ultra variants for 2026/2027.
Massive Battery Life: Both the X300 Max and Ultra are expected to sport 7,000mAh batteries, setting a new flagship standard.

The X300 Ultra might be a literal heavyweight

Before we get to the future, we have to talk about the beast arriving in March. Word on the street—specifically from tipster Smart Pikachu—is that the X300 Ultra is going to be one of the heaviest "Ultra" phones we’ve ever seen.

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Usually, "heavy" is a dirty word in design, but here it suggests a massive hardware loadout. We are talking about a dual 200-megapixel camera system, a serious redesign of the zoom lenses, and a new-gen Zeiss coating that supposedly makes night photography look like broad daylight. It’s also packing a massive 7,000mAh battery. Honestly, with that much glass and juice, I’m not surprised it’s going to be a brick. Perhaps we should start doing wrist curls before the pre-orders open.

Moving up the X500 Ultra timeline

The real curveball is the X500 Ultra. Usually, these "iterative" flagships have a predictable year-long cycle. However, reports suggest Vivo might pull a Xiaomi and launch the X500 Ultra by the end of this year or very early 2027.

The most logical reason for this rush? Silicon. Qualcomm is reportedly prepping the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and a "Pro" variant for later this year. If Vivo wants to keep that "performance king" crown, they can’t really afford to wait until the following spring. It feels like the gap between "current" and "next-gen" is shrinking so fast it's almost hard to keep up. I think we’re entering an era where your phone is technically "old" before you’ve even finished the installment plan.

What about the X300 Max?

Amidst the Ultra hype, the X300 Max is also slated for a March debut. It’s a bit of a curious middle child, but the specs aren't exactly modest: a 6.78-inch OLED, a Dimensity 9500 chip, and that same 7,000mAh battery. Vivo is even rumored to launch its first action camera at the same event. It feels like they are trying to swallow every niche of the market at once, which, I suppose, is one way to handle the competition.