Vivo X300 Ultra surrounds the Galaxy S26 Ultra in quality without the excessive number of cameras

However, when your telephoto is so good, what is the second zoom point? And in the case of Vivo X300 Ultra, it can be. Its single telephoto has a big sensor, a wide range and offers amazing software tricks.

Camera setup

Right off the bat (that’s why you’re here), there are three cameras on the back of the Vivo X300 Ultra:

• Main: 35mm focal length, 200 MP Sony LYT-901 sensor (1/1.12-inch), f/1.85 aperture
• Telephoto: 85mm length, 200 MP Samsung HP0 sensor (1/1.4″), f/2.7 aperture
• Broadly: 14mm focal length, 50 MP Sony LYT-818 sensor (1/1.28″), f/2

All of the above is made in close collaboration with the famous company Zeiss and Vivo calls the setup “Zeiss Master Lenses Collection”. The goal is to create a device that not only offers top-shelf hardware but also intuitive physical controls, solid optical stability and realistic colors and textures. For example:

• The ultra-wide camera comes with high level stabilization;
• The main camera lens has 1G + 6P coating technology, which is said to reduce reflections by more than 20%;
• The dedicated telephoto snapper comes with an even higher level (CIPA 7.0) of stabilization and autofocus that achieves 60 updates per second;

We should note that the Vivo X300 Ultra is the first phone to pack the LYT-901 sensor. The next one is, allegedly, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra (expected in April). Also, note that the main camera comes with a length of 35mm instead of the usual length of ~23mm in 99% of all other phones. This means that you will get less visibility, but it is very popular with street artists.

Additional lenses present an additional question

The 35mm main camera length isn’t the only thing special about this phone. Vivo is giving those bitten by the camera bug the option of zooming things into the wild with two additional telephoto converters. Of course, there is a thread there. These are separate, cigar-like lenses that attach to the phone in a special case with a connector:

• “Cannon 400” – Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra
• “Lipstick 200” – Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2

“Cannon 400” – not to be confused with the Canon brand – offers an advanced structure of 15 lenses that transmit glasses in two groups and enables a 400 mm equivalent (17.4x optical direct output) of 200 MP.

“Lipstick 200” is more compact and brings 200 mm of equivalent length (8.7x).

However, these numbers raise questions. If an 8.7xe tube is used on a macro camera, wouldn’t that be equivalent to a length of ~300mm, since 8.7 multiplied by 35 is 304.5mm? The same goes for the 17.4x tube.

I have contacted Vivo to ask for their clarification and will update this article as soon as an official response gets back to me.

As I mentioned above, most smartphones use a ~23mm main camera. If you multiply 23mm times 8.7, you get ~200mm. If you multiply 23mm times 17.4, you get ~400mm. So perhaps Vivo has used the magnification factor of the standard 23mm sensor in the phone which actually gives it a 35mm focal length.

Video capability

The new X300 Ultra combines “gimbal-grade” OIS stabilization across the entire length of the 2K ZEISS Master Color Display for monitoring.

Users can use the professional Pro Video Mode that supports 3D LUT export for real-time cinema preview and quad-mic audio recording for high-quality sound.

For high-end production, the device captures 4K 120 fps 10-Bit Log video compatible with professional ACES workflows, ensuring seamless integration with cinema camera images. Additionally, the inclusion of “Film Style” and “Film Look” allows users to create atmospheric, broadcast-quality content with a single tap. Ultimately, these features position the X300 Ultra as a “pocket cinema camera” that controls everything from macro capture to final color settings.

The science of color

The X300 Ultra features an advanced Color Science system that aims to bridge the gap between mobile images and professional camera standards.

There is a 50MP sensor with 12 spectral channels, which the device uses to achieve the correct pixel level to reproduce colors the way the human eye sees them. This technical performance is accompanied by the “Refined Color” version and the Ultra XDR algorithm, which intelligently manages the high contrast ratio to ensure clear transitions and clear details. Finally, the new Vivo Color Palette empowers users with a personalized color experience.

This is how Vivo presents its 2026 flagship, but, as always, we will have to find out for ourselves. Stay tuned for upcoming PhoneArena in-depth reviews and comparisons!

The rest are also impressive

The Vivo X300 Ultra packs the latest Android features beyond its camera:

• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset
• 6600 mAh battery with 100W fast charger and 40W wireless charging speed
• OriginOS 6, based on Android 16, with five years of support
• Either 12 or 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage
• 6.82-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate and 2160Hz PWM dimming
• Three color options to choose from (Green, Silver and Black)

This device may talk about taking pictures, but it has clean parts and chips; you have nothing to lose, really.

The only question is what will the Vivo X400 Ultra have to do to up the ante next year? But that’s a problem for 2027, let’s not worry about it now.