vivo’s X100 Ultra is getting official on Monday, May 13, and it’s been quite the hypebeast recently, seeing as how a vivo exec said it would be a “professional camera that can also make calls”. Today we have some newly leaked details about its camera system, and while the “professional camera” claim might still be a slight exaggeration, this is shaping up to be the most beastly cameraphone ever made, very worthy of its Thanos codename (Marvel fans will get that reference).
It will employ the 50 MP Sony Lytia LYT-900 1-inch type sensor for its main camera, a 50 MP Sony Lytia LYT-600 ultrawide, and a 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 selfie snapper with support for 4K@60fps video recording.
But the star of the show will undoubtedly be the 200 MP periscope zoom camera, which will use a Samsung ISOCELL HP9 sensor co-developed with vivo. This will be the largest sensor ever used for a periscope telephoto camera. Compared to Samsung’s existing HP3, the HP9 improves light sensitivity by 12%, thanks to a vivo-developed technology that optimizes pixel light sensitivity.
The lens will use fluorite glass, which is currently the industry’s strongest low-dispersion glass material, which will also improve image quality. The same material is used in Sony’s new G Master lenses, by the way, which isn’t surprising considering the involvement of Zeiss with both vivo and Sony. This material has previously only been used in professional cameras, hence the aforementioned quote from a vivo exec.
With regards to image stabilization, the telephoto should be class-leading too, since in addition to OIS it also features some exclusive software algorithms to further compensate for shaking.
Aside from the monster camera setup, the X100 Ultra should be a top of the line device through and through, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, and having a “2K” Samsung-made AMOLED screen, as well as a 5,500 mAh battery with support for 80W wired and 30W wireless charging.
The vivo X100 Ultra is expected to start at CNY 6,699 (approximately $928 or €861) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The top version with 16GB/1TB should go for CNY 8,499 ($1,178 or €1,092). While an international launch is in the cards, it might come a bit later, if we go by what happened with the X100 and X100 Pro.
