This Ultra camera beast just went global, but prepare your wallet

Vivo’s Ultra phones have emerged as some of the best camera phones on the market, but the biggest downside to this series is that they haven’t been available outside China. This is changing with the vivo X300 Ultra, as the manufacturer previously confirmed that a global release is on the cards. Now, vivo has indeed launched the phone globally.

The global X300 Ultra is pretty much identical to the Chinese model. That means a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 6.82-inch QHD+ OLED screen, and a 6,600mAh battery. Europe is receiving this same battery capacity, which is a welcome change from the downgraded X300 Pro. Otherwise, you can expect 100W wired and 40W wireless charging.

Vivo’s Ultra phone is all about the camera experience, and we’ve got some impressive hardware here. For one, there’s a 200MP 35mm main camera. This is the first phone with Sony’s LYT-901 camera sensor, which is the largest 200MP sensor on the market. The X300 Ultra sticks with a 200MP 85mm periscope camera, although it now has 60fps autofocus tracking in snapshot mode as well as improved stabilization. The phone also packs a 50MP ultrawide camera (LYT-818) that’s actually larger than the main camera seen on phones like the Galaxy S26 and OnePlus 15. Finally, vivo is following in HUAWEI and OPPO’s footsteps by adopting a color-sensing camera for accurate color reproduction.

Last year’s X200 Ultra and X300 Pro offered optional 200mm external lenses. Vivo is upping the ante this time with a more compact 200mm lens and a giant 400mm telephoto extender. The latter enables ~17x native telephoto zoom, along with 800mm (~33x) lossless-resolution zoom. These add-on lenses are available as part of the optional photography kit, which also includes the required camera case and adapter ring, a camera grip, shoulder strap, and more.

In terms of camera software, the Ultra now supports custom photographic profiles that can be shared via QR code, APV codec support (following the S26 Ultra), 4K/120fps Log video capture, Film Style capture for Xpan-style video, audio recording presets, and an overhauled pro video mode.

The phone also ships with Origin OS 6 atop Android 16, and vivo is promising five major OS upgrades and seven years of security patches. That’s not quite as good as Google, HONOR, and Samsung, but it’s still a respectable update policy.

vivo X300 Ultra pricing and availability

This is the big question, isn’t it? Vivo hasn’t officially confirmed European pricing for the X300 Ultra just yet. However, the 1TB model is currently listed on Amazon for an eye-watering €1,999. For what it’s worth, the X300 Pro starts at €1,399 (~$1,651).

The manufacturer is also sweetening the deal for pre-order customers in Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, and Germany. Those who pre-order the phone between now and April 23 will get a free camera rig kit, one-year screen protection, a three-year warranty, and a five-year battery warranty. These customers also get a 50% discount on the €599 photography kit, the €99 camera bag, and the 100W charger. Meanwhile, pre-order customers in Spain will receive a free photography kit, charger, camera bag, and camera rig kit.

This isn’t the only phone vivo is launching today, as it also revealed the X300 FE. This phone is effectively a downgraded version of the base X300, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (not Elite) chip and less impressive main and ultrawide cameras. However, the phone also supports vivo’s 200mm external lens for native ~8.7x zoom. Vivo hasn’t confirmed pricing for the FE yet, but the specs suggest it could be cheaper than the standard X300, which has a recommended price of €1,099 (~$1,296).