Vivo could have played it safe with the X500 series. Give the phones a slightly faster processor, slap on a new coat of paint, throw around a few AI buzzwords, and call it a day. Nobody would have been particularly surprised. Thankfully, Vivo seems to have had other ideas.

The new X500 lineup consists of three phones: the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max. But don’t let the names fool you into thinking these are simply three sizes of the same phone. Each model has its own identity, with differences in display size, processing power, and camera hardware. The X500 gets a 6.59-inch display and the Dimensity 9600M, while the compact X500 Pro packs a 6.36-inch screen and the flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro. Then there’s the X500 Pro Max, the big boss of the family, with a larger display, upgraded cameras, and the same flagship silicon.

I’ve got the Vivo X500 Pro Max in my hands, and there’s already plenty to get excited about. One important caveat, though: this is the global version, not the Chinese variant.…