- Vivo revealed its new X300 Ultra phone at MWC
- The device comes with a 400mm telephoto lens accessory
- But the leaked Oppo Find X9 Ultra could soon be a serious rival
When people talk about the best camera phones, they usually have in mind something like Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max or Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra – you know, a normal-looking phone with an advanced but discreet camera system on the back. Well, the Vivo X300 Ultra is set to shatter all those expectations.
Revealed at MWC 2026, Vivo claims that this device is equipped with a 200-megapixel lens, matching that of last year’s X200 Ultra. But what really catches the eye is the optional 400mm equivalent Gen2 Ultra telephoto lens. This is a clip-on lens made by Zeiss that adds some serious zoom capabilities to the phone.
This should give you some pretty incredible power when it comes to long-range photography, especially for a smartphone. With a little digital cropping, it can apparently even act as a 1600mm super telephoto lens (with some compromises in image quality).
The obvious trade-off is portability – it’s not exactly like you can tuck the phone safely into your pocket when the lens is attached. And the image processing is something we’ll be keen to see in action before passing judgment – it really pushes the boundaries of smartphone photography.
Vivo has been reticent with the X300 Ultra’s specifications, leaving us guessing what else it might bring. But if you’re a smartphone photography enthusiast and want high-end zoom power without resorting to one of the best DSLRs, Vivo has your attention.
In addition to the Telephoto Extender Gen2 Ultra, Vivo also revealed a “pro-grade” camera cage to hold its new phone. This is designed to complement video recording and puts “a range of cold shoe mounts and quick-release ports” at your fingertips, Vivo says. There are dual grips for added stability, physical buttons for shutter and zoom adjustment, and even an active cooling fan to keep your device running optimally. The camera cage is also compatible with Vivo’s lens extension.
These releases suggest that Vivo is aiming to appeal to the professional market – or at least targeting “pro-adjacent” users with high ambitions. This type of setup is beyond what most casual consumers will need, but might work well for photographers and videographers.
A unique accessory
As these MWC teasers are revealed, a Weibo leak suggests that Vivo might have something else up its sleeve.
According to Digital Chat Station on the Chinese social media site (via Gizmochina), Vivo’s
Additionally, Digital Chat Station hinted at a never-before-seen “teleconverter” that has yet to be revealed. Interestingly, they then added the following sentence: “It’s more suitable for photography enthusiasts in general.” This suggests that this accessory will have broader use cases than the Telephoto Extender Gen2 Ultra addon, which is very specialized. We will have to wait for more information on this, however.
Meanwhile, new competitors appear almost every day, it seems. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra recently landed with an impressive camera setup, and now the Oppo Find That would be a hell of a combination and could give it some solid safari credentials, even if it’s not quite on the level of Vivo’s 400mm equivalent telephoto accessory.
Vivo says the X300 Ultra will launch later this year and will be its first Ultra phone available globally outside of China. Given Vivo’s past releases, it is unlikely to be sold in the US, while availability in Europe is also uncertain. There’s no word yet on pricing or an exact release date, so stay tuned for more information on that.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
