Vivo X500 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Name: Vivo X500 Pro
Brand: Vivo
Rating: 83 (1 reviews)

Verdict

Vivo X500 Pro scores higher on the OH Rank (83 vs 82), winning 3 of 10 categories including Performance and Battery. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is 6.2mm wider than Vivo X500 Pro. Vivo X500 Pro is the more recent release, from Sep 29, 2026.

Score Breakdown

Vivo X500 Pro

71.9mm (2.83in) · Sep 29, 2026 · Rank #3

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

78.1mm (3.07in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #4

Performance /15

Battery /15

Screen /15

IP Protection /15

Main Camera /15

Selfie /5

Video /5

SD Memory /5

Software /5

Desktop Replacement /5

TOTAL

Vivo X500 Pro

71.9mm (2.83in) · Sep 29, 2026 · Rank #3

15+11+13+12+15+4+5+0+5+3 = 83

SUPERIOR* TOP Performance* TOP Camera* TOP Video Recording* TOP Software* TOP Compact

EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectation of battery, charging, imaging and desktop replacement functionality performance) On Sep 21 Vivo came with first of the next-gen Android flagships: X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max. The Pro model is actually an upgrade of excellent X300 (X400 series never happened, probably out of superstition) and it is a very good incremental upgrade: 2nm chip, 500mAh bigger battery, 144Hz Dolby Vision screen and upgraded periscope telephoto lens. Main camera got a downgrade from 200MP to 50MP and charging speeds remain the same making it one of the best compacts in the world.

PROs

compact design, excellent Dimensity 9600 Pro (2nm) with UFS 4.1 performance, 36hr endurance from a 6500mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min 90W (40W wireless) charging, ~2000nits bright 460ppi 144Gz LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection, excellent 50MP 24mm 64MP 85mm periscope telephoto (both OIS PDAF) + 50MP 15mm AF ultrawide setup, very good 50MP 20mm selfie with AF, excellent video recording, upgraded OriginOS 7 with a promise of 6 years of updates, basic desktop replacement functionality, 200mm external zoom lens kit option

CONs

flat sides boxy design feels outdated and bigger then it is, no expandable memory, OriginOS remains behind competition in AI and other software features and the gap may be growing, limited market availability

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

78.1mm (3.07in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #4

13+8+15+12+15+5+4+0+5+5 = 82

SUPERIOR* TOP Screen* TOP Camera* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement

EDITORIAL: Samsung is sticking to same choices they did last year: top processor, top screen and a tried and true camera setup. Battery remains the same – a disappointing 5000mAh Lithium unit that provides for (barely) a full day of heavy use. Like Apple, Samsung believes that it is better to fully deplete and fully charge the battery every single day (excellent sales numbers confirm that their customers feel the same). The S26U is still a great phone: top performance and screen (albeit with gimmicky "first phone with a privacy screen" tagline), great main and selfie cameras, industry leading OS update policy, extensive AI integration, DeX and a powerful stylus.

PROs

flagship build, excellent SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, outstanding >1300nits >490ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with HDR10+ and DX antireflective coating, great 200MP 24mm main + 10MP 67mm tele + 50MP 111mm periscope telephoto + 50MP ~13mm ultrawide (all with PDAF, only ultrawide lacks OIS), (Feb 2023 old) 12MP 26mm dual-Pixel PDAF selfie that still delivers great pics, above average video recording, stable and feature packed OS with 7 years of updates, rich AI offerings, industry best desktop replacement functionality, fast USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort and OTG and powerful integration of build in stylus

CONs

disappointing lack of innovation Samsung used to be known for, wider then last year, same 5000mAh battery with 24hr endurance (but slightly faster) sub-60min 60W (25W wireless) charging, no expandable storage and Apple-like effort to limit access to best (wearables, peripherals) features to users fully committed to Samsung ecosystem