Vivo’s upcoming X500 series has moved closer to launch after a new certification listing revealed charging and connectivity details. The latest information also sheds light on the iQOO 16, which has received a separate certification in China. These developments add to earlier leaks about the X500 series, including its camera designs, displays and processors. The X500 lineup is expected to debut in September, while the iQOO 16 could arrive in late September or early October, although Vivo has yet to confirm either launch.
Vivo X500 Series and iQOO 16 Get Certified Ahead of China Launch
Gizmochina reports that the Vivo X500 and iQOO 16 have cleared China’s 3C certification. The X500 carries model number V2609A and has reportedly been approved with a 90W charging adapter and support for the N79 5G band. A version with Beidou satellite communication is also said to be under development. The certification comes after the phone appeared in China’s SRRC and MIIT databases.
The latest certification also reveals some information about the Vivo X500’s software capabilities. According to the report, the phone could support several AI models and platforms, including Vivo’s BlueLM, Zhipu AI’s ChatGLM, Baidu’s ERNIE, ByteDance’s Doubao, DeepSeek and Alibaba’s Qwen.
The iQOO 16, meanwhile, has been listed under model number V2606A and has reportedly cleared 3C certification with a 100W charging adapter and N79 5G support. It is expected to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. Its China launch could take place towards the end of September or in early October.
The Vivo X500 is expected to have a 6.59-inch display and a large circular camera unit positioned towards the upper-left corner. The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are tipped to feature centred circular camera modules, with displays measuring around 6.37 inches and 6.85 inches, respectively. The Pro models could also have narrow bezels, more rounded corners, and 1.5K or 2K resolution with refresh rates of up to 144Hz.
Previous reports have suggested that Vivo could use different chipsets across the X500 range, with the Pro models possibly getting 2nm Dimensity 9600-series processors. The standard X500 may instead use a 3nm chip, although the Dimensity 9500 and a possible Dimensity 9600s remain candidates.
Camera leaks indicate a triple-camera setup across the range, with the standard Vivo X500 potentially getting a 50-megapixel main sensor, 50-megapixel ultrawide and 64-megapixel periscope. The X500 Pro could add a 50-megapixel LOFIC main sensor and 3x periscope zoom, while the Pro Max may feature a 200-megapixel periscope alongside 50-megapixel cameras.
The Vivo X500 series could also include an X500e, taking the total number of models to four. The lineup is expected to debut in September.
