Vivo teases the most powerful camera phone ever with a 400mm telephoto lens accessory, but it is just a gimmick?

Date:
Sat, 07 Mar 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Description:
Vivos X300 Ultra phone has a 400mm lens attachment for incredible zoom capabilities and another accessory could be joining it soon for 'general photography'.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter
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 strong rival When people talk about the best camera phones , they usually
have something like Apples iPhone 17 Pro Max or Samsungs Galaxy S25 Ultra in mind you know, a normal-looking phone with an advanced-yet-unobtrusive
camera system on the back. Well, the Vivo X300 Ultra is about to blow all of those expectations away.

Revealed at MWC 2026 , Vivo says this device is equipped with a 200-megapixel lens, matching that of last years X200 Ultra . But what really catches the
eye is the optional 400mm-equivalent Telephoto Extender Gen2 Ultra. This is a clip-on lens made by Zeiss that adds serious zoom capabilities to the phone. That 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 even apparently act as 1600mm super-telephoto lens (albeit with some
image quality compromises). You may like This iPhone 17 Pro Max rival could soon steal its crown as the worlds best camera phone, thanks to a unique sensor and 35mm Zeiss lens This incoming Galaxy S26 Ultra rival wants to 'be your next camera' The Xiaomi 18 Pro could be the first phone with two 200MP cameras

The obvious compromise is portability its not exactly like youll be able to safely fit the phone in your pocket when the lens is attached. And the image processing is something we'll be keen to see in action before passing judgement this really is pushing the limits of smartphone photography.

Vivo has been reticent with the X300 Ultras specs, leaving us guessing at
what else it might come with. But if youre a smartphone photography buff and want high-end zoom power without resorting to one of the best DSLRs , Vivo is gunning for your attention.

As well as 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 an array of cold shoe mounts and quick-release ports at your fingertips, Vivo says. There are two hand grips for added stability, physical buttons for shutter and zoom adjustment, and even an active cooling fan to keep your device performing optimally. The Camera Cage is compatible with Vivos lens extender, too.

These releases suggest that Vivo is aiming to appeal to the professional market or is at least targeting pro-adjacent users with lofty ambitions.
This kind of setup is beyond what most casual consumers will need but could
be just the ticket for photographers and videographers. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. An unreleased accessory (Image credit: Vivo) While these MWC teasers are out in the open, a leak from Weibo suggests that Vivo might have something else up its sleeve.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station on the Chinese social media site
(via Gizmochina ), Vivos X300 Ultra will come with a 6.82-inch display equipped with a 2K resolution and a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. This screen will feature very slim bezels and rounded corners, while the Ultras battery will be slightly larger than the one found in the X300 Pro .

As well as that, Digital Chat Station alluded to an unreleased teleconverter that hasnt yet been revealed. Interestingly, they then followed that up with the phrase, Its more suitable for general photography enthusiasts. That suggests that this accessory will have broader use cases than the Telephoto Extender Gen2 Ultra addon, which is very niche. Well have to wait for more information on that, though. What to read next This impressive camera accessory brings 10x zoom to your iPhone Xiaomi 17 Ultra hands-on: 3 upgrades I love and 2 things it's missing The best camera phone 2026

In the meantime, new rivals are popping up almost by the day, it seems. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra recently landed with an impressive camera setup, and now the Oppo Find X9 Ultra has entered the arena with a surprise global release and a 200MP periscope telephoto sensor that could combine a large 1/1.28-inch
sensor size and f/2.2 aperture. That would be a quite a combo, and could give it strong safari credentials if 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 on a global scale outside of China. Given Vivos past releases, though, its unlikely to be sold in the US, while European availability is uncertain too. Theres also no word yet on the price or exact release date, so stay tuned for more information on that front. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. Today's best Vivo X200 Ultra deals Vivo X200 Ultra 1,061.48 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/vivo-teases-the-most-powerful-camera-phone-ev er-with-a-400mm-telephoto-lens-accessory-but-it-is-just-a-gimmick


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)