vivo X500 unboxing and hands-on

The vivo X500 series just went international, but the X500 will see narrower availability than the two Pro models.

For now we know the vanilla model is available in Southeast Asia, but will skip on Europe. The series is expected to launch in India in November and we'll then get a confirmation of which models will be available there.

The global vivo X500 series

Despite being the non-Pro model in the series, the vivo X500 ships in a fully-featured retail package. It packs a case, a USB-A to USB-C cable, and a 90W charger.

Unboxing the vivo X500

The case fits and feels just like the rest of vivo's in-box cases going back years. It's a quality rubber unit that matches the color of the phone, and it offers improved grip and, naturally, enhanced protection, and is a welcome addition to the retail box.

The vivo X500 is the middle option, size-wise, in the series. It's centered around a 6.59-inch 144Hz AMOLED panel with slim bezels, resulting in a very reasonable form factor. Still, just like the smaller Pro (and the larger Pro Max), the X500 feels substantial and robust. At above 8mm, it's also not super thin.

Vivo X500 owners will enjoy a healthy helping of battery power too, with a 7,500mAh power pack inside.

A very reasonably-sized handset

The vivo X500 design is a mix of an iPhone and vivo's usual glass-and-metal-clad phones with a circular camera island. The slightly inert greyish-black colorway isn't the most inspired, however.

The X500 is very smudge-prone, and its matte surface doesn't hide those too well. On a positive note, the smooth surface feels flagship-grade under your fingertips.

The X500 is available in parts of Southeast Asia like Malaysia, where it starts at MYR 4,699 ($1,149 converted) in its 12/256GB trim and goes up to MYR 5,299 ($1,296) for the 12/512GB version.