The Vivo X300 Ultra and its two teleconverter lenses make the wildest camera phone setup I’ve used in a while, and there are times during my tests when I can barely believe I’ve used a smartphone to capture such incredible photos.
It’s the most fun I’ve had with a smartphone camera in 2026, but it’s not without its flaws and idiosyncrasies.
I’ve been wrong for years, this phone feature is gorgeous
All it took to change my mind was one badly designed phone
Vivo and Zeiss working together
Impressive specs
Before we look at the photos, here are the Vivo X300’s specs.
The main camera has 200 megapixels and a clever gimbal optical image stabilization (OIS) system, and it’s joined by a 50MP wide-angle camera, but it’s the 200MP periscope telephoto that’s most important.
On its own, it offers a 3.7x optical zoom, but Vivo makes a pair of “teleconverter” lens accessories to improve on this. The 2.35x G2 200mm extender has an 8.7x optical zoom, and the huge 4.7x G2 Ultra extender has a 17.4x optical zoom.
Both these attach to a special case for the Vivo X300 Ultra, which also supports 67mm filters if you choose not to use the extenders, plus there are various tripod mount accessories to help make the most out of the extenders.
Lens experts Zeiss have worked with Vivo on the lenses and software tuning, and there are additional sensors to refine colors, improve white balance, and for light measurement.
A Grip Kit accessory lets you hold the phone like a camera and has a two-stage shutter release, zoom control, and buttons for video recording.
The lenses are attached to the case quickly and easily, and the software interface to select the lenses in the camera app makes everything simple when you get started.
This is a slick, professional kit, from the construction of the lenses to how they’re used in the app.
Taking photos with the Vivo X300 Ultra
A unique experience
I’ve been using the Chinese version of the Vivo X300 Ultra, but a global version will be released. The only difference between them is in the software, and that is why I haven’t reviewed the phone itself here, only the camera.
Not that it really matters, as the camera is the top reason to consider the Vivo X300 Ultra, and provided you get the lens extenders, you’re in for an incredible experience.
I have spent the most time with the G2 extender, which is so much more usable than the G2 Ultra, which is simply too big to carry around.
The G2 is versatile and usable in many situations, but its use for wildlife or aviation photography, or any discipline where you rarely get up close with the subject, can’t be overstated.
The photo of the duckling shows what’s possible, as does the photo of the heron. Both birds were far from where I was standing, and in the case of the duckling, moving quite quickly.
Still, the Vivo X300 Ultra allowed me to take photos that would be impossible to capture on most other phones, or without disturbing the birds.
I stood inside my house to take the photos of the squirrel and blue tit, images only possible because I wasn’t disturbing the wild creatures as they went about their business.
All the photos here and later in the feature are fresh from the camera with no edits.
With patience and the right location, the Vivo X300 Ultra would be the ideal entry into serious wildlife photography, all while using the phone you’d normally carry.
Not just wildlife
Detail and depth of field
I started taking photos of wildlife after experimenting with the Vivo X300 Ultra’s camera in more normal environments.
The first photos I took with it and the G2 extender made me say wow when I saw the depth of field possible with the lens and the detail in the resulting photos.
The photo of the tulips shows how the lens extender can isolate subjects and give a wonderful impression of depth. The colors are bright and vibrant, but there’s plenty of detail too.
I love the photo of the plaque on the wall, which is so well-balanced, and zooming in further with the G2 shows the sharpness of the text.
Walking around a street market demonstrated the Vivo X300 Ultra and the G2 extender’s ability in street photography, and there’s a dedicated mode for it in the camera app.
The camera’s ability makes you want to explore and experiment, and in the right hands, I have no doubt that it’ll take some astonishing photos.
One frustrating thing about the X300 Ultra’s camera, which spoiled my enjoyment in certain situations, is that it’s a little slow to take photos.
Capturing action shots was a challenge with the extender attached due to this, and I’d like to see the overall performance improved.
Is it all good news?
Why I left the G2 Ultra behind
The smaller, more compact, more easily carried around G2 is the sweet spot here, and the G2 Ultra is simply a bit too big for general, everyday use. But that’s not the only reason I avoided using it.
The G2 offers a 200mm, 400mm, 800mm, and 1,600mm zoom, and all are usable handheld, while the phone itself doesn’t become overly heavy or awkward to hold.
The G2 Ultra has 400mm, 800mm, 1,600mm, and 3,200mm zoom shortcuts, and above 800mm, you really need a tripod or something to hold the lens steady.
Vivo has done a decent job with stabilization, and there’s a picture-in-picture window of the larger view, but if you’re trying to locate and focus on something small or moving, it’s basically impossible to use.
The lens is also really heavy, which doesn’t help when trying to keep things steady.
The X300 Ultra’s software also has to do more work with the G2 Ultra’s higher zoom images, and the enhancement is more obvious than it is with the G2’s photos.
That said, the digital zoom effects can be quite noticeable in some circumstances, as can the use of AI or similar technology to “fill in the blanks” when capturing small, faraway subjects like aircraft.
The other thing to note about using the teleconverters is that if you want to use the main camera, you have to remove it from the case. Otherwise, it appears in the frame.
Be aware of public use
It’s not just smartglasses that will catch attention
Using a regular phone camera rarely feels intrusive when used responsibly, but that changes when you attach a whopping zoom lens to the back of one.
I was very aware of myself when taking photos around the market with the Vivo X300 Ultra and the G2 lens, let alone with the G2 Ultra lens extender.
While people may not have even noticed or cared, the camera’s ability to zoom right in on people from a considerable distance away does give it some creepy vibes.
No one wants to be accused of being a pervert with a zoom lens, and I think use of the X300 Ultra with an extender lens needs to be thought about in a different way than a “normal” camera phone in some situations, even when some cameras have 10x zoom capabilities without the need for an extender.
What about the rest of the Vivo X300 Ultra?
Top specs, as you’d expect
Leaving the camera for a moment, the Vivo X300 Ultra is a big, 232-gram phone with a 6.82-inch screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a 6,600mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W wired charging, 40W wireless charging, and the option to spec it with 1TB of internal storage.
The X300 Ultra arrived in China earlier in 2026 and has now been announced for a global release. However, locations are limited.
According to the Vivo Official website, where you can order the phone outside China, it is available in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland.
Vivo has told Android Police the phone will also be available in Spain, Italy, Brazil, the Czech Republic, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
The prices aren’t clear at the time of writing. The phone will be released on April 24, and it can be pre-ordered as a kit with the phone, the Photography Kit, Video Rig Kit, a bag, charger, and an extended warranty.
We will update here when we have the final price.
Desirable phone and camera combo
Just too hard to get
I’ve loved taking photos with the Vivo X300 Ultra. It blurs the line between camera phone and camera, and while some people will get more from a regular camera and zoom lens attachment, the wonderful accessibility of the X300 Ultra (because it’s a phone too) opens up a greater world of photography to more people.
It’s a shame that if you don’t live in a place where it’ll officially be sold, it will be a pain to buy. Still, this is currently the most comprehensive, versatile, and enjoyable camera phone kit you can get, and I think it’ll be worth the trouble.
