
Chinese smartphone manufacturers have enriched the European flagship camera smartphone landscape this year with the Xiaomi 18 Ultra, Vivo X300 Ultra, and Oppo Find X9 Ultra, but the development of at least one of the three successors remains uncertain. A leaker has now revealed the rough timeline and pricing plans for the Vivo X500 Ultra and Oppo Find X10 Ultra.
Unlike in the US, where there is hardly any serious competition in the high-end smartphone segment aside from Apple and Samsung, Europeans were able to choose between the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the Vivo X300 Ultra or the Oppo Find X9 Ultra for the first time this year, provided they were willing to spend between about €1,500 and €2,000. While all three models are significantly cheaper as imports, consumers will have to brace for significant price increases in 2027 if the claims made by reliable leaker Digital Chat Station prove to be true.
On June 16, 2026, he posted on Weibo that development of the next generation of flagship cameras from Oppo and Vivo is on track, with the launch of the Vivo X500 Ultra and the Oppo Find X10 Ultra expected in March and April 2027, respectively, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The leaker anticipates that Vivo will stick with the 35mm main camera and a high-quality camera setup across all focal lengths, while Oppo is likely to further develop its 10x telephoto lens. However, as the Xiaomi Mi 18 Ultra demonstrates, market conditions — with sharply rising component prices — are anything but ideal for manufacturers. According to previous hints, the development of the next ultra-Leica flagship has been put on hold until further notice, and a recent comment from Kartikey Singh on X confirms that this remains unchanged.
Whether Chinese consumers are willing to absorb significant price increases in the high-end market remains to be seen. According to Digital Chat Station, Oppo and Vivo appear to be aiming for a price point of 10,000 yuan, which is roughly equivalent to €1,273. For comparison, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra launched in China at 7,500 yuan and the Vivo X300 Ultra at 7,000 yuan, both with 12/256 GB of storage. Comments on Weibo question whether the 10,000 yuan price tag will apply to the entry-level configuration or the 16/1TB variant. Even in the best-case scenario, it will likely be more expensive, as the top-of-the-line model currently costs up to 9,300 yuan, respectively. Hence, the next ultra-camera flagship phones may fall into the foldable price range in 2027, which could also mean prices exceeding €2,000 in Europe. Apple could well pave the way here, as it is expected to unveil the most expensive iPhone of all time with the iPhone Ultra.


Editor of the original article: Alexander Fagot – Managing Editor News – 11982 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2016
As a young tech enthusiast with a history involving assembling and overclocking projects, I ended up working as a projectionist with good old 35-mm films before I entered the computer world at a professional level. I assisted customers at an Austrian IT service provider called Iphos IT Solutions for seven years, working as a Windows client and server administrator as well as a project manager. As a freelancer who travels a lot, I have been able to write for Notebookcheck from all corners of the world since 2016. My articles cover brand-new mobile technologies in smartphones, laptops, and gadgets of all kinds.

Translator: Jacob Fisher – Tech Writer / Translator – 3188 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Having studied philosophy and anthropology, I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
Alexander Fagot, 2026-06-17 (Update: 2026-10- 5)