The Vivo X200 Ultra Smartphone Has a Wild Add-On Zoom Lens

Apr 11, 2025

Kate Garibaldi

Close-up of hands holding a Vivo X200 Ultra smartphone with an attached external lens, highlighting advanced photography features. The phone is black and the lens is prominently visible.

Global phone manufacturer Vivo teased a Zeiss photography kit and add-on zoom lens for its highly anticipated X200 Ultra smartphone.

The Vivo X200 is already a wildly popular smartphone series globally, thanks largely to its professional imaging features. The smartphone was even used by National Geographic to film an entire web series showing the phone creating imagery of the night sky, caves, and other low-light situations. It was also used by professional travel filmmaker Denis Barbas for his “The Colours of China” project.

PetaPixel’s Vivo X200 Pro review showcases how the upgraded Pro model is already “setting benchmarks for what a telephoto lens can do for a smartphone.” Now, some of the highest-tier optics for a smartphone are expected to be seen in the flagship X200 Ultra upon its April 21 release date, with a twist via some interesting optional accessories.

Although complete details for the Ultra model are not yet available, technology website SmartPrix has gathered a number of early specs, offering a look at what to expect. According to Smartprix, the X200 Ultra will have Zeiss glass, including a 23mm 50-megapixel (MP) f/1.6 wide angle lens, an 85mm 200 MP f/2.7 telephoto, and a 50-megapixel 15mm f/2 ultra-wide camera. The X200 Ultra will also feature a 32-megapixel f/2 ultra-wide self-facing camera.

Hands holding a Vivo X200 Ultra smartphone with a prominent camera module on the back. The phone features a sleek design with branding and a dual flash. The background is dark, highlighting the device.

Amping up the already powerful included hardware of the X200 Ultra, Vivo also teased an optional camera kit. As smartphone supersite GSMArena reports, Vivo shared a first look at the kit’s grip on Chinese social media site Weibo. GSMArena notes the similarities between Vivo’s upcoming kit and offerings from competitor Xiaomi.

As PetaPixel showed in its Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review, Xiaomi’s Photography Kit adds a dedicated removable shutter button, extended front grip, and additional camera controls for dedicated mobile photographers. Vivo’s new offering targets a vintage-inspired camera look and photo-centric controls, including a shutter button, what looks like a control dial, a dedicated video recording button, and a strap attachment point. The kit also extends the phone’s battery life thanks to an internal battery.

A black, cylindrical camera lens with the label "Vivo ZEISS" is positioned diagonally on a gray background. The lens features sleek grooves and a subtle blue ring near the center.

The next official photography offering for the X200 Ultra is its biggest yet, an add-on zoom lens co-engineered with Zeiss. Sample images created with the optional add-on lens showcase impressive detail, offering a solid option for professional results on the go for photographers who prefer smartphone photography.

Close-up of a branch adorned with vibrant pink cherry blossoms against a clear blue sky. The image is sharp and well-lit, showcasing the blossoms' delicate petals and intricate details.

Close-up of pink flowers with delicate petals and yellow-tipped stamens against a blurred background. The lighting highlights the texture and color of the blossoms.

Close-up of a pink flower with delicate petals and yellow-tipped stamens against a blurred background. The bottom of the image has text displaying "vivo X200 Ultra," camera settings, and a logo.

A concert hall filled with an audience, some holding light sticks. A performer on stage is wearing a white outfit. The stage is illuminated with bright lights and a large screen shows the performer. Camera details are noted at the bottom.

A woman in a white sleeveless dress is on stage making a heart shape with her arms above her head. She is smiling, with her hair tied back, and there are stage lights and equipment in the background.

The add-on zoom lens attaches to the X200 Ultra via a custom adapter and covers the device’s 200MP telephoto camera module. The add-on lens features 13 lens elements and delivers up to 8.7 times optical zoom and 70 times digital zoom. In 35mm equivalent terms, the extra zoom lens accessory provides mobile photographers with a 200mm optical lens and a 1,600mm lens with digital zoom. Vivo promises that 35x zoom (800mm) delivers “highly usable” results, while the 70x zoom may be best reserved for situations when reach is the primary goal.

Smartphone with an attached large, detachable camera lens and accessory. The setup illustrates an advanced photography feature. The phone lies flat, showcasing the lens and additional components in a suspended, exploded view above it.

Vivo has not yet shared pricing and availability for the photography kit and add-on lens. However, the X200 Ultra flagship smartphone will launch on April 21, so additional information may be available then. With so little early official information about the phone available, rumors swirl that it may only be available in China, in line with similar handling of Ultra moniker flagship smartphones from Huawei and Xiaomi.

Current spec sheets show that the Vivo X200 Ultra will only run on the Origin OS 5 operating system, which is exclusive to China. Global releases of Vivo devices instead use Funtouch OS, like what is featured in the Vivo X200 Pro.

If the Vivo X200 Ultra is confined to China, as expected, it will still technically be available to import elsewhere, but it will still run Origin OS. As PetaPixel‘s resident smartphone expert Ted Kritsonis explains, this will prevent users outside of China from accessing Google Play Services, and other aspects of the phone’s overall user experience will be limited. The camera and photo features should still work, but those looking for a fully-featured Vivo X200 series smartphone that still features an amazing camera system should instead look at the X200 Pro, an early contender for the best smartphone for photographers in 2025.

Image credits: Vivo