Vivo iQOO 15 (512GB / 16GB RAM) VS Vivo Y500 (China)

From a design standpoint, the Vivo iQOO 15 and the Vivo Y500 are remarkably close siblings. Both carry an IP68 rating with a 1.5 m waterproof depth, meaning neither compromises on protection — users can expect full dust-tightness and submersion resilience in real-world conditions like rain or accidental splashes without any meaningful difference between the two.

Where the two diverge slightly is in physical form. The Y500 is marginally more compact — 7 g lighter at 213 g versus 220 g, and fractionally narrower (75.9 mm vs. 76.8 mm) and shorter (163.1 mm vs. 163.7 mm). In everyday use, a 7 g difference is barely perceptible, but the slightly slimmer width of the Y500 could make single-handed grip feel ever so slightly more natural for users with smaller hands. Conversely, the iQOO 15 is 0.1 mm thinner at 8.1 mm — a difference that is essentially imperceptible in the hand.

Overall, these two phones are virtually tied on design. Neither offers a rugged build or a foldable form factor. The Y500 holds a very marginal edge in portability thanks to its slightly lighter weight and narrower profile, but the gap is so small it should not be a deciding factor for most buyers. The shared IP68 certification is the most practically significant design attribute here, and on that front they are completely equal.

The display is where a meaningful gap opens up between these two phones. The iQOO 15 packs a larger 6.85″ screen at a sharp 1440 x 3168 px resolution, translating to 508 ppi — a pixel density high enough that individual pixels are essentially invisible to the naked eye at normal viewing distances. The Y500, by contrast, runs a 1080 x 2392 px panel at 388 ppi, which is perfectly adequate for everyday use but noticeably less crisp when rendering fine text, detailed photography, or high-resolution video content side by side.

The iQOO 15 also supports both HDR10 and HDR10+, enabling richer contrast and more accurate highlights when streaming HDR content from compatible platforms. The Y500 lacks HDR support entirely, so its panel will tone-map HDR content rather than render it as intended. On the flip side, the Y500 ships with branded damage-resistant glass — a meaningful real-world durability advantage the iQOO 15 does not list — offering better protection against everyday scratches and minor drops. The iQOO 15 counters with an Always-On Display, a convenience feature for glancing at notifications without fully waking the screen, which the Y500 omits.

Both panels share an OLED/AMOLED foundation and a smooth scrolling experience, though the iQOO 15's 144Hz refresh rate has a slight edge over the Y500's 120Hz in fast-motion scenarios like gaming or rapid UI scrolling. On balance, the iQOO 15 holds a clear display advantage — higher resolution, HDR support, and a faster refresh rate make it the stronger choice for media consumption and visual fidelity. The Y500's screen durability glass is a practical counterpoint, but it does not offset the gap in display quality.

Raw performance is where the iQOO 15 establishes an overwhelming lead. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a cutting-edge 3 nm process, and the benchmark numbers reflect exactly that — a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 10,059 versus the Y500's 2,932. That is more than a 3× advantage in sustained multi-threaded workloads, meaning the iQOO 15 handles intensive tasks like video editing, AI processing, and demanding gaming at a completely different tier. Single-core performance tells a similar story: 3,234 versus 1,026, which directly impacts app launch speed and UI responsiveness in daily use.

The GPU gap is equally significant. The iQOO 15's Adreno 830 running at 1200 MHz is a flagship-class graphics processor, while the Y500 pairs its chipset with a Mali G615 MC2 at 1047 MHz — a mid-range solution that will struggle to sustain high frame rates in graphically demanding titles. The iQOO 15 also supports 2 external displays versus the Y500's 1, and its 16 GB of RAM (expandable to 24 GB) versus the Y500's 12 GB means more apps stay resident in memory and multitasking remains fluid under heavier loads. One minor curiosity: the Y500 lists a faster RAM speed of 6400 MHz versus 5300 MHz on the iQOO 15, though this advantage is entirely overshadowed by the chipset disparity.

The iQOO 15 wins this category decisively. The combination of a top-tier 3 nm SoC, a flagship GPU, higher RAM, and benchmark scores that are roughly 3× ahead leaves no ambiguity — it is in a different performance class altogether. The Y500 is a capable mid-range device for everyday tasks, but users who prioritize processing power, gaming, or future-proofing should look no further than the iQOO 15.

The camera hardware gap between these two phones is substantial. The iQOO 15 features a triple rear system with three 50 MP sensors, including a dedicated telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom — meaning it can frame distant subjects without any digital quality loss. The Y500, by contrast, pairs its primary 50 MP sensor with a 2 MP secondary lens (typically used for depth mapping rather than actual imaging) and offers no optical zoom at all. In practice, this means Y500 users cropping into distant scenes are relying entirely on digital zoom, which degrades image quality noticeably.

Video capability tells a similar story. The iQOO 15 tops out at 4320p (8K) at 30 fps, while the Y500 caps at 2160p (4K) at 30 fps — a meaningful difference for anyone shooting high-resolution footage. The iQOO 15 also supports RAW capture, giving photographers who post-process their shots far greater flexibility in editing latitude and dynamic range recovery. The Y500 omits RAW entirely, locking users into JPEG output. On the selfie side, the iQOO 15's 32 MP front camera dwarfs the Y500's 8 MP shooter — a difference that will be clearly visible in detail and low-light selfie quality.

Both phones share a solid common feature set — phase-detection autofocus, continuous AF during video, HDR mode, slow-motion, and manual controls like ISO and white balance — so the Y500 is not without merit for casual shooters. That said, the iQOO 15 wins this category convincingly, with its triple 50 MP system, optical zoom, 8K video, RAW support, and higher-resolution front camera collectively representing a far more capable imaging package.

Across the entire operating system feature set, these two phones are essentially identical — with one exception. The iQOO 15 ships with Android 16, while the Y500 runs Android 15. In practical terms, the newer OS version means the iQOO 15 is one generation ahead in terms of platform-level security patches, potential behavioral improvements, and compatibility with apps and APIs that may begin targeting Android 16 going forward.

Every other software feature listed is shared equally between the two devices. Both offer a comprehensive privacy toolkit — location controls, camera and microphone permission management, app tracking blocking, and clipboard warnings. Daily usability features like dark mode, dynamic theming, split-screen multitasking, Picture-in-Picture, widgets, and customizable notifications are present on both. Neither receives direct OS updates, which means both rely on Vivo's own update rollout schedule rather than receiving Android patches straight from Google.

This category results in a narrow edge for the iQOO 15, strictly on the basis of its newer Android version. The advantage is real but limited in immediate day-to-day impact — the Y500's Android 15 is a current and fully capable platform. Users who prioritize being on the latest OS foundation, however, will find the iQOO 15 the marginally more future-facing choice here.

Battery capacity is the one hardware area where the Y500 pulls ahead. Its 8200 mAh cell is significantly larger than the iQOO 15's 7000 mAh — a 17% difference that, all else being equal, translates directly into longer time between charges. For users who are frequently away from a power source or simply want to go longer between top-ups, that extra 1200 mAh is a tangible advantage in real-world endurance.

Charging speed partially offsets this gap in favor of the iQOO 15. At 100W versus the Y500's 90W, the iQOO 15 will replenish its battery faster from empty — and given that it also has a smaller cell to fill, charge times will be noticeably shorter. The more decisive differentiator, however, is wireless charging: the iQOO 15 supports it, the Y500 does not. For users who rely on a wireless pad at a desk or nightstand, this is a meaningful lifestyle convenience that the Y500 simply cannot match.

This category does not have a single clear winner — it depends on what the user values. The Y500 leads on raw endurance with its larger battery, making it the better pick for those who prioritize going the distance on a single charge. The iQOO 15 wins on charging flexibility, offering both faster wired speeds and the added convenience of wireless charging. Users who are near power outlets regularly will appreciate the iQOO 15's versatility; those who prize maximum battery life above all will favor the Y500.

Audio is a near-identical category for both phones, with one notable exception. Both the iQOO 15 and the Y500 drop the 3.5 mm headphone jack entirely, rely on stereo speakers for built-in playback, and support both aptX and aptX HD over Bluetooth — the latter enabling high-definition wireless audio that exceeds standard Bluetooth quality when paired with compatible headphones.

The single differentiator here is aptX Adaptive, which is present on the iQOO 15 but absent on the Y500. aptX Adaptive is the most advanced codec in the aptX family, dynamically adjusting bitrate between 276 kbps and 420 kbps (or higher in newer implementations) to balance audio quality and latency based on connection conditions. For wireless audiophiles using compatible headphones, this means the iQOO 15 can deliver a more resilient and potentially higher-quality wireless listening experience, particularly in congested RF environments. Neither phone supports aptX Lossless or LDAC, so the ceiling is the same — but the iQOO 15 gets closer to it more consistently.

The iQOO 15 holds a slim but genuine edge in this category thanks solely to aptX Adaptive support. For most casual listeners, the shared stereo speaker setup and aptX HD support will make both phones feel equivalent day-to-day. However, users who invest in premium aptX Adaptive-certified wireless headphones will get meaningfully more out of the iQOO 15's Bluetooth audio stack.

Connectivity is another category where the iQOO 15 pulls noticeably ahead, and the gap starts with wireless standards. The iQOO 15 supports Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), the latest generation offering significantly higher throughput and lower latency on compatible routers, while the Y500 tops out at Wi-Fi 6. Similarly, the iQOO 15 runs Bluetooth 6 versus the Y500's Bluetooth 5.4 — a newer version that brings improvements in connection precision and energy efficiency. On cellular speed, the iQOO 15's listed peak download of 10,000 Mbits/s versus the Y500's 3,270 Mbits/s reflects a more advanced modem capable of leveraging next-generation 5G carrier aggregation where available.

The USB difference is equally consequential in daily use. The iQOO 15 uses USB 3.2, enabling fast wired data transfers and display output, while the Y500 is limited to USB 2.0 — a standard that caps wired transfer speeds at a fraction of what USB 3.2 can deliver, making large file transfers noticeably slower. Beyond raw speeds, the iQOO 15 also includes an infrared sensor for use as a universal remote, and a barometer for altitude-sensitive applications — both absent on the Y500. These are niche but genuinely useful features for the right user.

Both phones share a strong common foundation — dual SIM, 5G, NFC, USB-C, fingerprint scanner, GPS with Galileo, gyroscope, and accelerometer — so neither is lacking in everyday connectivity essentials. That said, the iQOO 15 wins this category clearly, with advantages spanning Wi-Fi generation, Bluetooth version, modem speed, USB throughput, and additional sensors. It is the more future-proofed device across nearly every connectivity dimension listed.

The miscellaneous feature set for both phones is completely identical across every data point provided. Both the iQOO 15 and the Y500 include a video light, and neither features a sapphire glass display, a curved display, or an e-paper display — so there is nothing here to separate them.

This category is a complete tie. No differentiators exist in the provided data, and neither phone holds any advantage over the other on these particular attributes.