2022-11-24 15:28:34iQOO 9 Review – One Phone I Can Blindly Recommend
cashify
60060

iQOO 9 Review – One Phone I Can Blindly Recommend

Share:facebookinstagramwhatsapp
 - 
Updated: 24th Nov 2022, 15:28 IST
Share:facebookinstagramwhatsapp
Table Of Contents
  • 1
    Review Summary
  • 2
    iQOO 9 Review
  • 3
    iQOO 9 Price in India and Variants
  • 4
    iQOO 9 Box Contents
  • 5
    iQOO 9 Specs at a glance
  • 6
    iQOO 9 Design and Build
  • 7
    iQOO 9 Camera
  • 8
    iQOO 9 Battery and Charging
  • 9
    iQOO 9 Display
  • 10
    iQOO 9 Performance
  • 11
    iQOO 9 Software and UI
  • 12
    iQOO 9 Audio, Connectivity, Biometrics
  • 13
    Verdict
1230900iQOO 9 review
Review Summary

IQOO has established its name by delivering high-performance phones at reasonable prices. With the introduction of the iQOO 9 series, iQOO has entered a new league with the iQOO 9 Pro (review), which costs more than Rs 60,000. However, today we’ll be talking about the iQOO 9 5G, which starts at Rs 42,990.

There’s a lot to like about the IQOO 9 5G. With the Snapdragon 888+ processor, it’s capable of handling practically any task you throw at it. The 4,350mAh battery isn’t big enough to last a day, but it supports 120W fast charging, so you can have your phone fully charged in just under 20 minutes. Is it, however, as good as it sounds? Let’s find out in this iQOO 9 review.

PROS
  • AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
  • 48MP triple camera setup
  • Snapdragon 888+ 5G chipset 
  • 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
  • 120W blazing fast charging
  • Stereo speakers
CONS
  • No MicroSD slot
  • Small battery capacity
  • No IP rating
Key Specs
Battery Capacity
Battery Capacity4350 mAh
Operating System
Operating SystemAndroid v12
Screen Size
Screen Size6.56 inches
Highlights:
  • 4350 mAh
  • Android v12
  • 6.56 inches

iQOO 9 Review

I’m using the iQOO 9, a phone that was just launched in the iQOO 9 series by the brand. IQOO 9 series is the successor to the iQOO 7 series that was launched last year in India. It appears to have a lot going for it on paper.

It brings the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC, dynamic RAM expansion up to 4GB, 120Hz AMOLED display, a slew of software customization options for gaming, and more. This makes it a strong contender in its field. Here is my full review of the iQOO 9 5G and how it performs in everyday life.

Checkout: Recycle Your Old Phone Now! Get Rewarded.

iQOO 9 Price in India and Variants

The iQOO 9 5G costs Rs 42,990 for the 8GB/128GB option and Rs 46,990 for the 12GB/256GB option. It will be available in two colour options: Legend and Alpha. ICICI Bank credit card holders may pre-order the phone on February 23rd, with Amazon offering a Rs 4,000 instant discount, Rs 3,000 exchange bonus, and no-cost EMI. This reduces the final price to just Rs 38,990.

iQOO 9 Price in India and Variants

Planning to upgrade? Sell Your Old Phone in 60 Seconds From Home

iQOO 9 Box Contents

iQOO 9 comes with the following items inside the box:

  • 120W Charger
  • Type-C USB Cable
  • Warranty Card
  • Quick Start Guide
  • SIM Eject Tool
  • Phone Protective Case
  • Earphone Jack Adapter

iQOO 9 Specs at a glance

Before we talk in detail about the iQOO 9, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

  • Display: 6.56 inches AMOLED
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus
  • RAM & ROM: 8GB RAM 128GB Storage, 12GB RAM 256GB Storage
  • Software: Android v12
  • Rear camera: 48MP + 13MP + 13MP
  • Selfie camera: 16 MP
  • Battery: 4350 mAh
  • Weight: 200 grams
  • Dimensions: 159.1 x 75.1 x 8.6 mm

iQOO 9 Design and Build

Design is the first thing that sets the iQOO 9 apart from the rest, especially the Legend Variant, which has three stripes on the back inspired by BMW’s colour scheme. The latest iQOO 9 Legend variant is instantly appealing to the eyes. In comparison, the Alpha Edition uses a nano-lithography textured back, similar to the carbon fibre you see on high-end sports cars.

iQOO 9 Design and Build review

Frosted anti-glare matte glass on the backside of the phone makes it look a lot more premium than it is. In terms of design, the edges are curved, the sides are shiny metallic, and the overall look and feel of the phone are both attractive and sturdy. To make it easier to hold, the back edges of this smartphone curve gently and meet the frame.

Read More: Best Mobile Phones Under 30,000

Looking at the backside, you’ll see a three-camera arrangement on the top left side, mounted on a thin metallic sheet that says Gimbal Stabilization. It’s an interesting design choice. There are two speakers, one at the top and one at the bottom, and they both sound great. There is no 3.5mm audio jack. However, not to worry, iQOO includes a Type-C to 3.5mm audio converter inside the box.

iQOO 9 Design and Build

The bottom of the device includes a dual 5G SIM tray that supports 5G connectivity, but no microSD slot. On the right side, there are volume controls and a power button. The left side is clear and just has an antenna band.

iQOO 9 Camera

The back of the iQOO 9 features a triple camera setup. It features a gimbal 48-megapixel Sony IMX598 primary camera with an f/1.79 lens, a 13-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle f2.2 lens, and a 13-megapixel portrait sensor with f/2.46 aperture. A 16-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/2.45 aperture completes the front side.

The main sensor works well in outdoor situations where there is a lot of light coming inside the camera. The photographs are sharp and well-contrasted, and the colours appear to be natural. The dynamic range is good, and the sharpness of the images is excellent. There wasn’t much to like about the low-light images because they were noisy and lacking in details.

iQOO 9 Camera review

Images taken by the ultra-wide camera have a 120-degree field of view, and they show little warping around the corners. As an added bonus, it has macro capabilities, allowing you to capture amazingly clear, high-quality close-ups.

Check Out: What is Gcam? How to install Gcam on any Android smartphone?

Portrait mode is also quite impressive, thanks to the 13MP depth sensor, which delivers flawless edge detection as well as a very pleasing background blur, even in low lighting conditions. It’s also possible to use the same sensor to take 2X telephoto images, which are better than standard digital zooms.

Selfies taken with the 16MP sensor’s camera were fine, although I felt the colours were a little flat. The image was not very detailed or sharp, but it was not bad. Also, it has a variety of filters and editing options for the face.

The camera app includes tons of features like a 2x optical zoom, Macro mode, Long Exposure mode, Super Night Video mode, Double Exposure, Pro Sports, Astro, Live Photo, Dual View, Motion Autofocus (object tracking), Movie, Slo-mo, AR Stickers, as well as other unusual modes that provide you with the ultimate photography experience.

As far as video is concerned, the back camera can shoot 4K videos at 60 fps while the front camera can record 1080p videos at 30 fps. Back cameras are capable of recording 1080p slow-motion videos with up to 240fps. The Ultra stabilisation option on the Gimbal camera limits the maximum resolution to 1080p, but it delivers amazing stability for video enthusiasts.

The videos also have anti-shaking stabilisation, wide-frame movie mode, super night mode, beauty mode, and a lot of other filters that you can use. Now, if we look at the price, I think the cameras aren’t that great. I don’t mean they are bad, it’s just that, they could be a little better.

iQOO 9 Battery and Charging

The iQOO 9 comes with a fairly small 4,350mAh battery. The battery performance of the iQOO 9 is not particularly exciting. Battery life is easily one day with the normal use of the 60Hz display refresh rate, however battery life will be reduced if you use the 120Hz.

I was able to achieve roughly 4.5 to 5 hours of screen time on days with heavy use, including gaming, social media scrolling, calling, and texting. When you add a few hours of Netflix or YouTube and Instagram scrolling to the mix, the battery dies by the evening.

iQOO 9 Battery and Charging

Read More: Top 10 Tips To Keep Your Smartphone Battery Healthy

However, the charging of the device takes it to the next level. The iQOO 9 supports 120W of fast charging. The 120W charger juices up the battery from 0-100 per cent in just around 18 minutes. In just six minutes of charging, the phone can reach a 50 per cent mark.

The pro variant comes with 50W wireless charging which we don’t see in this vanilla version. Overall, the battery capacity is underwhelming, but they did provide a 120W charger in the box, so I can’t really complain.

iQOO 9 Battery and Charging

iQOO 9 Display

The IQOO 9 5G features a 6.56-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2376x1080p and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The screen has a 19.8:9 aspect ratio, a 92.76 screen-to-body percentage, and a pixel density of 398ppi. Like its competitors, the iQOO 9 sports a high-end display.

iQOO 9 Display

The colours are bright, and the high touch sampling rate ensures that it is highly responsive when touched. Additionally, the refresh rate can be set between 60Hz and 120Hz. In addition, an eye protection feature and dark mode are available.

Moreover, it supports HDR10+, has a contrast ratio of 6,000,000:1 and a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits. It is bright enough for outdoor use in direct sunshine. Panda Glass, a competitor to Corning Corning Gorilla Glass, protects the smartphone’s screen. The display comes with an in-screen fingerprint sensor as well as two Moster Touch sensors placed under the display.

Check Out: iQOO 9 Pro Review – Best Flagship Phone You Can Buy Right Now

On the subject of the punch-hole, the panel has a tiny cutout at the top, and the bezels around the display are pretty thin. On the whole, the display quality is superb for viewing content, and the overall experience is excellent.

iQOO 9 Performance

IQOO 9 is powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus SoC, which is paired with as much as 12 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of internal storage. The microSD card slot is not available in any of the variants. iQOO makes advantage of its software capabilities to increase the amount of RAM available on the device by up to 4GB by simply borrowing it from the internal storage. I think 16GB of RAM is a little too much. The iQOO 9 does exactly what it says it will with no hiccups in performance and is really fast to launch and close apps.

Even if you have a lot of Chrome tabs open, a lot of heavy apps running in the background, and you’re browsing the Interface in general, you won’t have any troubles. Although the overclocked chip can heat up a bit during sustained load, this is a problem that has been seen on some Snapdragon 888 devices.

iQOO 9 Performance review

Gaming can be a completely new experience, and you can play a lot of games without compromising on the graphics quality. You’ll be able to play games at the highest possible quality. I played BGMI, Call of Duty Mobile, and Asphalt 9 on the iQOO 9. All the games ran super smoothly. It’s important to note that when you set the graphics to “Smooth,” BGMI gives you a 90fps option.

Check Out: Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G Review – Most User-Friendly Phone in this Segment

While the game ran as flawlessly as it possibly could, the device became quite hot after approximately an hour of nonstop gaming, despite the fact that iQOO claims to have installed a big vapour chamber inside.

In addition, the device has gaming-specific features like Frame Interpolation, which can boost the frame rate of a game to improve its smoothness. Game Display Enhancement and E-Sports Mode are just a few of the many features available. It has a fast 300 Hz Touch Sampling Rate and also features a 1,000 Hz Instant Touch Sampling Rate offering super-fast touch response which will definitely give you an upper hand while you play. All these gaming-specific features make iQOO 9 one of the best picks in its price bracket.

iQOO 9 Software and UI

The iQOO 9 runs on Vivo’s FuntouchOS 12 based on Android 12. Many devices have started to use the Android 12 os, therefore it’s great to know that the iQOO 9 comes pre-installed with Android 12. Because of the 120 Hz display, the user interface is very fluid and light in weight.

iQOO 9 Software and UI

The FunTouch OS 12 is optimised for the Android 12 OS and has been improved over previous versions. Default features include an app drawer and the inclusion of Google Feed is the icing on top, which can be accessed with a right swipe from the home screen. Aside from the BWM-themed wallpaper, the UI has a slew of customization options and features.

Read More: Best Mobile Phones Under Rs 10000

You will get some bloatware, but this does not stop you from uninstalling it; simply remove the applications if you do not wish to use them. A few third-party apps are included in the bloatware: Facebook, CRED, Josh, and Netflix. This phone will receive two years of major OS updates as well as three years of security updates.

iQOO 9 Audio, Connectivity, Biometrics

The stereo speaker on the IQOO 9 5G works perfectly; there are no issues to report. The audio from the dual speakers isn’t bad, however, I wish they had a little more depth to them. Overall, the audio quality is superb and there are no problems with call quality.

As far as the 5G connectivity is concerned, iQOO 9 supports 8 bands: n1, n5, n8, n3, n28A, n41, n77, and n78. Apart from this, the phone has Wi-Fi 2.4G/5G MIMO, Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C, OTG, GPS, GLONASS, and NFC as other connectivity options.

Check Out: POCO M4 Pro Review – Almost A Budget Champion

IQOO has included an in-display fingerprint scanner because this is an AMOLED display. The in-display fingerprint scanner performs very well in terms of instantly unlocking the phone with great accuracy.

Verdict

iQOO 9 has a powerful set of hardware, including a Snapdragon 888+ processor with 12 GB of RAM and an additional 4 GB of extended RAM, which delivers flagship-level performance. It also features a vivid and crisp 10-bit Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Fast charging is a significant feature of the iQOO 9 5G, with a whopping 120W FlashCharge fast charging.

IQOO is moving in the right way, however, they need to improve their camera performance. Additionally, there is no IP rating for the phone, meaning it won’t survive in water. Despite its flaws, the iQOO 9 is still a good smartphone with a stylish design, solid specs, and a lovely display.

The IQOO 9 5G is a good choice if you really want a powerful gaming smartphone and don’t mind the decent camera performance.

8.2
Score
iQOO 9 5G
iQOO 9 5G
Starting₹32,899
Release Date
23-Feb-22

    Prices Available
    Merchant
    Price

    iQOO 9 5G (Legend, 12 GB RAM/256 GB)
    Price Start From
    ₹35,599
    Go To Store

    Follow

    twitteryoutubefacebookinstagramlinkedin
    Go Green Smartphone SaleGo Green Smartphone Sale

    Tips & Tricks

    • Malicious Apps To Remove From PC Right Now In 2023!
      Our PC’s are incomplete without the large suite of applications that we use in various ways for our work, gaming, video streaming, entertainment needs, and much more. What we aren’t aware of is if the app could potentially be dangerous unknowingly but still install it anyway to fulfill our needs. Sometimes apps have also notoriously…
      6th Jun 2023
    • Kutty Movies Download Latest Movies & Web Series For Free
      Let’s admit this- Some of us are hesitant when it comes to taking OTT subscriptions or spending money on buying movie tickets. While that certainly is a different kind of experience, if you wish to download the latest released movies and web series, you can take the help of the various available websites. Kutty Movies…
      5th Jun 2023
    • Spotify X OpenAI: Everything To Know About Spotify AI DJ
      Spotify announced that it will be collaborating with OpenAI to bring generative AI to its own music streaming platform. The new Spotify AI DJ feature will give users music recommendations based on their likes and dislikes.
      4th Jun 2023
    • New WhatsApp Features You Must Know In 2023!
      With already over five billion and more downloads, when it comes to social networking, WhatsApp is the first app that comes to mind. No wonder why it’s a household name for texting people in today’s world. With WhatsApp now getting better slowly and indeed by the day, there are quite a few useful features that…
      1st Jun 2023
    • How To Use Snapchat Cartoon Filters
      Snapchat Cartoon Filters use AR to transform your face, background and other unique features. Here are some of the best Snapchat Cartoon Filters that can transform you into a Disney character by modifying your face structure. 
      1st Jun 2023

    First Impressions

    • Acer H Series 4K TV Review – Best Value-For-Money Smart TV In India
      The smart TV experience is not anymore new to the Indian audience, where more than a dozen brands have entered India with their smart TV line-up in the past 2 years. Acer is one such brand that has brought fresh new bread dubbed as H Series 4K TV to India, which is the highlight of…
      21st Oct 2022
    • LG Tone Free FP9 Review – Worth Every Penny
      TWS market in India weighs heavier in the budget segment. Where people are looking to buy the best TWS under 2000 to 5000 rupee range. But I’m aware of the audiophiles out there in the country who are always looking to try out new experiences, money not being a bar. Now if you count yourself…
      24th Jul 2022
    • Vivo T1x First Impressions – Most Affordable Gaming Phone is Here
      Vivo has launched its latest contender in the market, which goes by the name Vivo T1x. Vivo isn’t usually associated with smartphones designed for gaming and performance, but that’s about to change with its T lineup of smartphones, which are specifically designed for gamers. The Vivo T1x and the Vivo T1 5G are both part…
      20th Jul 2022
    • Android 13: Google’s New Version
      Google I/O is a yearly conference in Mountain View, California. With the I/O 2022, Google has launched the Android 13 for the public to use(beta version for selected users for now). Google has promised to bring us some noteworthy improvements to the technical stem of its software roots. Here are the best features you will…
      27th Jun 2022
    • Tecno Pova 3 First Impressions – Packed with Performance
      Tecno Pova 3 Summary Tecno has been doing really well under the Rs 10000 bracket in India. The company has launched several phones in past, some of which were really good. Following the trend, the brand has launched another budget phone in India, Tecno Pova 3. Tecno Pova 3 is the successor to the Tecno…
      20th Jun 2022