iQOO Z7 5G Review – Best Phone Under 20,000?

- Updated: 7th Apr 2023, 23:56 IST
  • 1
    Review Summary
  • 2
    iQOO Z7 5G Review: Price in India and Variants
  • 3
    iQOO Z7 Box Contents
  • 4
    iQOO Z7 Specs at a Glance
  • 5
    iQOO Z7 Design and Build
  • 6
    iQOO Z7 Camera
  • 7
    iQOO Z7 Battery and Charging
  • 8
    iQOO Z7 Display
  • 9
    iQOO Z7 Performance and Software
  • 10
    Verdict
Review Summary

iQOO has been launching great value-for-money phones in the recent years, and the latest iQOO Z7 tends to offer the same. It comes as a successor to the iQOO Z6 from last year and brings a bunch of upgrades.

For starters, the phone comes with a stunning 90Hz AMOLED display, Dimensity 920 chip for better performance and a faster 44W charging speed. Not only that, it brings an improved 64MP OIS main camera which takes pretty good photos.

The phone offers a very sleek and stylish look with good specs. So, is it the best phone under 20K? Let’s find out in this iQOO Z7 5G review.

PROS

  • 90Hz AMOLED display 
  • Good design
  • Lightweight build
  • 44W fast charging 
  • Good primary camera

CONS

  • 4500mAh battery
  • Secondary camera 
  • Bloatware 
Key Specs
Battery Capacity4500 mAh
Operating SystemAndroid v13
Screen Size6.38 inches
Highlights:
  • 4500 mAh

  • Android v13

  • 6.38 inches

iQOO Z7 5G Review: Price in India and Variants

The iQOO Z7 5G has been launched in India in two RAM variants. The 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant cost Rs. 18,999. Whereas the 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant cost Rs. 19,999.

The phone is available in two colour options: Norway Blue and Pacific Night. You can buy the phone directly from the official website of iQOO or other online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart.

iQOO Z7 5G Review: Price in India and Variants

iQOO Z7 Box Contents

The iQOO Z7 5G packs the following items inside the box:

  • Phone
  • Charger
  • USB cable
  • Phone case
  • SIM eject tool
  • Quick start guide
  • Warranty card

iQOO Z7 Specs at a Glance

Before we talk in detail about the iQOO Z7 5G review, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

  • Display: 6.38 inches AMOLED
  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 920
  • RAM & ROM: 6GB 128GB, 8GB 128GB
  • Software: Android v13
  • Rear camera: 64MP + 2MP
  • Selfie camera: 16MP
  • Battery: 4500 mAh
  • Weight: 173 grams
  • Dimensions: 158.9 x 73.5 x 7.8 mm

iQOO Z7 Specs at a Glance

iQOO Z7 Design and Build

iQOO Z7 looks very stylish and compact at the first look. The phone is available in two colour options: Norway Blue and Pacific Night. I have the blue variant with me for the review. It features a plastic back which comes with a glittery matte finish that does not attract any fingerprints.

iQOO Z7 Design

Looking at the back with different angles reflects different colours, which looks pretty cool. Not the forget that it’s quite lightweight as well, weighing just about 173 grams. I could easily hold and carry the phone for long durations.

Check Out: Samsung Galaxy F14 Review – 5G Phone With Solid Battery Backup

The edges are flat and offer a good grip in hands, similar to an expensive iPhone. The iQOO Z7 has a satisfactory design overall, and the volume rocker and power key provide a satisfying clicking sensation.

iQOO Z7 Build

Talking about that, the right side has the power button along with volume rockers. The left side is clean while the top has the SIM tray slot and a secondary mic. The bottom side has the 3.5mm audio jack, type-C port, loudspeaker and primary mic.

iQOO Z7 Camera

iQOO Z7 captures really good images with its main camera. It features a dual camera setup on the back which includes a 64MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera. The front side has a 16MP for taking selfies.

iQOO Z7 Camera

The main camera does a job of capturing bright and vibrant images in daylight conditions. The images come out detailed and sharp. Dynamic range was wide as well. The HDR mode also captures good photos. It quickly focuses on the subject.

Check Out: Realme C55 Review – Android Approach To Dynamic Island

The lack of an ultra-wide lens is noticeable and a major drawback at this price. On the other hand, the portrait shots were on-point. The depth camera manages to differentiate between the subject and background really well. Edge detection was good and the blur effect looked nice.

iQOO Z7 Camera Modes

The 16MP front camera captures fantastic selfies in outdoor lighting. I could see the details on my face, like the beard hair. Skin tones looked pretty natural and overall colours looked nice as well.

iQOO Z7 Battery and Charging

iQOO Z7 packs a 4500 mAh battery which falls is little short compared to the standard 5000mAh battery we see at this price range. Keeping that aside, the phone easily delivers one full day of battery backup.

I got about 5-6 hours of screen on time which is decent. A heavy user would need to plug in the charger by the evening. The phone comes with 44W fast charging support which is not really the fastest at this price.

iQOO Z7 Battery and Charging

It takes a little more than an hour to fully charge the phone from 0 to 100 per cent. A 30-minute charge takes the battery level to about 60 per cent.

iQOO Z7 Display

iQOO Z7 features a 6.38 inches AMOLED display which offers a nice viewing experience. It has a 90Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,300 nits. I have to say that it gets pretty bright, even under direct sunlight. I faced no issues while using the phone both indoors and outdoors.

iQOO Z7 Display

The 90Hz refresh rate makes the scrolling experience really smooth. The animations and swiping on the phone look seamless. The content on the screen looks sharp and vibrant. The viewing angles are great with deep blacks.

Check Out: Vivo V27 Review – The Camera Expert

The display also supports Widevine L1 and HDR playback, so you can watch high-quality content on OTT platforms.

On the other hand, it still uses a water-drop notch which looks dated for a 20K phone. While the side bezels are slim, the bottom chin is thicker. The display is protected with Schott Xensation glass, and I have to say it’s pretty durable.

iQOO Z7 Performance and Software

iQOO Z7 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset, which is paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone glides through everyday tasks. Apps opened up quickly and switching between apps was seamless.

iQOO Z7 Performance

It can even handle heavy use like video editing and multitasking. Playing graphic intensive games is not an issue at all. I tried CoD Mobile, BGMI and Asphalt 9. Both the games ran smoothly on high settings.

iQOO Z7 Gaming Performance

While I noticed some frame drops while playing on the highest graphic settings, it was not an issue as soon as I lowered the settings. Not to forget, the phone gets pretty warm on the backside after just 30 minutes of gaming.

Check Out: Infinix Note 12i Review – Best Value For Money Phone

iQOO Z7 runs on Funtouch OS 13 skin which is based on Android 13. I really appreciate iQOO for providing the latest Android version out of the box. It brings a bunch of features and a simple UI.

iQOO Z7 Software

You can customise the whole UI of the phone as per your liking. At the same time, it is loaded with bloatware, including Moj, Josh, Spotify, Facebook, Byjus, Hot Apps, Hot Games, V-Appstore, and more. While many of them can be uninstalled, the iQOO apps cannot be uninstalled, so you gotta live with them.

Verdict

iQOO Z7 is a fantastic power-packed smartphone under 20K. The phone looks great from the back and while it looks a bit dated from the front, the display experience is really good. Dimensity 920 chipset makes sure that you can play even the most intensive games.

The main camera takes pretty good shots but the lack of an ultra-wide camera cannot be overlooked. While the battery backup and charging speed aren’t the best, it still offers a good volume for money.

All in all, iQOO Z7 is well balanced 5G phone and is a solid option for someone who is looking for a gaming phone under 20K.



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