iQOO recently introduced its latest Z9 5G smartphone in India, priced competitively at around Rs 20,000. Despite the plethora of options in this price bracket, the iQOO Z9 distinguishes itself with its promising features and performance-centric design and here are my first impressions. and other detailed review and camera impression are coming soon.
iQOO Z9 Design:
Sporting a sleek and pragmatic design ethos, the iQOO Z9 is available in Brushed Green and Graphene Blue variants. Featuring a matte finish plastic build, the device exudes a premium feel while maintaining a lightweight and slim profile. The IP54 dust and water resistance rating, along with the slim 7.83 mm thickness, further enhance its durability and user experience. However, the plastic frame and rear panel may pale in comparison to competitors offering vegan leather back panels.
iQOO Z9 Display, Performance, Battery, Camera:
Display
Equipped with a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display boasting a 60Hz-120Hz refresh rate, the iQOO Z9 delivers vibrant visuals and fluid performance. The inclusion of Dragontrail Star 2 Plus Glass enhances the display’s durability.
The phone has Adaptive Refresh Rate support as well, but weirdly enough, the phone doesn’t support 120 Hz scrolling in any app I tried including YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and even Chrome. The only time it stays at 120 Hz is when you’re scrolling through the phone’s UI, which is quite disappointing.
Performance
Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC, the device ensures reliable performance for both daily tasks and gaming. Although the UFS 2.2 storage may lag behind competitors like the Realme 12+ with UFS 3.1, The phone scores 7,17,833 in AnTuTu v10, which even beats the Nothing Phone (2a) featuring the same processor. In GeekBench, the iQOO Z9 scores a whopping 1173 points in the Single Core test – higher than all its competitors, Real-world performance is also top-notch. The phone showed no signs of throttling even under sustained workload, which is confirmed by the CPU Throttling Test scores where no throttling was detected.
Battery
The iQOO Z9 comes with a large 5,000 mAh battery, the biggest on an iQOO Z series smartphone yet. Alongside the impressive battery capacity, the device is equipped with a 44-watt charger for fast charging capabilities. While the battery life of the iQOO Z9 surpasses that of competitors like the Realme 12+ 5G, it may fall short compared to devices like the Moto G84 in terms of longevity. Nevertheless, i got a screen-on time of nearly 6-7 hours in my 2 days of testing, making it suitable for various activities including photography, social media browsing, and light gaming.
Cameras
The device features a dual-camera setup at the rear, highlighted by a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and up to 2X zoom in portrait mode. While lacking an ultrawide lens, the primary camera compensates with its 26mm focal length and features like 4K video recording and Super Night Mode.
Up front, you’ve got a 16-megapixel selfie camera as well. While the lack of an ultrawide camera can be jarring to some, the primary camera has improved by spades compared to the predecessor.
The Sony IMX882 camera is capable of clicking some surprisingly stunning photos in daylight and low-light situations, a detailed camera review will be published soon on our website.
Software Experience:
Running on Funtouch OS 14 based on Android 14, the iQOO Z9 offers two years of software updates and three years of security updates. However, the software experience may be marred by bloatware, albeit not as extensively as some competitors. The presence of pre-installed apps like Snapchat, Netflix, and Candy Crush may detract from the user experience, prompting a call for refinement in future iterations.
Conclusion:
In summary, the iQOO Z9 5G smartphone impresses with its design, performance, and camera capabilities, making it a compelling choice in the mid-range segment. It’s worth noting that this is our self-purchased device, and our initial impressions are based on real-world usage. Stay tuned for our comprehensive review on GizmoGeek Hub for further insights into its gaming performance and other aspects. With its competitive pricing and feature-rich offerings, the iQOO Z9 is poised to appeal to consumers seeking a value-for-money smartphone experience.
We hope this article was helpful to you and helped you to make a final verdict on the iQOO Z9 Please do share your opinions and thoughts about this smartphone. Keep visiting GizmoGeek Hub, we are always happy to assist you and make your tech experience better!!
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