iQOO made an impressive debut with the launch of the iQOO 3 --a gaming smartphone in 2020 which was priced competitively. Last year, it launched iQOO 7 series with a powerful processor and a decent camera set-up.
The iQOO 7 series was capable of taking on premium flagships at the time.
On Wednesday, iQOO launched iQOO 9 series in India with iQOO 9 Pro as its key highlight.
Termed as ‘India’s most advanced flagship’, the iQOO 9 Pro is the first phone in India to feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile chipset.
Besides, it supports 120W fast charging and Gimbal Camera technology.
I've been using the iQOO 9 Pro for about two weeks and I'll write on how the phone fares overall, read this review to know more:
iQOO 9 Pro Design
I must say iQOO is getting better with each phone it brings to the market. The iQOO 9 Pro looks and feels premium with its back panel flaunting the BMW motorsport colour stripes and a chunky camera panel.
The iQOO 9 Pro is a large phone with considerable weight (208 gm). So, single-handed use would be a bit of a task.
Although the white back panel with BMW stripes is quite an attraction, the 3D curved display panel captured my attention the most as I held the phone.
This is something that was lacking in iQOO 7. There is more comfort while you hold the phone, at the same time, the phone looks premium with a metal frame holding the curved display and the back panel.
There are just two buttons -- a volume rocker and a power button which is highlighted with dark blue colour.
The SIM tray, USB-C port, and speaker are placed at the bottom of the device.
Overall, iQOO 9 takes some cues from its predecessor iQOO 7 in terms of looks but the design overhaul is notable and a welcome move.
What's really disappointing is the iQOO 9 Pro isn’t IP rated, which means you will have to keep the phone away from water.
iQOO 9 Pro Display
The iQOO 9 Pro has a large display but what's important is the 2K resolution that makes things look even better. You can also do with the usual FullHD+ resolution.
The phone has a massive 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The display also supports HDR 10 and a peak brightness of 1500 nits.
It also offers 300Hz touch sampling with 1000Hz instant touch, which is enough to make gaming an experience on this device.
The 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is highly responsive and unlocks the device in a jiffy.
Overall, it's one of the finest displays with really good sunlight legibility and crisp colours. It's indeed a treat watching content on the device.
iQOO 9 Pro Camera
iQOO has armed the iQOO 9 Pro with a capable camera setup that also supports Gimbal stabilisation.
It features a 50MP primary sensor with Gimbal support, a 50MP Fish Eye ultrawide sensor, and a 16MP portrait lens. For selfies, it has a 16MP lens.
However, it would be tough to say if this is indeed a versatile camera set-up.
Indeed, you would enjoy the night photography, even I really liked the details and depth in pictures I took. But the camera isn't the best as pictures taken under proper sunlight were either too sharp or lacking details.
It's not like the camera will not produce desired images all the time but I did feel it's not an all-weather camera you can rely on.
That said, selfies come out great and the skin tone looks natural with decent smoothening.
The addition of Gimbal stabilisation adds an extra and a valuable element in the overall scheme.
I also recorded an 8K video at 30 fps with stabilisation on and the result was noteworthy. The 4K videos at 30 or 60 fps come out really good, so you would indeed be pleased with the camera if you make video content.
Besides, there are several filters and lots of customisations and settings to play with and two weeks is a little less time to explore all that.
Overall, I did not find the camera versatile personally, but that's more because of the kind of mobile photography I like.
iQOO 9 Pro Performance
This is where it gets more interesting --the iQOO 9 Pro is the first phone in India to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset paired with LPDDR5 memory as well as UFS 3.1 storage.
Be it hours-long gaming or binge-watching a web series alongside social media, it's a breeze on this phone, all thanks to the powerful chipset.
There was hardly any heating issue or stutter at any point in time when I played Call of Duty for about 2-3 hours on the device, that too, at the high frame rate and graphic settings.
As for software, the device boots FunTouch OS v12 on top of Android 12. The custom skin does offer a near clean interface and offers customisation options as well but the bloatware does spoil the fun.
iQOO 9 Pro is a powerhouse when it comes to performance, and it's easily the best phone you can get your hands on if you're looking for a phone for gaming.
Talking about gaming, iQOO has something more for this niche community, it has also launched its gamepad which will cost you about Rs 4,000 on top of the phone.
That said, I have been using a PS4 controller to play Call of Duty but this gamepad, which attaches to your phone from one end, had made gaming more fun for me.
The build quality is decent at best but it's super easy to connect to your phone via Bluetooth and you're good to go.
Moreover, it can last up to 150 hours on a single charge, and I managed to connect it to my Samsung Galaxy Note 10 as well, although the experience wasn't as fine.
However, it's highly responsive with iQOO9 Pro and indeed a worthy option if you want to add a little extra to your gaming experience.
iQOO 9 Pro Battery
iQOO 9 Pro packs a 4700 mAh battery which is enough for a full-day backup. But what's even better is the 120W fast charging.
I managed to get around 80-90% of the charge on the phone in about 20 minutes.
The charging is quite stable but you may hear a strange sound from the charger at times.
iQOO 9 Pro Verdict
Priced at Rs 64,999, the iQOO 9 Pro is highly recommended for gamers considering it offers so much that it can be a go-to device for amateurs and pro players alike.
Besides, it gives a full-fledged flagship experience with top-notch performance and an appealing appearance.
The camera is decent, if not versatile but it does produce good imagery.
A major con is the lack of any IP rating, it's tough to understand and quite surprising to see a smartphone this expensive lacking a key feature.
The iQOO 9 Pro, however, is an all-rounder and justifies the hefty price tag.
