When iQoo first entered the smartphone market, it followed a very different path than its parent company Vivo. The brand focused on creating a strong niche for itself, focusing on games and powerful phones for online platforms, unlike Vivo which wanted to give users a bit of everything, mostly offline. Even though it is a fairly new brand, iQoo has managed to make a name for itself in the smartphone market. And to continue consolidating its hold in the mid/upper segment, iQoo has now launched another smartphone that focuses on bringing powerful performance to its users at a not too high price.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro Specifications, Price
iQoo recently launched the Neo 7 Pro which is being pushed as a gaming phone. The gaming phone tag comes with some expectations and to meet them iQoo has packed the phone with some serious specs. The most important spec of any gaming phone has to be the processor that powers it and the iQoo Neo 7 Pro comes with one of Qualcomm’s flagship chipsets, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. To boost its performance even further , iQoo has paired it with 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB of RAM and storage options that would be more than enough to let you multitask as much as you want.
Another major USP of the phone is its 120W fast charging support which can charge its 5,000mAh battery up to 50% in just eight minutes in its fast charging mode, according to iQoo.
The iQoo Neo 7 Pro sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and the triple camera unit on the back comprising a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 2 megapixel macro sensor will take care of photography and video needs.
There’s also a 16-megapixel selfie snapper on the front for selfies and video calls. The device runs on Android 13 out of the box which comes with Vivo’s FunTouchOS 13 on top. The user interface is a bit cluttered but has a number of useful additional features. The phone comes in two color variants – Fearless Flame and Dark Storm, both of which look great, but we like the former better as it is more striking and has a leather-like finish. All this for a starting price of Rs 34,999 could be considered a bargain.
But even bargains face fierce competition in the cutthroat world of smartphones, just like the iQoo Neo 7 Pro. The phone has plenty of competitors looming over its horizon, and five of them can give the Neo 7 Pro a proper run for its money:
Poco F5: The Game Competitor
Price: 29,999 rupees
If you’re thinking about power, one of the most obvious competitors to the Neo 7 Pro would be the Poco F5. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset.
This, combined with 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB of RAM and storage options, makes the Poco F5 a very capable smartphone that can easily handle most of your power cravings, whether it’s be it intense gaming or multitasking.
While the Poco F5 also brings a triple camera on the back with the same 8MP and 2MP pixel count to support both ultra wide and macro lens. Even the selfie camera has the same 16-megapixel count, it’s its main 64-megapixel sensor that has the edge (in megapixels) over the Neo 7 Pro’s 50-megapixel sensor.
That said, the Neo 7 Pro has an edge in the charging game as the Poco F5 comes with 67W fast charging support which won’t charge its 5,000mAh battery at the same blazing speed as charging 120. W on the Neo 7 Pro.
But what makes the Poco F5 a master of everyday tasks is that 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, combined with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that’s usually much more precise and fast compared to an integrated screen present on the Neo 7 Pro and a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone might not have a head-turning look (it looks a bit routine), but it’s definitely a value-for-money proposition with hardly any compromises.
OnePlus Nord 3: A new Nordic challenge
Price: 33,999 rupees
Just a day after the launch of the iQoo Neo 7 Pro, OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord 3. But it wasn’t just the close launch dates that made them rivals. It’s almost the same price and almost the same spec sheet that landed them in a cage match.
Both devices have cameras with the same number and layout of megapixels – a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro lens on the rear, and a 16-megapixel selfie camera in the front.
Both phones also have the same 5,000mAh batteries and run Android 13 out of the box. Screen size is pretty close too with the OnePlus Nord sporting a 6.74-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. That said, the Nord comes with a screen-to-body ratio of 93.5%, which means the bezels on this one will be even thinner.
The similarities end here as the OnePlus runs on a slightly inferior and older but still very powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor which is paired with 8GB+128GB and 16GB+256GB of RAM and storage options.
This, combined with the clean, almost stock Android-like OxygenOS 13.1 running on Android 13, makes the OnePlus Nord 3 a very attractive proposition for those who want to avoid a cluttered skin.
Redmi Note 12 Pro+: 200 megapixel powerhouse
Price: 29,999 rupees
Another obstacle in the way of the iQoo Neo Pro 7 but with weapons of different specifications is the Redmi Note 12 Pro+. The Note series used to be all about budget, but lately Xiaomi has moved it up the spec and price ladder. That’s why the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ brings major performance to the table, albeit at a higher price than usual.
The biggest highlight of the device and the biggest advantage it has over the Neo 7 Pro has to be its 200 megapixel camera which offers a good photography experience in spades. There are two more supporting cameras on the back, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro while a 16-megapixel selfie snapper sits on the front.
The phone also matches the Neo 7 Pro in the battery and charging department and brings a 5,000mAh battery with massive 120W fast charging support to the table. Those looking for a powerful device might not approve of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ as it comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor, which is not in the league of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip on the Neo 7 Pro, but it’s certainly a great media phone, thanks to its 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, good dual stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The phone still comes with Android 12 out of the box but is expected to get Android 13 soon. It is topped with MIUI 13 which definitely gives the phone a personality that is not stock but not cluttered either.
Realme 11 Pro+: Throw a Display Curve Ball
Price: 27,999 rupees
If you want a device with a very distinct design, that premium curved screen and a good camera sensor, all at a price below Rs 30,000, then the Realme 11 Pro+ will literally do the trick.
The phone, with its highlighted circular camera on the back, will easily stand out in a sea of smartphones and the vegan leather back only helps. The front is equally premium thanks to the 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, giving the phone a very premium feel.
Another major USP of the phone is its 200-megapixel primary camera sensor which does justice to its numbers and is capable of delivering great images. It’s backed by the hugely popular 8-megapixel ultra-wide and 2-megapixel macro (ultra-wide and macro) combo, but the phone’s 32-megapixel selfie camera has a higher megapixel count than the Neo 7 Pro.
These specs and design features make the Realme 11 Pro+ a very attractive proposition, but there are some areas where the Neo 7 Pro takes the lead.
For example, the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor that powers the Realme 11 Pro+ is definitely a few levels below the Neo 7 Pro’s processor, and although the phone comes with a 5000mAh battery with support for a Very fast 100W, it’s still no match for the 120W fast charging support on the Neo 7 Pro.
That said, the Relame 11 Pro+ offers a premium look and feel, a great camera, and a much lower starting price. All of this makes it a big headache for the iQoo Neo 7 Pro.
OnePlus 11R: The more affordable OnePlus flagship
Price: 39,999 rupees
It might be the most expensive device on this list, but there’s a reason the OnePlus 11R made it here. The OnePlus 11R also has the same processor as the iQoo Neo 7 Pro. The phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and comes paired with 8GB/16GB RAM variants. The added RAM on the top variant gives the OnePlus 11R a slight edge over the Neo 7 Pro which peaks of 12 GB.
The OnePlus 11R’s cameras work quite well and match the numbers of the Neo 7 Pro. The OnePlus 11R also brings a 50-megapixel main sensor supported by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor on the back and a 16-megapixel sensor on the front as well. Significantly, the OnePlus 11R comes with the same Sony IMX890 sensor found in the more expensive OnePlus 11, but without collaboration with Hasselblad.
The phone’s 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate is quite nice to look at, and the 5,000mAh battery can last through a day of heavy use. That said, the OnePlus 11R comes with 100W fast charging support while the Neo 7 Pro has 120W fast charging capability.
The phone runs on Android 13 out of the box and the very clean OxygenOS 13 might also appeal to some users over the slightly cluttered UI of the Neo 7 Pro. And the fact that it’s a OnePlus phone, also the latest set of numbers, and looks like a clone of the OnePlus 11 (with a very similar large circular camera), might put some people off the Neo. 7 Pro, and even shell out the extra bucks it comes for.