iQOO 7 review: more than just a gaming phone
The iQOO 7 is the latest device in the country to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 processor
By
Sintu Yadav
-
May 7, 2021
Review Summary
Expert Rating4/5
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Design
★★★★★
★★★★★
Display
★★★★★
★★★★★
Software
★★★★★
★★★★★
Camera
★★★★★
★★★★★
Performance
★★★★★
★★★★★
Battery
★★★★★
★★★★★
Pros
- Performs like a champ
- Game frame rate interpolation works well
- Rapid wired charging speed
- Capable main camera
Cons
- No headphone jack
- Can’t stream HDR content yet
- Software experience could’ve been better
Back in the day, smartphone brands would diversify their portfolio across a variety of product ranges catering to different price brackets. However, over the last few years, we’ve seen more and more OEMs come up with a sub-brand to branch into different segments and capitalise on various niches too. Case in point, Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO, which debuted in India last year with an aim to bring high-performance gaming phones to the masses. To some extent, the company managed to achieve that with the iQOO 3 (review), which was among the first 5G-ready phones in the country to ship with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, as well as UFS 3.1 storage. However, the handset’s software experience wasn’t up to the mark and the device’s 60Hz screen was perceived as a deal-breaker by many.
Well, after over a year, the company has returned with yet another gaming phone in the form of the iQOO 7, and going by the handset’s spec sheet, the device will undoubtedly throw a spanner in the works of rivals. In particular, the smartphone will go toe-to-toe with the recently-launched Xiaomi Mi 11X (review), which ships with compelling specs, to say the least. So, in this review, let’s take a thorough look at the iQOO 7 and see if it can rain on Xiaomi’s parade, and see if it can triumph over the competition.
Table of Contents
- Verdict
- Design
- Display
- Cameras
- Performance and battery life
- Software and connectivity
- Final verdict
- Editor’s rating: 4 / 5
- Pros:
- Cons:
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Verdict
The iQOO 7 is among the fastest Android phones under Rs 35K. It’s not just a good gaming phone, but also a quality daily driver, thanks to its capable camera setup, good-looking design and uber-fast wired charging speeds.
Design
iQOO knows a thing or two about designing good-looking phones. In fact, last year, the company announced the iQOO 3 in a stunning Volcano Orange hue which to date, is among the nicest-looking finishes I’ve seen on a phone. The iQOO 7 too, ships with a gorgeous design which is further accentuated by the unit’s attractive Solid Ice Blue hue which gleams under the sun. Furthermore, the back of the phone ships with an AG matte glass which doesn’t just feel smooth to the touch, but also keeps smudges at bay. I’d also like to add that the smartphone’s camera module sits flush with the chassis, and the unit’s boxy frame feels more polished compared to, say, the elliptical camera housing on the Mi 11X. The module also ensures that the handset doesn’t wobble when laid flat on a surface, which is great.
Now, unlike its predecessor, the iQOO 7 employs a sleek chassis that measures just 8.3mm. Coupled with the smartphone’s featherlight weight of just 196 grams, the iQOO 7 will seldom weigh down your wrists, even after prolonged usage. And, while the phone is not suited for one-handed usage owing to its tall frame, you can get away with using the device without a case as the unit’s curvy back imparts a confident in-hand grip too.
Unfortunately, much like the Mi 11X, the iQOO 7 too omits the headphone jack. However, unlike Xiaomi’s offering, the smartphone doesn’t ship with a 3.5mm dongle, which is quite disappointing. Consequently, you will have to shell out extra bucks to enjoy music via a pair of wired headphones on the smartphone. Thankfully, the device features a quality set of stereo speakers that get quite loud and offer good depth to the audio too. The same goes for the smartphone’s in-display fingerprint sensor as well as its facial recognition tech too, both of which got me into my home screen in the blink of an eye. I should point out that the iQOO 7’s face unlock software works even when you’re wearing a mask, so it might not be as secure as the fingerprint reader. Other than that, the iQOO 7’s design ticks most of the right boxes.
Display
Much like the Mi 11X, the iQOO 7 also employs Samsung’s E4 AMOLED panel which refreshes at 120Hz. As for the dimensions, the screen measures 6.62-inches and offers full HD+ resolution, making it plenty sharp to consume content on the fly. What’s more, the panel gets satisfactorily bright and the screen offered stellar viewing angles and ample contrast as well. Unfortunately, not all is good and dandy with the iQOO 7’s screen. For one, contrary to the company’s claims, the display isn’t compliant with HDR media from OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime and correspondingly, you will be limited to HD streams from the aforementioned services.
What’s more, while the display’s 120Hz refresh rate paves way for smooth animations and transitions, I noticed that the screen would often drop the same to 60Hz to accommodate certain UI elements like the gallery app. In fact, with the Display Checker app relaying real-time refresh rate to the screen, it was evident that the panel was defaulting to 60Hz on apps like Instagram too, even after I had opted to lock the same to 120Hz on the phone. Consequently, the scrolling animations felt jittery every time a video or a reel popped on my feed, as the panel would instantly drop the refresh rate to 60Hz from 120Hz.
Thankfully, the iQOO 7’s screen has a few aces up its sleeves. Notably, the display offers minimal touch latency as it ships with a touch sampling rate of 300Hz. Correspondingly, the display will pick up on all your finger gymnastics when you’re playing a game, or merely using the phone day in and day out. Adding to the list of pros, the iQOO 7 also ships with an intelligent display chip that does MEMC or frame interpolation in popular games like Call of Duty Mobile, Garena Free Fire, and even Genshin Impact. I’ll talk more about the same in the subsequent section but rest assured, the handset’s display is a godsend for gamers.
Cameras
Most gaming phones gloss over their respective camera setups but much to my surprise, the iQOO 7 is a fantastic pocket-shooter. The smartphone comes equipped with a triple camera setup towards the back, comprising Sony’s IMX598 48MP sensor which works alongside a 13MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP mono lens. For selfies, the device gets a 16MP camera up front.
During the day, the iQOO 7 clicks exceptionally detailed photos with stellar dynamic range. Now, the phone does bring up the colours in the shots however, disabling AI scene recognition does allow the handset to render more realistic images. Compared to the Mi 11X, shots from the iQOO 7 don’t just look more appealing to the eyes, but the images output a greater amount of details, and the handset managed to bring out the information from the shadows better too. Consequently, under ideal lighting conditions, you’ll find very little to complain about the photos shot from the iQOO 7’s primary camera.
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