iQOO Neo 10 review: Raises the stakes and delivers great value, not just top-notch gaming

India Today

7 days ago

The name iQOO has become synonymous with high-performance devices that don't make your wallet cry. This Vivo spin-off brand has carved out a nice little niche for itself in India's super-competitive smartphone market in a short span of time. It holds special repute and allegiance among gamers but, over the course of time, it has transitioned into a brand that goes beyond offering just a 'gamer's delight' to phones that punch above their weight class in other areas as well.advertisementIn other words, iQOO wants more people – not just gamers – to buy its phones and so it is making them accordingly. Its latest, iQOO Neo 10, is a classic example. Coming hot on the heels of the iQOO Neo 10R (and last year's fantastic Neo 9 Pro), this new mid-range phone from iQOO feels like a genuine step-up not just because it has better specs, but because of how mature it is as a product overall. It shows intent and focus and a great deal of commitment from iQOO to be more than what it used to be to someone who can take on and challenge some of the biggest brands in the industry. After spending some time with it, we can say with some surety that iQOO is on the right track.
advertisement
Before going into the specifics, here's a quick look at how the iQOO Neo 10 stacks up on paper:
The iQOO Neo 10 marks the India debut of Qualcomm's freshly minted Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor. Sequel to the Snapdragon 8s Gen from last year, the 8s Gen 4 features an octa-core setup with clock speeds reaching up to 3.21GHz. It has an Adreno 825 GPU. iQOO pairs it with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB storage. You get a massive 7,000mAh battery in this phone capable of fast charging at up to 120W.The screen is a large 6.78-inch AMOLED with a 1.5K resolution (2800x1260p) with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 144Hz and peak brightness of 2,000 nits. It supports 10-bit colour and 4320Hz PWM dimming for comfortable night-time viewing. For protection, iQOO is using Schott Xensation Up glass.For photography, the iQOO Neo 10 has dual camera setup on the rear which is headlined by a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 sensor with optically stabilised lens and another 8-megapixel sensor behind an ultrawide lens. On the front, it has a 32-megapixel selfie camera. Both the front and rear cameras support 4K and 1080p video recording at up to 60fps.advertisementRounding off the package is Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, dual SIM, in-display fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, and NFC.
Sleek looks, big batteryThe iQOO Neo 10's 7,000mAh battery can easily last for one and a half days even for the most demanding users while those with more balanced use can squeeze two days' worth out of it. And when you do need a top-up, it supports 120W fast charging (with compliant fast charger in the box). Just 15 minutes on the plug, and you get enough power to last a full day.Big battery phones themselves aren't hot news in this time and age, but very few brands make relatively slim phones with big batteries. The iQOO Neo 10 is one of those rare exceptions. Its 7,000mAh battery is one of its biggest highlights, but equally impressive is how iQOO has been able to put it inside a chassis that is – despite what you might think of it – easy to lug around in day to day. The design is a throwback to the iQOO Neo 10R which is mostly good news, though one wonders, how things would be if iQOO chose more premium materials like glass or even vegan leather which was seen on the iQOO Neo 9 Pro.
advertisementDisplay: A feast for the eyesThe iQOO Neo 10 has a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen. It can top 2,000 nits (high brightness mode) which means even under Delhi's blazing noon sun, you won't find yourself squinting to read a text on the phone. Whether you're watching something on Netflix or gaming, it holds its own beautifully. HDR playback is available on compatible apps like Amazon Prime and Netflix. The 144Hz dynamic refresh rate keeps interactions smooth and jitter-free most of the time. I played demanding games like BGMI, Genshin Impact and COD Mobile, all of which ran with high graphics and frame rate settings without breaking any sweat. During our testing, the phone didn't heat up much either, a good sign for long-term gaming sessions. BGMI on highest settings did seem to drain the battery quickly but the drop wasn't alarming.advertisementEven outside gaming, the phone keeps up with daily tasks like a champ. Switching between email, Spotify, Instagram, and Chrome was seamless. For power users who like juggling several apps at once, the iQOO Neo 10 is more than capable.
A solid performer for gaming, and otherwiseAs we've already made quite clear in this review, the iQOO Neo 10 goes beyond just being a gaming phone -- it's a solid all-rounder. But here's the thing: good performance is almost expected from a mid-range iQOO phone. They're somewhat known for that. Even so, the performance on the Neo 10 is worth talking about. And that's largely because the phone debuts Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, which is built on TSMC's 4nm process, the same one used for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.iQOO pairs this with its own Q1 chip, which handles the graphics side of things. So what does that actually do? It enables 1.5K super resolution in over 20 games and supports 144FPS frame rates. Thanks to the Q1 chip, you also get new animations in Ultra Game Mode and real-time FPS tracking. In simple words: when you're playing high-frame-rate games, the chip helps deliver ultra-low latency for a smoother, faster response.
advertisementWe also ran a few benchmark tests on the device and the results were interesting. We compared it with the benchmark results of the iQOO 12, which is priced much higher and is currently selling at around Rs 45,000 in India (after discounts). It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. And in some tests, the iQOO Neo 10 was able to outperform the iQOO 12.For instance, in GeekBench 6 test, the iQOO 12 scored 2157 in single, while the iQOO Neo 10 got a score of 2153, which is very close. In multicore, however, the iQOO 12 scored a 6639 and the iQOO Neo 10 scored a 7056.Even in the Wild Life Stress test on 3D mark, the iQOO 12 in our tests got a score of 12220, while the iQOO Neo 10 scored 12405.A big part of the phone's performance is also based on its interface, and for that iQOO uses Funtouch OS 15, which is based on Android 15. The OS does come with a fair amount of bloatware, but the good thing is that the majority of these apps can be uninstalled.
Camera surprisesThe camera setup is another area where iQOO seems to have worked diligently to leave a long-lasting impression (and break stereotypes). The main 50-megapixel sensor delivers very good shots, in both daylight and low-light conditions. The processing is up-to-task balancing exposure and enhancing colours by just the right amount without going overboard, resulting in photos that seem to prefer realism, not something AI would conjure.Portrait shots come out clean with good subject separation. Even tricky lighting situations are handled decently. In low light, the shutter speed can slow down a touch, so you will need a steady hand. But overall, the camera holds up well, and I reckon that it will be more than enough for most people.Overall, a value for money deviceThe iQOO Neo 10 offers a big, bright display, flagship-tier performance, long-lasting battery, and strong camera system, all of which come together to deliver a phone that punches well above its weight. We can confidently recommend it to anyone who is seeking a 'do-it-all' smartphone that does anything you throw at it, mostly with ease. It may look like a gaming phone to some people – and it is in some ways – but it is also a phone that delivers great value for people who seek something dependable without breaking the bank.(iQOO has announced some pre-booking offers that can get you a discount between Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 depending on your eligibility. You can read the details about the offers here.)