iQOO Z9s - The Mid-Range Tycon
The iQOO Z9s is the latest addition to iQOO’s Z-series, aiming to deliver a balanced mix of performance, design, and battery life at an affordable price. With a starting price of ₹19,999 for the base variant, the Z9s competes fiercely in the mid-range segment. In this detailed review, we’ll explore the various aspects of the iQOO Z9s, including its design, display, performance, camera, battery life, and software, to help you decide if it’s the right smartphone for you.
Design and Build Quality
The iQOO Z9s sports a sleek and modern design that stands out in its price segment. The phone features a pill-shaped camera module on the back, reminiscent of the Vivo V40 series, which adds a touch of elegance. The Onyx Green variant, with its glossy plastic back, looks pristine but is prone to fingerprints and smudges. Thankfully, iQOO includes a transparent TPU case in the box to keep the device clean and prevent it from wobbling when lying flat.
Measuring just 7.49mm in thickness and weighing 182 grams, the iQOO Z9s is one of the thinnest and lightest smartphones with a 5,500mAh battery. The curved profile and matte finish between the camera sections add to its premium feel. However, the glossy edges can make the device feel slippery, and the slightly off-centre USB Type-C port on the bottom edge detracts from its aesthetic appeal.
Display
The iQOO Z9s boasts a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,800 nits peak brightness. This combination ensures vibrant colors, deep blacks, and smooth scrolling, making it a delight for multimedia consumption and gaming. The high refresh rate enhances the overall user experience, providing fluid animations and responsive touch interactions.
The display is protected by an unspecified screen protection, which is a slight letdown considering the competition offers Corning Gorilla Glass. Nevertheless, the display quality is impressive for its price range, offering excellent viewing angles and outdoor visibility.
Performance
Under the hood, the iQOO Z9s is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This combination ensures smooth multitasking, fast app launches, and a lag-free gaming experience. The phone handles demanding games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile with ease, thanks to its powerful GPU and efficient thermal management.
In benchmark tests, the iQOO Z9s scores impressively, placing it among the top performers in its segment. The phone also supports 5G connectivity, ensuring future-proofing as 5G networks become more widespread.
Camera
The iQOO Z9s features a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 64MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The primary camera captures detailed and vibrant photos in good lighting conditions, with accurate colors and sharpness. However, the camera struggles in low-light scenarios, producing images with noticeable noise and reduced detail.
The 2MP depth sensor aids in portrait photography, delivering decent bokeh effects and subject separation. On the front, the phone houses a 16MP selfie camera that captures clear and detailed selfies, suitable for social media sharing.
While the camera performance is respectable, it falls short of some competitors in the same price range. The absence of an ultra-wide or macro lens limits the versatility of the camera setup.
Battery Life
One of the standout features of the iQOO Z9s is its impressive battery life. The 5,500mAh battery easily lasts a full day of heavy usage, including gaming, streaming, and social media browsing. The phone supports 44W fast charging, which can charge the battery from 0 to 100% in just over an hour, ensuring minimal downtime.
The efficient power management of the Dimensity 920 chipset, combined with the large battery capacity, makes the iQOO Z9s a reliable companion for users who are always on the go.
Software
The iQOO Z9s runs on Funtouch OS 12, based on Android 12. The software experience is smooth and feature-rich, offering a range of customization options and useful features. However, the phone comes with a fair amount of pre-installed bloatware, which can be annoying for some users. Fortunately, most of these apps can be uninstalled to free up storage and reduce clutter.
iQOO promises two years of major software updates, ensuring that the Z9s will receive the latest features and security patches for a reasonable period.
Verdict
The iQOO Z9s is a well-rounded smartphone that excels in several key areas, including design, display, performance, and battery life. Its sleek and lightweight design, combined with a vibrant AMOLED display and powerful performance, makes it an attractive option in the mid-range segment. The impressive battery life and fast charging capabilities further enhance its appeal.
However, the camera performance could have been better, and the presence of bloatware in the software is a minor drawback. Despite these shortcomings, the iQOO Z9s offers excellent value for money and is a strong contender in its price range.
If you’re looking for a mid-range smartphone that delivers a premium experience without breaking the bank, the iQOO Z9s is definitely worth considering.