iQOO Neo7 5G Review: Made for gaming enthusiasts!

iQOO Neo7 5G Review: iQOO has launched its second product of the year - iQOO Neo 7. While the first one  - iQOO 11 - was a flagship smartphone for those who were casting about for a premium device, this time the company has specifically targeted gamers, that too who are looking for a device in the price range of around Rs 30,000. Does iQOO Neo7 justify its price? Let's find out:

iQOO Neo7 5G Review: Design

The design of the iQOO Neo7 5G is simple but elegant. It feels comfortable in your hand - something very important for gamers as they spend hours holding it. Also, the weight distribution is commendable and this makes the device feel significantly lighter than its actual weight - 193 grams. The thickness of the device is 8.5mm but the curved shape gives it a trendy look. It has a polycarbonate body but by no means looks sub-standard. For selfies, you will get a hole-punch camera. At the back, there's a triple-camera setup and the bumps are not too protruding.

The iQOO Neo7 5G is available in two colours - Interstellar Black and Frost Blue. We reviewed the former one and it does not attract fingerprints and smudges. At certain angles, the device appears shiny black and adds elegance.

iQOO Neo7 5G Review: Display 

iQOO Neo7 5G comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display - this is as big as the flagship smartphone iQOO 11. It offers a screen refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 2400x1080. As this one is for gamers out there, the touch sampling rate of the iQOO Neo 7 5G is 300Hz. This enhances the gaming experience significantly.

ALSO READ | iQOO 11 5G Review: Swashbuckling flagship phone with plenty of hits, and few near-misses

It offers a good viewing experience. I watched the Eternals movie on Disney+ Hotstar on this device and I enjoyed watching it, courtesy of the good-quality dual speakers. Also, the device offers a peak brightness of 1,300nits which ensures that you won't have any problem reading or watching videos under direct sunlight.

iQOO Neo 7 5G Review: Performance

The iQOO Neo 7 5G draws power from Dimensity 8200 by MediaTek. This is the first device to get this System on Chip (SoC). The iQOO Neo 7 5G we reviewed had 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The other variant availalbe is 8GB + 128GB. 

The latest processor by MediaTek makes switching between apps quite smooth. It handled games like Apex Legend and Asphalt 9 with ease. This experience is enhanced with the help of 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM which can use virtual swap memory to reach up to 20GB. 

You also get a gaming mode option to change settings according to your need. 

When it comes to software, the iQOO Neo 7 5G boots on  Android 13-based FuntouchOS 13 out of the box. While there are several improvements in FuntouchOS 13, you can easily find several bloatware in the device. While some can be removed, there should be the option to delete apps under the 'Hot apps' and 'Hot games' folders as well.

iQOO Neo 7 5G Review: Battery and charging

The iQOO Neo 7 5G packs a massive 5,000mAh Li-ion battery that supports 120W fast charging. The phone can be charged from 0 to 100 per cent in around 30 minutes, quite a good charging speed.

Also, the backup is quite good and lasts for the entire day even with heavy usage. For normal usage, you will not need to charge your device for at least two days.

iQOO Neo 7 5G Review: Camera

The iQOO Neo 7 5G comes with a triple-camera setup with the primary sensor being 64 megapixels with optical image stabilisation (OIS). It is accompanied by 2MP bokeh and 2MP macro cameras. For selfies, there's a 16-megapixel front camera. The image quality of the cameras could have been better. But, that doesn't mean you cannot click images worthy of social media sharing. Also, there's no ultra-wide or telephoto camera in this device. 

For videos, you have the option of recording them in up to 4k 60fps resolution. On the front, you will get only 1080p 30fps recording. While the camera is definitely not one of the USPs of this smartphone, you will still find several options like portrait, night, micro movie, slow motion, time-lapse, panorama, sports, dual-view, etc.

iQOO Neo 7 5G Review: Verdict

For gaming enthusiasts, this can be one of the best smartphones in the price range of around Rs 30,000. But don't expect anything extraordinary from cameras.