The iQOO Neo 7 is a feature-rich upper midrange smartphone that is priced at about 2699 RMB. At this price point, it is packing some serious features that make it one of the best value-for-money smartphones of 2022.
After two weeks of using this phone, the following is my view of the iQOO Neo 7.
Unboxing And Features
I have unboxed many products, but it is still an experience I love and relish. That said unboxing the iQOO Neo 7 wasn’t much different from other smartphones. The phone comes in a black box with the model name written on it. In the box, you get the usual contents.
- 1 x iQOO Neo 7 smartphone
- 1 x 120W fast-charging brick
- 1 x type-c cable
- 1 x TPU case
- Sim ejector tool
- Documentation
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 76.9 x 8.5 mm or 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 197g/202g |
| Display | 6.78-inch AMOLED Panel 120Hz Refresh Rate 1500 nit peak brightness HDR10+ |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ 4nm Process TechOcta-Core |
| Memory | 8GB + 128GB 8GB + 256GB 12GB + 256GB 8GB + 512GB |
| Camera | 50MP Primary Camera 8MP Ultrawide 2MP Macro Camera 16MP Selfie Camera |
| Battery & Charger | 5000mAh 120W Fast Charger |
| Colors | Orange BlackBlue |
Design
Let’s start with the front of the phone, where a 6.78-inch AMOLED display takes up most of the real estate. A thin bezel that grows slightly thicker at the chin lines the edges. The only interruption is a small cutout at the top for the selfie camera.
The 6.78-inch display is an AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1080×2400. It has a peak brightness of 1500 nits, which is usable in all situations, even on very sunny days. The display also has a refresh rate of 120Hz but it can go as low as 60Hz. There is a feature called Smart Switch that works like the Adaptive refresh feature. It switches the refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on what you are doing to conserve the battery.
On startup, the phone boots into the Standard color mode as the default color mode. This mode is well-balanced and gives a natural look to the overall color temperature. There are two other color modes: a professional mode that gives the display a warmer look, and a bright mode that makes the colors look a bit washed out. I will stick to the standard. There is no adaptive color option like you will normally find on Xiaomi phones.
In marketing, the company claimed the phone is certified for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ which means the display can support up to a billion colors. And that seems to be true as the phone handled HDR contents with ease.
The review sample I got was orange, but it is also available in blue and black. The back of the phone is made of a plastic material that doesn’t leave fingerprints. At the top left corner sits a square camera bump that houses all three cameras. The brand name “iQOO” is engraved at the bottom.
The frame of the phone is plastic, but unlike its back case, it feels more like aluminum. Its four corners are rounded off to prevent it from digging into your palm when you hold it, and it curves slightly into the plastic back case. The volume rocker and power buttons are on the right side of that frame. The sim tray, the USB charging port, and a speaker grill for one of the two speakers on board. The second speaker grill can be found on the top of the phone.
Its dimensions are 164.8 x 76.9 x 8.5 mm and only weighs 202g. All in all the phone is well-built and feels good to hold in the hand.
Performance
The iQOO Neo 7 runs on MediaTek’s latest chipset, the Dimensity 9000+ octa-core processor, which is really powerful. Memory comes in several configurations. Some of the configurations available include 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 256GB, and 8GB + 512GB. The one I have with me is the 12GB + 256GB variant.
When I put it through the Antutu test, it returned a benchmark score of 1030642 which is a very respectable result considering it is a midrange. But not surprising because it used such a high-end processor from MediaTek. Check out the scores below.
Software
For software, the iQOO Neo 7 runs Android 13 out of the box with Oxygen OS over it. And I must admit that the software is properly implemented. Everything runs smoothly, swapping around is like butter, and the overall performance is snappy.
You have the usual peck of using an Android including split screens, floating windows, and all the cool widgets. To summon the notification you will have to swap down from the left corner and the top right corner for the control center. The order they are summoned can be changed in the settings.
Aside from that, everything else is pretty much the same, especially for anybody who has used Oxygen OS before. You get the usual customization options for everything including backgrounds, themes, ringtones, and widgets.
Still, in the settings, there is an Ultra Game Mode option. Here, you get to set up some really cool stuff. My favorite is the Cool Light Effects setting which shows light effects when you make impressive moments like triple kills but this effect is only limited to the Arena of Valor game. One of the gaming settings that is sure to come in handy is the Game Countdown. If you are waiting for a game to start up and you switch to the background, the system will display the required waiting time.
For security, the Neo 7 comes with the usual, face ID, fingerprint ID, passwords, and patterns. The fingerprint scanner beneath the display is fast and unlocks almost instantaneously. Face ID is even faster when unlocking the phone.
iQOO Neo 7 Cameras
The Neo 7 is equipped with three cameras, and the primary sensor is a 50MP camera with OIS. There is also an 8 MP ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP macro camera. Vivo, the parent company of iQOO, is known for having some of the best cameras on smartphones, and you see some of those technologies in play here.
Pictures
I spent the last two weeks taking pictures and videos in various conditions. During the day the photos were really good with excellent balance, and sharpness. The dynamic range and contrast were also excellent. The colors were very vibrant but the photos looked a bit processed.
The ultrawide also manages to hold up its side of the bargain, and there is no noticeable drop in color richness as you switch between cameras. The zoom camera
In night mode, images were okay with good color saturation. It also manages to reduce noise while maintaining a good amount of detail. The contrast and dynamic range in the night mode are commendable. But the one problem I had with it was how it tended to dial up any source of light to such an extent that you begin to lose details very close to those light sources.
Selfie
The selfie camera is a 16MP clicker, and it captures some really cool pictures. Again, the company did impressive work with the color saturation, dynamic range, and sharpness here. My biggest problem is that pictures tend to be a bit over-processed. My selfies looked a bit whiter than I personally am. But considering the Neo 7 is only released for the Chinese market, it is not much of a big deal.
Videos
The rear camera can record up to 4K video at 30fps and the front camera is limited to 1080p at 30fps. Here, the company manages to keep up the good work in sharpness and color saturation. The 4k videos were good and the dynamic range was okay. The OIS does great at stabilizing the video
Battery and Charging
The iQOO Neo 7 comes with a 5000mAh battery on board. My phone usage is very gaming-intensive during this process, which makes this phone a perfect fit for me. On any given day, I spend at least three hours in between playing COD, PUBG, and Asphalt Legend. The rest of the time, the phone handled other processes like messaging, checking social media feeds, downloading apps, listening to music, and streaming videos. At the end of an eight-hour workday, I still had about 20% of the battery. That’s really impressive.
It will take some time to drain the battery, but when you are finally there, refueling is really quick. The Neo 7 comes with a 120W fast charger. In my test, the charger took about 30 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%. Though fast chargers are becoming more common, I am still impressed by them. In this case, I just had to put the phone on charge before I stepped in the shower in the morning, and it was done when I got out.
Haptics and Speakers
The pair of speakers on the Neo 7 sounds fantastic. They’re loud and clear even at high volumes, when you would expect most phones to struggle.
Now, I don’t know about most people, but I love vibration feedback on my smartphones, especially when I am gaming. The Neo 7 has some really good haptic feedback. The vibrations on this phone are sharp and very responsive.
Variant
The iQOO Neo 7 comes in three colors, Black, Blue, and Orange. Memory-wise, there are 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 256GB, and 8GB + 512GB configurations.
Pros
- Very capable performer
- Extremely fast charger
- Large Battery
- Great display
Cons
- Limited to only China and India
- Selfies look over-processed
Verdict
Overall, the iQOO Neo 7 is a very capable phone, and at its price point, it is a very easy recommendation.
