The iQOO Z9 5G launched a couple months ago, and the smartphone garnered a lot of attention, particularly due to its impressive set of features for its price. The brand has now unveiled the iQOO Z9x 5G, a more affordable variant of the Z9 5G, and like with most iQOO phones, a key focus is on its performance capabilities. The smartphone also shares a lot of its features with the recently launched Vivo T3x (review). It features the same processor, cameras and battery specifications. There are some differences, like how the Vivo T3x only comes with a mono speaker, while the Z9x employs a superb stereo speaker setup. But is the smartphone capable enough to compete with others in its price range?? Let’s find out in this iQOO Z9x 5G review how the smartphone holds up in the real world.
Verdict
The iQOO Z9x is an ideal performance-focused smartphone for users on a budget. In addition to its impressive performance, it features a massive 6,000mAh battery that easily lasts an entire day, even for power users. The smartphone also offers a bright display and a good stereo speaker setup that elevates the multimedia experience. The cameras, however, may not meet everyone’s expectations.
Design & display
When it comes to design, the iQOO Z9x does not stray too far off from the standard Z9. They both look nearly identical, with a similar camera island design. The smartphone is available in two colour options: Tornado Green and Storm Grey.
We received the Tornado Green variant, which comes with these brush strokes across the real panel that glimmer under light. The camera island and the chrome edges have a green hue to match the rear panel, creating a sleek, harmonious design. The matte finish of the rear panel does an excellent job of mitigating smudges and fingerprints.
At the bottom, you can find the endangered 3.5mm headphone jack, the Type-C port and a speaker grille. You can find the volume and power buttons along the right edge, while the SIM tray is on the left side. The power button also doubles as a fingerprint sensor, and it’s swift and accurate. The smartphone also comes with IP64 water and dust resistance, which is uncommon at this price bracket and safeguards it against dust and offers protection against water splashes.
The iQOO Z9x sports a 6.72-inch LCD display with FHD+ (2,408 x 1,080p) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness level of 1000 nits. The viewing experience on the device is satisfactory given the price segment, and the display is sufficiently bright, even in extremely bright surroundings. The visual experience is elevated with the stereo speaker setup, which can get extremely loud.
Cameras
The iQOO Z9x comes with a 50MP primary sensor paired with a 2MP bokeh sensor. At the front, there’s an 8MP camera for selfies and video calls. The camera shines in daylight photography, where the images are detailed and the colour reproduction is quite appealing.
The dynamic range is good, though HDR mode can sometimes overexpose the images. In low light, the camera manages to take acceptable images in night mode, though it is best to tame your expectations.
The selfie camera takes acceptable images in daylight, although it tends to smoothen out the facial details. In low light, you might need a few tries to capture something satisfactory.
Performance & software
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset powers the iQOO Z9x. The device offers up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. When it comes to performance, the iQOO Z9x smoothly handles all your day-to-day tasks — browsing through social media, video streaming and more. It boasts one of the best AnTuTu and Geekbench benchmark scores in its segment and the gaming performance reflects the same. The device is great for casual gaming and can even handle demanding titles like BGMI and COD: Mobile at High and HD resolutions, respectively.
The device runs Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14. If you’ve used an iQOO smartphone before, the experience is quite the same. The UI is smooth and well optimised for the 120Hz refresh rate. The brand promises 2 years of major OS updates and 3 years of security updates, which is standard at this price point.
There are a few smart features, like small windows, smart sidebar, split screen and such, which can improve your day-to-day operations. The ultra game mode also works well to optimise the gaming performance of the smartphone. There are a few pre-installed apps and Hot Apps section, which can be easily removed if you desire.
Battery & charging
The standout feature of the iQOO Z9x is its massive 6,000mAh battery, paired with 44W fast charging support. The battery easily lasts an entire day, even with heavy usage. On the PCMark battery life benchmark test, the smartphone registered a score of 20 hours and 19 minutes, which is an excellent score in its price bracket.
In our performance tests, which last roughly 2 hours and encompass a variety of high-intensity workloads, such as gaming, video streaming, and more, the device showcased a battery drop of just 20 percent, flaunting its excellent resilience. The smartphone’s charging speed is also noteworthy, and it takes about 61 minutes to recharge completely from 20 to 100 percent battery capacity.
Final verdict
The iQOO Z9x carries a starting price of Rs 12,999 for the 4GB + 128GB variant, Rs 14,499 for the 6GB + 128GB variant, and Rs 15,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant. The closest rivals of the smartphone in its price range are the Moto G64 (review), POCO X6 Neo (review) and the Realme P1 5G (review). The Motorola G64 offers a stock Android-like UI and a similar 6,000mAh battery, while in comparison, the latter two feature an AMOLED display panel, which significantly improves the visual experience. The Realme P1 5G also offers a better performance output compared to the iQOO Z9x.
For its price, the iQOO Z9x delivers impressive performance that dwarfs most similarly priced counterparts, a respectable visual experience, excellent battery backup, and a sleek design. While the cameras are not the best, they do a respectable job, and the other positive aspects more than compensate for it.
Editor’s Rating: 8 / 10
Reasons to buy:
- The iQOO Z9x display delivers an impressive visual experience, both indoors and outdoors.
- The device is an excellent performer in everyday tasks and can double as a casual gaming smartphone.
- The 6,000mAh battery boasts a battery life that can easily last an entire day, even for power users.
Reasons not to buy:
- The cameras could have been better.
- The iQOO Z9x comes with a fair amount of pre-installed third-party apps.
