iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s: Which One Is Better?

iQOO 9 is now official in India, which is quite different from the Chinese variant of the iQOO 9. The Indian iQOO 9 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC, similar to the Asus ROG Phone 5s. In terms of pricing, the iQOO 9 is a lot cheaper than the Asus ROG Phone 5s despite having similar specifications.

Both the iQOO 9 and the Asus ROG Phone 5s are high-end gaming smartphones, especially when it comes to displaying and the processor. Here is a holistic comparison between the iQOO 9 and the Asus ROG Phone 5s, the phones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Design

Design is a subjective matter, and considering the fact that both the iQOO 9 and the Asus ROG Phone 5s are gaming smartphones, the ROG Phone 5s has a more appealing design. However, if you want a smartphone that looks simple and elegant, you might prefer the iQOO 9 over the Asus ROG Phone 5s.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Display

The iQOO 9 has a 6.56-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The ROG Phone 5s has a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. For gaming, bigger always is better hence, the Asus ROG Phone 5s will offer a better gaming experience when compared to the iQOO 9.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Performance

Both smartphones are powered by the same Snapdragon 888+ SoC and the base model offers 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. In terms of processing, you can expect similar performance on both smartphones. Although the benchmark numbers might vary a bit, these devices will offer similar day-to-day and gaming performance.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Software Experience

The iQOO 9 ships with ‎Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 12 out-of-the-box. Similarly, the Asus ROG Phone 5s ships with Android 11 OS, and the company is said to release Android 12 OS soon. In terms of UI, the ROG Phone 5s offers stock Android, while the custom Funtouch OS skin on the iQOO 9 does come with some amount of bloatware.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Cameras

The iQOO 9 has a triple camera setup at the back with a 48MP primary camera with gimbal tech, 13M ultra-wide angle lens, and a 13MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and 50x digital zoom support. The ROG Phone 5s also has a triple camera setup with a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP ultra-wide angle lens. However, there is no telephoto lens, instead, the ROG Phone 5s comes with a 5MP macro lens.

Given the iQOO 9 has a gimbal stable technology and the telephoto lens, at least on paper, the iQOO 9 has a slight upper hand over the ROG Phone 5s in the camera department. If you are someone who cares a lot about the camera, then you might like the iQOO 9 over the ROG Phone 5s.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Battery Life

The iQOO 9 has a smaller 4,350 mAh battery while the ROG Phone 5s has a massive 6,000 mAh battery. Although the iQOO 9 supports 120W of fast charging, the 65W fast charging on the ROG Phone 5s should be more than enough for most users. The massive battery on the ROG Phone 5s makes it the clear winner.

iQOO 9 Vs Asus ROG Phone 5s Pricing

The iQOO 9 is the most affordable of the lot. The base model of the iQOO 9 costs Rs. 42,990 and offers 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. Similarly, the ROG Phone 5s with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage retails for Rs. 49,999, which makes it Rs. 7,000 is more expensive than the iQOO 9.

Which One Is Better?

Both devices have a couple of advantages over the other. While the ROG Phone 5s is a bigger smartphone with a massive battery and also has a gaming-like design, the iQOO 9 is slightly cheaper and has a compact form factor with slightly better cameras.

Depending on one's use case, you can pick either of these devices. I personally prefer the ROG Phone 5s as it will offer better battery life and the device even have very loudspeakers. However, for those who are short on the budget, you can pick the iQOO 9 and you won't regret it.