iQOO 7: The Good, The Bad, And The X-Factor

iQOO 7: The Good

Immersive Visuals With 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED Display

The iQOO 7 employs a massive 6.62-inch AMOLED display which delivers an enhanced visual experience owing to an FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The higher 120Hz refresh rate is what allows for a smoother frame transition. The panel delivers a punchy output with balanced color saturation and brightness levels.

Speaking of the latter, the sunlight visibility is good and the viewing angles are also decent both outdoors as well as indoors. Thanks to the peak brightness levels of 1300 nits. The panel is also HDR10+ certified that allows it to stream 1080p videos on OTT platforms.

There is a built-in Eye Protection mode that refrain your eyes from staring with a continuous glance at the screen. The gaming visuals have also been a treat with the 120Hz FHD+ panel. Additionally, the display also equips a fingerprint scanner which we found to be quick and accurate in our initial testing.

Decent Imaging Hardware

The iQOO 7 has a triple-lens rear camera setup housing a 48MP main lens. The primary Sony IMX589 sensor gets accompanied by a 13MP wide-angle camera that has a 120-degree FoV and a 2MP mono sensor. The camera performance has been fair with the default 12MP pixel-binned shots capturing sufficient details.

The dedicated 48MP camera mode comes in handy to zoom out and crop an image without compromising the details. Using the Live Photo option, you can add bokeh effects to an image. This features functions properly without making the background blur looking artificial.

Other shooting modes include slow-motion videos, panorama, long exposures, AR stickers, and double exposure mode. The camera app also integrates a dedicated Night mode for the low-light shots. We haven't yet tested the camera performance thoroughly, but will be sharing its performance feedback soon.

Speaking of the selfie camera, the device packs a 16MP snapper for the same with an f/2.0 aperture. This massive selfie camera sensor clicks some good self-portraits and has several features that can be used to enhance the selfie quality.

Latest UI, 66W Flash Charge

The iQOO 7 is announced with the Android 11 OS which is wrapped around Vivo's FunTouch OS 11.1 skin. The smartphone packs all the new Android 11 goodies including a new UI layout and updated notifications tab. You can directly toggle several options like Dark theme, NFC, Smart Monitoring, and Ultra Game mode.

To pull up the app drawer, you need to swipe up on the home screen. While the firmware is the latest, the FunTouch OS is loaded with multiple bloatware making the UI a bit cluttered. But, the handset still manages to give a smoother user experience with the high-end hardware, so no specific complaints.

Another highlight feature that grabs the attention here is the 66W Flash charge technology. The smartphone is packed with a 4,400 mAh battery to keep the lights on. While a bigger battery would have made sense considering it to be a gaming handset, the faster charging speeds make up for it.

We were able to get over six hours of back up with extensive use and a little charge remaining by the end of the day. But, we are yet to test the battery's potential completely including the charging speeds.

iQOO 7: The Bad

Feels Massive To Hold, Not Entirely Smudge Proof

The iQOO 7 dons a big form factor that you will feel instantly as you grab the device. The back panel has a matte-glass texture with a reflective surface. The standard variant is available in Storm Ice Blue and Storm Black. We have received the former.

The appeal overall is subtle with this design and the vertical camera module housing three cameras followed by the iQOO branding. While the back panel picks up a minimum of fingerprints, it isn't entirely smudge-proof.

You will notice the back panel collecting dust and fingerprints after a while if no case or a cover is being used. Also, the slim profile doesn't come to the rescue while using the device single-hand. You will struggle to reach the corners.

No Dedicated MicroSD Card Slot

The iQOO 7 has all the necessary features that make it a true value-flagship device. The iQOO 7 comes with an onboard storage capacity of 128GB. While this is more than enough to store daily use files, however, there is expandable microSD support as well.

But, the device comes void of a 3-way dedicated microSD slot. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of this device. If only the device offered a dedicated microSD slot, it would have been a perfect deal.

iQOO 7: The X-Factor

Powerful 5G Snapdragon 870 Gaming Processor

The iQOO 7 is driven by the octa-core Snapdragon 870 processor which is based on 7nm architecture. The premium flagship processor is combined with Adreno 650 GPU that can render high-end graphics with ease.

We have played some graphics-intensive games such as Shadow 4 and Asphalt 9 and we would like to add the gaming experience has been excellent throughout. There were no lags throughout during extensive gameplay even with the games with the highest settings. Multi-tasking has been swift overall. This is a complete package in the value-flagship department.