The much-anticipated iQOO Z9s series is set to make its grand debut in India, featuring the iQOO Z9s and iQOO Z9s Pro models. With Amazon India partnering in the launch, fans can watch the unveiling live as these smartphones, boasting cutting-edge technology and sleek designs, hit the market. Here’s a detailed look at what to expect from the iQOO Z9s series.
When it comes to iQOO smartphones, one thing is certain: they deliver exceptional performance. Despite being a relatively new brand, iQOO has quickly built a reputation for offering powerful devices. In this review, we’ll explore the iQOO Z9s and iQOO Z9s Pro, two smartphones that promise not only top-notch performance but also impressive features across the board. These devices fall within the price range of ₹18,000 to ₹22,000, making them strong contenders in the mid-range smartphone market. Let’s dive into the unboxing and first impressions of these devices to see if they live up to the hype.
Unboxing the iQOO Z9s and Z9s Pro
The unboxing experience of both the iQOO Z9s and Z9s Pro is fairly standard, but with a few notable inclusions. Both models come with a robust 80W flash charger for the Pro and a 44W charger for the standard Z9s. The packaging also includes a USB Type-C to Type-A cable, a sleek protective case, and the essential SIM ejector tool. The inclusion of an 80W charger in the Pro version is particularly impressive at this price point, ensuring quick and efficient charging.
Stunning Design and Enhanced Battery Life
The iQOO Z9s series introduces two new models that are slimmer yet more powerful than their predecessors. Both phones feature an impressively thin profile of just 7.49mm while housing a robust 5,500mAh battery. This combination of slim design and high battery capacity ensures that users enjoy a sleek device without compromising on battery life. Both models also come with an IP64 rating, providing dust-tight protection and basic water resistance.
Powerful Camera Capabilities
One of the standout features of the iQOO Z9s and iQOO Z9s Pro is their advanced camera systems. Both smartphones are equipped with a 50MP main camera that utilizes the Sony IMX882 sensor, offering 1/1.95” sensor size for high-quality images and 4K video recording with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). This setup ensures that users can capture stunning, stable images and videos in various lighting conditions.
The iQOO Z9s Pro goes a step further by including an 8MP ultra-wide camera, allowing users to capture expansive scenes with ease. The camera system on the Pro model also benefits from AI-driven features such as AI Erase, which removes unwanted objects from photos, and AI Photo Enhance, which improves image quality by correcting blur and other imperfections.
Display and Performance Excellence
Both the iQOO Z9s and iQOO Z9s Pro are designed to deliver an exceptional viewing experience. The smartphones feature a 120Hz OLED display with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits on the Pro model, ensuring vibrant colors and sharp contrasts even in bright sunlight. The 3D curved AMOLED display further enhances the visual experience, making these devices ideal for gaming, streaming, and everyday use.
Performance-wise, the iQOO Z9s is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, offering smooth and efficient operation for multitasking and gaming. The iQOO Z9s Pro, on the other hand, is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, making it one of the fastest phones in its segment. Both models run on Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience.
Fast Charging and Battery Management
Battery life is a crucial aspect of any smartphone, and the iQOO Z9s series excels in this area. Both models are equipped with a 5,500mAh battery, providing long-lasting power for all-day use. The iQOO Z9s Pro supports 80W fast charging, allowing users to quickly recharge their devices and get back to what matters most. This feature is particularly beneficial for users who are always on the go and need a reliable device that can keep up with their busy lifestyles.
Pricing and Availability
The iQOO Z9s series is set to be officially launched in India on August 21, with availability on the company’s official website and Amazon India. Ahead of the launch, Amazon has teased that the new iQOO phones will be priced under ₹25,000, making them competitive options in the mid-range smartphone market. The iQOO Z9s is expected to be priced around ₹20,000, while the Pro model may be slightly higher but still within the ₹25,000 range.
Design and Build Quality: Sleek and Stylish
The first thing you’ll notice about the iQOO Z9s Pro is its premium design. The device sports a stunning curved display, which is rare in this price segment. The Z9s Pro comes in two variants: one with a vegan leather finish and another with a marble-like finish. The non-Pro model features a more traditional design but still looks sleek with its slim profile and light weight.
Both devices are impressively thin, measuring just 7.49mm, with the Z9s Pro being slightly heavier due to the vegan leather finish, weighing 187 grams compared to the Z9s’ 183 grams. Despite the slight difference in weight, both phones are easy to hold and offer a comfortable grip.
Display: Immersive Visual Experience
One of the standout features of the iQOO Z9s series is the display. The Z9s Pro boasts a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a smooth and responsive user experience. The display supports up to 1800 nits of brightness on the non-Pro model and a staggering 4500 nits on the Pro version. This ensures that the screen remains visible even under direct sunlight.
The screen-to-body ratio is impressive, with ultra-thin bezels that enhance the immersive viewing experience. Whether you’re watching videos, playing games, or browsing the web, the display quality of the iQOO Z9s series is hard to beat in this price range.
Performance: Powerhouse Under the Hood
Performance has always been a hallmark of iQOO devices, and the Z9s series is no exception. The iQOO Z9s is powered by the Dimensity 7300 processor, which delivers a solid Antutu score of around 700,000. On the other hand, the iQOO Z9s Pro is equipped with the more powerful Snapdragon 778G processor, which scores between 820,000 and 830,000 on Antutu. Both devices feature UFS 2.1 storage and LPDDR4x RAM, ensuring fast data access and smooth multitasking.
Gaming performance on both devices is impressive, with the ability to run popular games like BGMI at 60fps without any hiccups. The Pro model, with its more powerful processor, offers slightly better gaming performance, but the difference is minimal.
Software and UI: Functional Yet Familiar
The iQOO Z9s series runs on Funtouch OS 14, which is based on Android 14. Funtouch OS offers a clean and user-friendly interface, though it does come with some pre-installed third-party apps that can be uninstalled. The OS is feature-rich, offering options like Ultra Game Mode, motion controls for gaming, and virtual RAM expansion up to 12GB, allowing you to run multiple apps simultaneously without any lag.
iQOO promises two years of major OS updates and three years of security updates, ensuring that your device stays up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.
Final Thoughts
With the launch of the iQOO Z9s series, iQOO continues to push the boundaries of smartphone technology, offering powerful devices that combine performance, design, and affordability. Whether you’re a photography enthusiast, a mobile gamer, or someone who values long battery life, the iQOO Z9s and iQOO Z9s Pro are set to deliver on all fronts. Be sure to tune in to the live unveiling on August 21 to witness the next evolution in smartphone innovation.
