The iQOO Z9 has officially launched‚ bringing a fresh breeze to the smartphone market with its primary focus on performance. Equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset‚ this smartphone offers top-notch specifications at a competitive price‚ making it an appealing choice for tech enthusiasts. Let’s delve deeper into the advanced features offered by the iQOO Z9.
The iQOO Z9’s design is reminiscent of the iQOO 12 series‚ boasting an elegant‚ timeless look. The back features a large camera bumper housing two lenses‚ with the flash placed outside the frame‚ giving it a premium feel. The 2.5D curved edges make it comfortable to hold with one hand. Despite its 7.98mm thickness and 194.8-gram weight‚ the smartphone feels sturdy and solid‚ thanks in part to its large 6,000 mAh battery made possible by Ultra-Thin Graphite Battery technology.
You can choose between two color options: Phantom Black and Breeze Green. The Breeze Green variant‚ highlighted in our review‚ has a beautiful finish when exposed to light and is resistant to fingerprint smudges. The front is adorned with a 6.78-inch display featuring a punch hole design‚ thin bezels‚ and a USB Type-C port at the bottom alongside a microphone‚ speaker grill‚ and SIM tray. The power and volume buttons are on the right side‚ while the top houses an additional microphone and IR blaster. With an IP64 rating‚ the Z9 is resistant to water splashes and dust. The retail package is comprehensive‚ including a soft case and a charger head.
One of the standout features of the iQOO Z9 is its exceptional display for its class. The 6.78-inch AMOLED panel boasts a 1.5K resolution (2800 x 1260 pixels) and a 144Hz refresh rate‚ providing a visually pleasing experience. However‚ to enjoy the maximum resolution‚ users must manually adjust the settings‚ as the default is still FHD+. The adaptive refresh rate adjusts to the content displayed‚ though for us‚ 120Hz is already more than sufficient.
The iQOO Z9’s display is bright and comfortable to use under direct sunlight‚ with vibrant colors characteristic of AMOLED panels. Similar to other gaming phones‚ its stereo speakers deliver powerful sound‚ ideal for gaming or watching videos on YouTube‚ TikTok‚ and other platforms.
The iQOO Z9 is equipped with a Sony IMX882 50 MP main camera‚ a 2 MP depth of field camera‚ and a 16 MP selfie camera. While it lacks a telephoto camera‚ the main camera’s quality is satisfactory. In ideal lighting conditions‚ the photos produced are sharp with vivid color saturation. The dynamic range is standard but sufficient for its price range. The portrait mode effectively separates the subject from the background‚ with a 2x zoom option that facilitates photo composition.
In low light conditions‚ the Night mode can deliver bright photos without losing the original ambiance. For videography‚ the Z9 can record up to 4K 30fps with active stabilization. However‚ if you prefer the ultra-stable mode‚ video resolution is capped at 1080p 30fps. The front camera can only record up to 1080p 30fps.
The main advantage of the iQOO Z9 lies in its performance. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset‚ 12 GB of RAM‚ and 256 GB of storage‚ this smartphone can handle heavy applications and multitasking with ease. For gaming enthusiasts‚ the iQOO Z9 can run Mobile Legends smoothly at the highest graphics settings. Genshin Impact can also be played relatively stably at the Highest 60 fps graphics settings‚ though achieving a full 60 fps is challenging‚ and there are no significant frame drops.
The 6,000 mAh battery is sufficient to last a full day of normal usage. The charging process is also quick‚ thanks to the 80W charger that can fully charge the battery in about 50 minutes.
The iQOO Z9 is an attractive choice for those seeking a mid-range smartphone with powerful performance‚ especially for gaming. In addition to performance‚ the iQOO Z9 also offers a capable camera‚ large battery‚ and fast charging.
With all its strengths and weaknesses‚ the iQOO Z9 remains an attractive choice in the mid-range smartphone market‚ especially for those who prioritize performance and gaming experience.
