This week iQOO was launched a pair of thin phones with big batteries – the Z9s duo are 7.5mm thick, but pack 5,500mAh batteries. And they’re not that heavy, weighing in at 180g or 185g, depending on which model you choose.
THE iQOO Z9s features a 6.77” curved OLED display (FHD+, 120Hz), a Dimension 7300 chipset, a 50MP main camera (IMX882, 1/1.95”, OIS) with 4K video recording, and a 16MP selfie camera. As mentioned, the battery is 5,500mAh and charges at 44W. Both phones are rated IP64 (dustproof, basic water resistance).
iQOO Z9s and Z9s Pro
THE iQOO Z9s Pro builds on this by making its 6.77” curved display brighter (4,500 nits vs. 1,800 nits) and bringing more powerful performance Snapdragon 7 Generation 3 chipset and 80W charging (50% in 21 min). Additionally, the Pro model has an 8MP ultra-wide camera on the back. In case you missed it, here it is our photo tour from Baku with an iQOO Z9s Pro in hand.
In summary: iQOO Z9s and Z9s Pro highlights
The Z9s are sold in India via the iQOO online store and Amazon. The Pro is available now, while the vanilla model will go on open sale starting Thursday. Here are the prices:
| Settings | iQOO Z9s | iQOO Z9s Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 8/128 GB | ₹20,000 | ₹25,000 |
| 8/256 GB | ₹22,000 | ₹27,000 |
| 12/256 GB | ₹24,000 | ₹29,000 |
The Poco F6 (12/256GB) is priced at ₹30,000, so it’s a bit more expensive and doesn’t have a cheap 8/128GB option. It has a beefier Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and a flat 6.67-inch OLED display with 1220p+ resolution and 12-bit color. The phone has the same IP64 rating and the same 50MP IMX882 main camera with an 8MP ultrawide shooter. The battery is smaller at 5,000mAh, but it’s a bit faster with 90W charging (1-100% in 35 mins).
The Poco X6 (8/256GB) costs ₹18,500 right now, which pits it against the Z9s. It has the weaker Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, but makes up for it with an 8MP ultrawide and the same display as the F6. It has a comparable IP54 rating and a smaller 5,100mAh battery with 67W charging (100% in 44 mins).
Xiaomi Poco F6 • Xiaomi Poco X6
The OnePlus Nord 4 is a bit pricey (₹33,000 for 8/256GB), but can you really put a price on the joy of an aluminium unibody? This model features the faster Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset (with a Cortex-X4 core) and has a flat 6.74-inch 1240p+ display. It also has a 5,500mAh battery, this one with 100W charging (100% in 28 mins). The main camera uses the 50MP LYT-600 sensor, which is essentially the same as the IMX882, and it’s joined by an 8MP ultrawide. The phone is IP65 rated and has fast UFS 4.0 storage (vs. UFS 2.2 on the iQOO).
Alternatively, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus (8/256GB for ₹28,000) has a competitive Dimensity 7350 Pro chip and a flat 6.7-inch OLED (FHD+, 120Hz). And don’t forget the Glyph LED strips on the back. The 50MP main camera has a larger 1/1.57-inch sensor and is joined by a higher-res 50MP ultrawide. Even the selfie camera has a 50MP sensor (up from 16MP on the iQOO). The phone is IP54 rated and has a 5,000mAh battery with 50W charging (100% in 56 mins).
On the cheaper side, the CMF Phone 1 is priced at ₹18,000 for an 8/128GB model. That gets you the same Dimensity 7300 as the iQOO Z9s, but with a microSD expansion slot. The display is a 6.67-inch flat OLED panel (FHD+, 120Hz) and the back is removable, so you can customize the look of the phone (and attach a few accessories too). There’s a single 50MP camera on the back and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging inside. The removable back cover does hamper this phone’s ingress protection and only offers basic dust and water resistance.
OnePlus Nord 4 • Nothing Phone (2nd) Plus • vivo iQOO Z9s
What do you think of the iQOO Z9s Pro? Does it strike a good enough balance between price and features that you should consider it when buying a new phone?
What about the iQOO Z9s? It’s basically the same phone, but for 20% less money. A great deal or what?