iQOO Neo7 Pro review: Cost-effective premium phone
The regular Neo7 mid-range was a very good phone under the mid-range category. Now, the company has introduced a Pro model with power Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 silicon.
The company is offering the Neo7 Pro in two configurations-- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 34,999 and Rs 37,999.
On paper, it has everything we expect in a premium phone, but does it deliver? Here's what I think about the new Neo7 Pro.
Design, build quality, and display
The new Neo7 Pro shares the same design language as the regular Neo7 model. I am not complaining as the device looks great in the sunlight.
Our review unit is Dark Storm with a dark bluish hue and smooth matte texture that sparkles in the sunlight. It absolutely gorgeous-looking phone, but I am happier with the fact that it does an amazing job of repelling fingerprint smudges. Even the orange-hued Fearless Flame, which comes with a faux leather-like texture looks great too, but not sure how well it does with warding off the dust and stains.
However, the company does offer a free transparent silicone case to ensure the phone survives accidental drops. Even on the front, the Neo7 Pro comes pre-fitted with an additional layer of screen guard to protect against scratches.
At the top, it has one mic and IR infrared blaster. The latter will help users control smart devices at home with the phone. At the base, there is a Type-C port along with a mic, between a speaker on the right and a dual-SIM tray to the left. The SIM, unfortunately, doesn't come with a microSD slot.
On the right side, it has a volume rocker and power on the right side and on the opposite side, it has none.
As far as the display is concerned, it sports a really great 6.78-inch full HD+ (2400×1080p) AMOLED screen with HDR10+ support. It should be noted that the company has incorporated Pixelworks, a dedicated display chip, which promises a better viewing experience on the phone. And, it actually does excel in that aspect.
It supports 120Hz refresh rate, and can offer up to 1,500 nits brightness, which comes in handy while viewing content under the sunlight. With a high refresh rate, Neo7 Pro's screen scores well in delivering great browsing and gaming experience.
It also features an in-display fingerprint sensor; it works finely as long as the finger is clean and dry.
Performance
As noted earlier, the new iQOO Neo7 Pro is powered by Qualcomm's reliable 4nm class Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. It can clock up to 3.19Ghz CPU speed and the chipset comes paired with Adreno 730 GPU.
The device worked smoothly in all day-to-day tasks. Even when a lot of apps are working in the background, the apps are used to load swiftly without any discernible lag-ness. Also, even while recording 4K videos and during gaming, the device does not easily get heated up. It never overheated during the entire review period.
The device comes pre-installed with all core Google apps and some third-party apps including popular Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify. Even though they don't take up much space, the company has thoughtfully ensured there is a lot of storage space so that users need not worry much, FYI, there is no option for microSD. The base model comes with 128GB (UFS 3.1) and top-end model features 256GB(UFS 3.1).
The Neo7 Pro runs on Android 13-based Funtouch OS (same as on Vivo phones)and it is expected to get two updates and an additional year of security software support. If you are using the iQOO phones for the first time, it will take a few days to the hang of it but if you are a vivo phone user, you will feel at home navigating through the device.
With a 5,000mAh battery, it truly lives up to expectations. If you are a normal user who just answer calls, and message on WhatsApp, and spend a lot of time doom scrolling on social media platforms, the device can easily last a full day. If you go extreme on binging on OTT apps or playing graphics-rich games on certain days, just carry the 120W charger that comes with the retail box. It is such a big advantage of owning the Neo7 Pro. With just 10 minutes, it can charge up from zero to 50 per cent. And, it can go from zero to 100 per cent in around 30 minutes.
Photography
In this aspect, iQOO is not battling rivals with a high MP count of the camera. It has incorporated a good set of primary cameras enough to deliver a great photography experience.
The Neo7 Pro houses a triple camera module-- main 50M (1/1.57-inch Samsung GN5 sensor, f/1.88, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) + 8MP ultra-wide camera with (f/2.2) + 2MP macro camera (f/2.4) with LED flash.
The quality of the photos taken in the sunny is good as any premium phone, but it excels to capture almost accurate colours of the subject in low light caused by overcast. You can see the sample photos of ultra-wide angle shots and even the close-up shots in and around Bengaluru.
The photos are colorful and not overly bright as we see some of the phones in its class.
The ultra-wide-angle shots also manage to cover a vast track of the agriculture field with the Nandi Hills in the background. The green tall grass at the front and the dark vegetation on the hill range are captured really well by Neo7 Pro.
With portrait mode, the camera does a decent job of clearly demarcating the front and background of the full focus on the subject. The edges are well captured and background features a bokeh effect.
In the night mode, you need to have some patience to get it right. The moving vehicles get too skewed in the picture. But, if you are capturing still images of a person or landscape, the images come decent. The light of standing vehicles at traffic lights and those coming from buildings and streetlights in the backdrop are evenly balanced.
The macro mode does a good job of capturing minute details of the hibiscus flower's stigma and style.
Even the video quality is really good and the recording is really stable. It will surely help users capture good moments with friends and families at picnics and functions.
On the front, it features a 16MP (f/2.45, 1/3.1-inch sensor, 1.0µm: pixel size) wide camera. It takes pretty decent selfies and like others, the camera does overwork to smoothen the face to make the person photogenic. Even if you are not satisfied with the quality, there are superficial filters and tools to even adjust the eyes, the shape of the nose, and even the cheeks too.
Also, with the wide camera, it can cover a lot of people for group selfies.
And, it also supports high-resolution video recording, and provided you have a good stable internet connection, it can support smooth full HD (1080p at 30 fps) video calling.
Final thoughts: High on features and light on the pocket
Considering the overall aspects, iQOO Neo7 Pro is a terrific premium phone. I am very impressed with the premium build quality and the performance is very smooth. Gaming too, it doesn't easily get heated up and remains stable. Over the entire review period, it did not show any sign of lag-ness as such. It delivers a long battery life and the superfast 120W charging is a big bonus; saves a lot of time for working professionals.
The Photography may not be as great as the Pixel 7a series. It is definitely better than most and on par with some in its class.
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