iQOO Neo 10R Review: Excellent Value for Money?

iQOO’s Neo 10R could not find yourself being the successor to final yr’s iQOO Neo 9 Professional when evaluating worth tags. Nonetheless, the 2 telephones seem to cross paths as a result of their {hardware} specs and options overlap in a number of areas. The brand new iQOO Neo 10R lacks the “Professional” branding and, so we might count on a correct successor to the iQOO Neo 9 Professional, earlier than later. Curiously, every of those two telephones have their robust factors. In case you are trying to purchase the iQOO Neo 10R, you must also check out the Neo 9 Professional and here is why.

iQOO Neo 10R Design: Plain Jane

• Dimensions – 163.7 x 75.8 x 7.9mm
• Weight – 196g
• Sturdiness – IP65

In comparison with the iQOO Neo 9 Professional, the iQOO Neo 10R is as fundamental as doable. Sure, it has a slim total look, however the supplies used are fairly fundamental. The complicated graphics apart, the Raging Blue end makes use of a polycarbonate body and a polycarbonate rear panel. I’ve no points with its polycarbonate body, as its total high quality is kind of good and helps with the telephone’s weight. However its polycarbonate rear panel is a correct smudge and dirt magnet. These are simple to wipe off, however they simply want some pores and skin contact to get smudgy as soon as once more.

Using polycarbonate does make sense as a result of this telephone packs a really high-capacity battery. And even after taking such weight-saving (or cost-cutting) measures, the telephone nonetheless feels a bit heavy at 196 grams.

The iQOO Neo 10R’s Raging Blue end is a really complicated colourway

 

An IP65 score is nice to have at this worth level, however there are competing smartphones that supply a greater IP68 score for mud and water resistance. Nonetheless, do understand that most producer warranties don’t cowl injury as a consequence of water ingress.

A design component that I actually favored in regards to the iQOO Neo 10R is to do with its show. It has very skinny borders on the prime, left and proper. The border on the backside, too, is kind of skinny, regardless that it’s kind of thicker than the others.

iQOO Neo 10R Show: Neat and tidy!

• Show dimension – 6.78-inch, 1,260 x 2,800 pixels, 1.5K, 452 ppi
• Show sort – AMOLED, 60-90-120Hz
• Show safety – Schott Xensation Up

The show exhibits principally pure colors within the default display screen color mode. Sharpness is on level, and the show will get sufficiently vibrant (4,500 nits peak) open air. Regardless of packing the identical peak brightness because the Nothing Cellphone 3a, I seen that iQOO’s show sustained these brightness ranges for lots longer.

iQOO makes use of Schott Xensation Up glass for show safety. It does a superb job of rejecting fingerprints, which contrasts with the rear panel.

 

The show additionally helps Widevine L1, that means you possibly can stream content material in Full HD high quality. To my shock, the show can also be HDR10 licensed and supported content material on supported apps appeared as anticipated.

The in-display fingerprint reader works as anticipated, and I had no hassle utilizing it throughout the testing interval.

iQOO Neo 10R Software program: One thing higher

• Android model – Android 15
• Software program – Funtouch OS 15
• Software program dedication – 3 years of software program and 4 years of safety updates

The iQOO Neo 10R runs Funtouch OS 15, which is powered by Android 15. Funtouch OS initially focussed on areas that different smartphone manufacturers ignored (fingerprint unlock customisation, charging animations, and so forth). However with Funtouch OS 15, they’ve added new stay wallpapers, new icon types, new always-on show results and many extra. The OS, typically, additionally feels fluid and responsive.

I additionally like that you would be able to run even probably the most demanding video games in a pop-up window, which turns out to be useful when it’s important to wait in your flip. Otherwise you merely have to get another activity finished in full-screen whereas ready in your sport to log in/load.

Funtouch OS 15 will get Android 15, some AI instruments and loads of customisation choices

 

There’s additionally the same old set of synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments. The AI Erase device works surprisingly nicely however struggles when eradicating sophisticated objects in a scene. After deciding on the item you need to erase, you too can see how the device progressively erases it from the picture because it’s getting processed. There’s additionally an AI-enabled Photograph Improve device, which is constructed to boost the decision of Portrait images. The content material creation AI instruments additionally labored as anticipated.

Throughout the testing interval, I do not keep in mind getting any spammy notifications, however the telephone does include a bunch of preinstalled third-party apps. Nonetheless, they are often uninstalled when you have no use for them.

iQOO Neo 10R Efficiency: Nice for its worth

• Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• RAM – 8/12GB (LPDDR5X)
• Storage – 128/256GB (UFS 4.1, UFS 3.1 for 8+128GB)

Funtouch OS runs easily sans any hiccups. With indoor use, the telephone not often heats up besides when enjoying demanding video games like Genshin Impression. Open air, it is enterprise as ordinary till you fireplace up the digital camera and begin capturing. That is when the telephone begins to warmth up. Funtouch OS nonetheless runs buttery-smooth on this situation, and the identical will be mentioned in regards to the digital camera app. The warmth generated when utilizing the digital camera app can primarily be felt on the show and never a lot on the rear panel or the body. Regardless of getting very popular, the telephone didn’t ask me to cease recording 4K 60 fps video, nor did it cut back the variety of digital camera options out there.

As for gaming, which is the spotlight of this telephone, it carried out as anticipated. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is just not a high-end premium chipset; the truth is, the marginally older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 within the iQoo Neo 9 Professional performs higher in some areas.

The iQOO Neo 10R has a twin rear digital camera setup

 

I might play Name of Responsibility: Cellular comfortably at Very Excessive graphics and Max body price with none heating points, with the telephone managing a gradual 59-61 fps throughout gameplay. So, I attempted out one thing a bit tougher (by way of graphics) and put in Genshin Impression. The telephone managed a gradual 60 fps with all graphics settings maxed out to Excessive. Nonetheless, at Very Excessive graphics settings, even 30 fps was a bit unstable. That is superb provided that it is solely the top-end chipsets on premium units that may deal with this setting nicely.

Briefly, iQOO Neo 10R is a performer who can deal with most video games nicely with out noticeable efficiency points. For a smartphone priced from Rs. 26,999, it does ship by way of uncooked efficiency, as will be seen from the desk beneath.

 

 

iQOO Neo 10R Cameras: May have been higher

• Major digital camera – 50-megapixel, f/1.79, OIS, AF
• Ultrawide digital camera – 8-megapixel, f/2.2, FF
• Selfie digital camera – 32-megapixel, f/2.4, FF

I’ve in contrast the iQOO Neo 10R to the Nothing Cellphone 3a I reviewed earlier to provide our readers an thought about the place the iQOO ranks at this worth level.

The Nothing Cellphone 3a’s main digital camera (beneath) performs higher in a fundamental daylight picture comparability

 

Off the bat, there appears to be a color consistency drawback each between the 2 rear-facing cameras and even when utilizing the first digital camera itself. Within the Pure color mode, images present barely muted colors in comparison with the ultrawide digital camera, which confirmed probably the most true-to-life colors. On the similar time, when capturing objects up shut, I seen that the first digital camera randomly boosts saturation ranges, so you could discover a robust pink or inexperienced tone when utilizing it, relying on what you seize.

The Nothing Cellphone 3a’s main digital camera (beneath) shoots images with higher color accuracy when capturing close-up images

 

Color accuracy apart, the images from the first digital camera do a little bit of submit processing, including a little bit of distinction. Whereas I like that this processing provides some emotion to the pictures captured (regardless of reducing down on the general dynamic vary), the {hardware} in some way is unable to drag a lot element from a scene even in daylight, resulting in decreased element and elevated softness, particularly close to the sides of the body.

In low gentle or street-lit scenes, the iQOO Neo 10R’s main digital camera suffers from the identical points with softer pictures which can be low on resolved element. Nothing manages higher. (High: iQOO Neo 10R, backside: Nothing Cellphone 3a)

 

As for the iQOO Neo 10R’s ultrawide digital camera, it produces poor pictures, that are a bit too gentle, lacks any resolved element in any respect and in addition present numerous purple fringing within the vibrant areas.

 

When capturing in low gentle, the images from the iQOO Neo 10R (prime) are primarily unusable versus what you get from the Nothing Cellphone 3a (beneath).

 

Portrait mode selfies captured in daylight have respectable edge detection however are a bit low on element, regardless that they seem a bit oversharpened. Low-light selfies additionally minimize down on element and, regardless of utilizing the show flash, have an over-processed look.

 

Video recordings in daylight are surprisingly good. 1080p video recordings (30 and 60fps) confirmed correct colors have a {smooth} framerate together with good stabilisation. 4K video recordings seem cropped and mimic the 1080p footage by way of character however with barely higher high quality. Capturing at 4K at 60fps provides the highest quality however will restrict you to the first digital camera solely. Sadly, in low gentle, noise creeps in, and the movies seem gentle and blurry at finest.

iQOO Neo 10R Battery: Implausible

• Battery capability – 6,400mAh
• Wired charging – 80W
• Charger within the field – Sure

With a large battery and good standby time, the iQOO Neo 10R simply lasts a complete day and a bit extra with heavy utilization. With informal use, count on this one to final greater than 1.5 days on a single cost. Our video loop take a look at, which runs an HD video in a loop at 50 p.c brightness until the battery runs out, lasted a powerful 34 hours and 56 minutes. Operating the PC Mark Work Battery take a look at noticed the telephone final an equally spectacular 24 hours and 38 minutes, far forward of its rivals.

The iQOO Neo 10R prices very quick, given the excessive capability of its battery

 

Charging speeds are equally spectacular, provided that this telephone packs a high-capacity 6,400mAh battery. The bundled charger managed a 26 p.c cost in quarter-hour, 55 p.c in half an hour and one hundred pc cost in an hour, finishing the charging course of 3 minutes later (1 hour and three minutes).

iQOO Neo 10R Verdict

Certainly, the iQOO Neo 10R packs fairly the punch given its attractively low price ticket. The telephone delivers on the subject of software program efficiency, gaming, battery life, and charging, however it comes up quick within the digital camera division.

It is right here that the not too long ago launched Nothing Cellphone 3a (Assessment) shines, preserving in thoughts its cheaper price, coupled with its arsenal of cameras which can be uncommon for this worth section. Whereas its software program expertise is unmatched on this section, the Nothing Cellphone 3a is just not a performance-oriented machine just like the Neo 10R.

A direct competitor to the iQOO Neo 10R is the Poco F6 (Assessment), which retails at a cheaper price. Fortuitously for the Poco, it additionally packs good digital camera efficiency (main solely). Nonetheless, it additionally can’t match the Neo 10R on the subject of battery life or charging.

At a further Rs. 5,000, is the elephant within the room, the iQOO Neo 9 Professional (Assessment), it packs a robust, premium-grade Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, a superb set of cameras and even provides a greater end with a vegan-leather possibility. Battery and charging are top-notch, although inferior to the Neo 10R. When you can stretch your finances a bit, I extremely advocate skipping the iQOO Neo 10R and reaching for the Neo 9 Professional as an alternative.