iQOO Z10x Review: A Big Battery Budget Smartphone

The premiumisation of the funds smartphone, which began just a few years in the past (and continues in the present day), meant that everybody would have bought a sub-Rs. 15,000 gadget have been then prepared to spend upwards of Rs. 20,000, supplied the gadget justified its price ticket. It might accomplish this by providing a good set of cameras with good efficiency, sooner charging, higher shows and extra. And so you could possibly purchase a high quality smartphone just like the Realme 9 Professional+ that checked all of the containers on the decrease finish of the mid-range.

The ‘5G Tax’ (the price of including 5G connectivity to a smartphone) additionally compelled the value-for-money funds phase to show into bare-bones units, which acquired you fewer cameras (in comparison with their 4G counterparts), fundamental plastic designs and common battery life. These smartphones solely existed to ship 5G connectivity for these on tight budgets and nothing extra. However after years of delivering the identical telephones with the identical technique, issues are lastly beginning to change.

There are just a few units, such because the Poco M7 Professional and the CMF Cellphone 1, that provide extra than simply fundamental 5G connectivity below Rs. 15,000. After releasing a fundamental 5G-enabled Z9x final yr, iQOO’s Z10x lastly seems to be steering issues in the best path. iQOO’s newest Z10x provides much more options to the combo, however does it minimize any corners to get there?

iQOO Z10x Design: What’s with that digital camera?

• Dimensions – 165.7 x 76.3 x 8.09mm
• Weight – 204 grams
• Sturdiness – IP64

Whereas the iQOO Z9x went with a slightly fundamental design, the iQOO Z10x not less than makes some trustworthy makes an attempt to interrupt the mould. It nonetheless makes use of polycarbonate plastic for its rear panel and mid-frame, however the total match and end are lots higher this time.

The mid-frame has flat sides with bevelled edges, whereas the rear panel has curved edges round, making the telephone comfy to carry. That is necessary as a result of it is a big-battery smartphone that feels a bit heavy at 204 grams. Whereas I am not a fan of the lavender color of the Ultramarine end, I do like that iQOO has made makes an attempt to provide it a delicate wave-like sample, which is seen at sure angles. It makes this fundamental funds smartphone really feel a bit particular. I am additionally blissful to see that this polycarbonate rear panel doesn’t collect smudges or appeal to mud resulting from its frosted look and texture.

iQOO’s Z10x has polycarbonate mid-frame and rear panel

 

As identified in my first impressions, the digital camera module appears like there’s lots occurring, and it is filled with options. Including to this picture is its chunky look. It protrudes fairly a bit, making the telephone wobble lots when positioned on a flat floor.

Quickly after the unboxing, I used to be a bit shocked to find that it had only one user-accessible digital camera on the again. The second is a 2-megapixel depth sensor for the Portrait mode, whereas the third camera-like cavity is an infrared blaster.

Inserting the infrared blaster within the digital camera module makes little sense. The IR blaster is often positioned on the highest fringe of the telephone in order that it is pointing in the best path when utilizing the built-in app. Anybody trying to make use of the distant management characteristic to manage an equipment will clearly be sitting upright and holding the telephone close to waist stage.

The infrared (IR) blaster is oddly positioned in the back of the telephone

 

As a result of this IR blaster is positioned on the again, it’s a must to maintain the telephone up in a single hand (making certain it is pointed on the proper equipment) after which use your different hand to function the Good Distant app, making it a two-handed affair. The positioning of the IR blaster is clearly a beauty transfer to make the digital camera seem refined and interesting (like a triple digital camera setup).

One other new addition to the digital camera module is the Dynamic gentle, which has been borrowed from Vivo’s Y sequence. The Dynamic gentle mainly capabilities as a notification LED, alerting customers about incoming calls, messages, music, and even the battery’s charging state. You may select between three preset colors, however you can’t customise and select a shade from a color picker. General, I did discover the Dynamic gentle characteristic helpful. When charging the telephone you possibly can solely inform when the telephone is charging (blinking inexperienced), totally charged (regular color of your alternative) and low battery (pink), which is helpful supplied you all the time maintain your telephone face down. Oddly, the settings for this characteristic are weirdly buried within the Settings > Shortcuts and Accessibility > Dynamic gentle part of the Settings app.

The wave-like sample on the Ultramarine end is seen solely at sure angles

 

The iQOO Z10x, identical to the iQOO Z9x, will get an IP64 ranking for mud and water resistance. This ranking supplies full safety towards mud and sand however is simply splash-proof on the subject of water. Nonetheless, iQOO’s guarantee doesn’t cowl injury brought on by liquid ingress, so it is sensible to be a bit cautious. The iQOO Z10x is MIL-STD-810H licensed, which means that this gadget can perform usually in excessive climates and temperatures.

iQOO Z10x Show: Will get the job finished

• Show measurement – 6.72-inch, 2,408 x 1,080 pixels, full-HD+
• Show kind – LCD, 60-90-120Hz
• Show safety – Panda glass

Identical to its predecessor, the protecting show glass on the iQOO Z10x will get smudged simply. The show’s colors seem saturated when utilizing the default Customary color mode, however seem extra pure with the ‘Skilled’ preset. It will get sufficiently vivid when used outside, each when shopping via apps or viewing video content material. Nonetheless, being an LCD, it doesn’t provide the deepest blacks like some AMOLED shows (accessible on competing smartphones) can. You may nonetheless take pleasure in your streaming exhibits at full-HD decision in commonplace definition, because the telephone helps Widevine L1 playback specification.

The iQOO Z10x’s show has noticeably thick borders, particularly on the backside

 

Discovering an At all times-on-display (AOD) characteristic within the personalisation setting was a little bit of a shock. It is because the characteristic will eat numerous energy on an LCD panel, which, not like an AMOLED panel, can not shut off its unused pixels however has to maintain its complete backlight on. Fortunately, iQOO’s software program solely permits the AOD characteristic to come back alive when a brand new notification arrives or upon waking up the gadget.

iQOO Z10x Software program: Customary stuff

• Android model – 15
• Software program – Funtouch OS 15
• Software program dedication – 2 years software program, 3 years safety

Funtouch OS has been round for some time and desires no particular introduction. With Funtouch OS 15, Vivo added a bunch of latest AI instruments among the many many new customisation options which have been lacking in previous variations. The brand new AI instruments are sensible however not precisely succesful on the subject of picture modifying.

The telephone does include some bloatware and third-party apps, however the latter could be uninstalled if not required. Unusually, there, I obtained only a few spammy notifications in the course of the evaluation interval. These have been primarily from the Browser app, which can push notifications even in case you have by no means opened the app. Avoiding opening the V-Appstore (or ignoring it altogether) can be a great way to keep away from getting pointless notifications from it.

iQOO’s Funtouch OS 15 brings some AI instruments to Android 15

 

iQOO and Vivo’s first rate monitor document with delivering updates primarily applies to its premium and mid-range units. Price range units do take further time to obtain their updates and, so customers could be left wanting for extra, as promised updates arrive a bit later than anticipated. With this in thoughts, iQOO providing simply two years of OS updates is worrisome for individuals who maintain on to their units for a few years. The nice factor is that the telephone already ships with Android 15, so with two years of updates, there’s a good likelihood it should get upgraded to Android 16 and perhaps Android 17.

iQOO Z10x Efficiency: Pretty much as good because it will get

• Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 7300, 2.5GHz, 4nm
• RAM – 6/8GB (LPDDR4X)
• Storage – 128/256GB (UFS 3.1)

Funtouch OS 15 runs easily on mid-range and premium units, it isn’t the case with a funds smartphone just like the Z10x. With the display screen’s refresh price set to Auto, I seen fairly just a few hiccups on occasion, the place the telephone stuttered whereas scrolling via feeds or lagged a bit when launching apps. There seems to be an absence of software program optimisation, as, at instances, it felt just like the {hardware} was struggling to maintain up with the software program’s gestures. It is 2025, and whereas all of that is acceptable on entry-level units with barebones {hardware}, iQOO wants to shine the Z10x’s software program, as I’m reviewing the 8GB RAM variant.

The iQOO Z10x’s show is a smudgy mess

 

The stereo audio system present a really treble-heavy sound, but it surely’s simply not loud sufficient. The telephone has an Audio Booster mode which bumps up the quantity to 400 p.c, but it surely solely sounds worse (learn tinny) when you cross 100%. One is certainly higher off connecting a pair of wired earphones. However iQOO selected to take away the three.5mm headphone jack this yr. So, TWS it’s!

The telephone has no noticeable heating points even when utilizing the digital camera app. iQOO appears to have made good use of the graphite sheets as this telephone doesn’t pack any vapour chamber cooling system (given its worth level).

As for uncooked efficiency, the iQOO Z10x carried out nicely in comparison with its opponents on this phase, as is seen within the desk under.

 

 

Gaming efficiency is sweet, holding in thoughts different units accessible on this phase. After all, the telephone struggles to take care of a gradual body price, but it surely’s potential to play Name of Responsibility: Cell at Very Excessive graphics settings. Contact sampling is nearly ample. You may take pleasure in smoother gameplay at Low graphics and Extremely body price, however the body price hovers round 60 fps and nothing past.

iQOO Z10x Cameras: Standard, usual

• Main digital camera – 50-megapixel, f/1.8, AF
• Depth digital camera – 2-megapixel
• Selfie digital camera – 8-megapixel, f/2.05, FF

Since there is just one accessible digital camera on the again, it has to tackle the roles of a number of lenses and, due to this fact, should be adaptable to numerous conditions. Certainly, not a lot has modified when it comes to imaging in comparison with the iQOO Z9x, and it’s because the iQOO Z10x additionally makes use of the identical {hardware} as its predecessor.

iQOO Z10x main digital camera samples (faucet pictures to increase)

 

In daylight, the first digital camera, at its default magnification, captures common images for a smartphone at this worth level. The images will look wonderful in your telephone, however zoom in even a bit bit, and the photographs begin to tear up. Dynamic vary is first rate, however there’s loads of noise seen, particularly within the shadows, even in daylight. Additionally, you will come throughout random patches with garbled particulars (dangerous noise processing), as is seen from the pattern displaying a foremost street above. Something that strikes will get blurred, and so the foliage and finer particulars are sometimes misplaced.

Below dim or low gentle with road lighting, pictures seem comfortable and have a water-colour impact with blurred particulars

 

Utilizing the 2X zoom (under) just isn’t really helpful, because the telephone struggles to seize first rate pictures at its default capturing decision. The 10cm focussing vary did enable me to get shut sufficient for close-up photographs (above).

 

The selfie digital camera gives good edge detection, however the picture high quality is strictly common.

 

Selfies have common element and seem barely comfortable, relying on the accessible gentle. The digital camera additionally has hassle exposing the topic in very vivid environments, as could be seen within the first selfie pattern. In low gentle, it isn’t price pulling out this telephone for a selfie, even with the display screen flash turned on.

On condition that it is a funds smartphone, my expectations with video recording weren’t very excessive. The rear digital camera form of proved this level by capturing very fundamental video high quality (you possibly can inform what’s taking place in a scene) with dangerous dynamic vary (clipped shadows). The telephone additionally struggles to maintain the body in focus whereas panning, and the EIS leads to a really cropped view. In low gentle, the small print simply aren’t there. It is onerous to establish individuals even when capturing a brightly lit road from an in depth distance. The video recording additionally seems jerky when strolling as a result of the digital camera lacks OIS.

iQOO Z10x Battery: Spectacular!

• Battery capability – 6,500mAh
• Wired charging – 44W
• Charger within the field – Sure

In our PC Mark Work Battery check, which runs a bunch of purposes on a loop until the telephone’s battery drains to twenty p.c, the iQOO Z10x managed a good 24 hours and 10 minutes. In our video loop check, which performs an HD video on loop until the battery runs out, it managed a stable 37 hours and 46 minutes. Final yr’s iQOO Z9x lasted 22 hours and 35 minutes in the identical check, which fits to indicate that the upper capability battery does result in enhancements in battery life.

iQOO’s Z10x packs a high-capacity 6,500mAh battery

 

In the course of the testing interval, regardless of heavy utilization with the telephone getting used repeatedly (social media apps, mail, messaging and many others., video streaming, 3D gaming), I solely managed to empty the telephone’s battery to 40 p.c. So, it is protected to imagine that no matter your utilization, it ought to final you greater than a day of heavy use and about two days with informal utilization.

Charging is one space that has not acquired any upgrades. The charger is not precisely gradual, however when paired with a battery with such a excessive capability, charging takes some time. It is nonetheless tolerable, with the telephone managing a 38 p.c cost in half-hour, 74 p.c in an hour and finishing the charging course of in 1 hour and 36 minutes.

iQOO Z10x Verdict

After spending time with the iQOO Z10x, it is clear that the model has not minimize any corners for its new Z sequence smartphone. iQOO has tried to repair the failings of the earlier mannequin however got here up wanting the competitors in some areas. There’s a silver lining to iQOO’s efforts to face out (larger battery delivers higher standby), but it surely might have targeted its efforts on better-optimised software program and a greater set of cameras, even when it simply delivers the fundamentals.

Poco’s M7 Professional (Evaluation) could not provide one of the best efficiency in its phase, but it surely will get you an AMOLED panel with deep blacks that many will recognize and an OIS-stabilised digital camera that may get you sharper images. It is nonetheless the telephone to beat on this phase, with costs ranging from as little as Rs. 13,700 for the bottom 6GB RAM variant. CMF’s Cellphone 1 (Evaluation), other than its Tremendous AMOLED show and barely higher cameras (in comparison with the Z10x), additionally gives one thing thrilling with its modular method for the DIY crowd at this worth level.