iQOO has made itself a force in the performance-centric segment and devices like the iQOO Neo 10 look to build on its stature with more purpose and value. iQOO sees the need for a product that delivers on multiple fronts without making big compromises and the iQOO Neo 10 is offered with those promises within the Rs 40,000 price range.

It has the new Qualcomm hardware, the latest silicone carbide battery tech under the hood and other basic requirements like display and multiple cameras to fix the puzzle. But does the iQOO Neo 10 justify its offering, price tag with performance needs of users and some more? We tested the device to find these answers.

Slim And Not Fragile 

iQOO Neo 10 goes for durability which means instead of glass you get a plastic back panel and the frame as well. Going for this material will have its critics but it doesn’t look cheap by any means.

The design changes means you get 8.1mm thickness packed into a device that weighs over 205 grams but you don’t feel the balance out of place and the in-hand grip of the iQOO Neo 10 is as most people would like.

The phone comes with IP65 rating and some form of military-grade protection which we wouldn’t like to test no matter what the brand claims. The tall screen profile is the standard iQOO blueprint and when you focus on varied kinds of users, you cannot experiment with the screen size. 

Display Matching Ambitions 

iQOO is not making any cuts with the display quality on the Neo 10. You get a 6.78-inch AMOLED 1B colours panel with 144Hz refresh rate for gaming and 4400 nits of peak brightness. The screen gets Shield glass protection which has shown its resistance to rough usage. These features translate into a bright and crisp panel that is true to the colours and natural tones. 

The brightness for outdoor readability is also quite good and you won’t have complaints about it. The bezels around the screen are not the thinnest but we give iQOO a pass for giving it the right symmetry which is good for viewing.

Having said that, not having an LTPO panel means you have to manually switch between the higher refresh rates, or resort to the smart switch feature available in the device settings. 

The No Nonsense Performer 

iQOO Neo 10 uses the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset which has shown some decent numbers but yet to be truly tested. And fair enough, the new hardware on the Neo 10 delivers a solid, no nonsense performance, which both regular and heavy users will cherish. The benchmark scores gave further credibility to those claims, and it is easy to see this chipset working out for most people out there.

Having said that, the plastic body makes you feel the heat inside the device which is not regular but something to keep in mind nevertheless. You will enjoy using the phone for gaming at highest settings on the bright and punchy display, it will be equally reliable for the daily grind and some more. 

iQOO Neo 10 comes with Funtouch OS 15 version and the pre-loaded apps issue continues with the new phone. To be fair the number has come down in comparison to last year but you have apps like Themes and Games Centre that annoy you with push alerts unless you disable them in the settings. 

The company is offering 3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates for the device which is the same as most brands in the segment, except Samsung. The software is reliable but we would just like some polishing and refinement in the next version to match the hardware ambitions of iQOO devices. 

Cameras Work 

The Neo 10 comes with the standard 50MP primary sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The telephoto sensor is missing but the main camera shows its worth to some extent.

You can capture decent photos in most conditions even though the details can be sketchy in some cases. The colours are not boosted but the skin tones are not natural which is clear with the lack of a dedicated portrait sensor. The camera does a decent job but that’s about it. 

Just Keeps Going On 

iQOO Neo 10 carries a sleek frame but still packs a 7,000mAh battery which is a big feat for sure. It supports 120W charging out of the box as well, again a big plus. But how does the unit work out in daily use? We got the best PCMark battery result of over 25 hours with the Neo 10, which generally means you can eke out more than a day and half on a single charge and still have some juice left in the tank.

That’s when you plug in the 120W charger and go from 20 to 100 percent in under 30 minutes. The device does get warm in the process but no damages to its efficiency. 

iQOO Neo 10 comes with a powerful and reliable hardware that is suited for all users. The punchy display and the 7,000mAh battery doubles up to give you the ideal workhorse device. The software still needs some refinement but most of you might be happy to live with that because of the overall package.