Whereas iQOO launched only one Neo system final 12 months, it has already moved on to the second mannequin within the lineup for 2025. The brand new iQOO Neo 10 is the primary telephone in India to characteristic the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, paired with iQOO’s in-house Q1 graphics chip and a 7,000 mAh battery, making it clearly geared toward gaming fanatics. However does the Neo 10 dwell as much as the Neo sequence’ popularity, or is it simply one other mildly tweaked entry in a crowded market? I’ve been utilizing the iQOO Neo 10 for the previous 10 days, and right here’s the way it holds up in the true world.
Unboxing and design:
Contained in the black-coloured field of the iQOO Neo 10, you get all the usual stuff, which incorporates the system itself wrapped inside a paper protecting, a clear plastic case, a SIM ejector software, a USB-A to USB-C sort cable, and a few paperwork which, let’s be sincere, nobody is ever going to learn.
When it comes to design, the iQOO Neo 10 is sort of a reproduction of the Neo 10R (Review), which launched again in March. The telephone options the identical squiricle digital camera outlet however with a little bit of design across the edges, iQOO branding on the backside, a plastic again, and a plastic body.
The in-hand really feel of the Neo 10 is not actually best, particularly for a tool priced over ₹30,000. The total plastic exterior paired with the 6.78-inch show makes the telephone really feel hefty and uninspiring, and the suggestions from the three buttons on the proper doesn’t do it any favours both.
Much like the Neo 10R, this telephone additionally comes with an IP65 water and mud proof score, that means it could actually additionally deal with a little bit of splashes however not full submersion below water. When it comes to connectivity, there’s help for WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC and an IR blaster.
Show:
The telephone comes with a 6.78 inch 1.5K AMOLED show with 144Hz refresh fee (120Hz in most situations), HDR10+ certification and 5,000 nits of peak brightness (2000 nits in Excessive Brightness Mode). It is a flat panel just like the Neo 10R, making it extra interesting to avid gamers.
The panel right here delivers spectacular color replica, deep contrasts, and nice brightness ranges which paired with the decently loud stereo speaker setup make the Neo 10 an ideal companion for these binge watching classes. In peak open air, the show stilll stays fairly legible however the glare from the panel and make the output look lower than best.
Digital camera:
The iQOO Neo 10 options the identical digital camera setup because the Neo 10R, with a 50MP Sony IMX882 main sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 32MP selfie shooter.
The true-life output from the Neo 10 can also be largely just like its sibling, with the first digital camera being able to taking some handsome pictures within the daytime with loads of element and first rate dynamic vary. Whereas the first shooter handles low-light situations impressively nicely, I did discover some lens flare points, with colored streaks or ghost rings showing whereas capturing vibrant lights like streetlights.
In comparison with its main competitors, nonetheless, the Neo 10 misses out large time because of the lack of a telephoto lens. Furthermore, the photographs from the 13R appear to retain extra element, highlights, and seize colors which might be nearer to actual life in my expertise.
Transferring on to the ultra-wide angle lens, the 8MP shooter does the job, however the important color shift and loss intimately in comparison with the first shooter imply one wouldn’t be counting on it an excessive amount of.
The 32MP selfie shooter takes some detail-rich and eye-pleasing pictures below good lighting, however the low-light efficiency of the sensor is considerably underwhelming, with color accuracy going for a toss and the Neo 10 displaying an inclination to ‘beautify’ the photographs.
Efficiency:
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor on iQOO Neo 10 is coupled the system with LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.1 storage — a welcome step, particularly contemplating that some telephones on this value section, just like the Nothing Cellphone 3a Professional, nonetheless ship with UFS 2.2 storage.
The brand new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor is succesful, and I did not expertise any persistent heating points with this chipset, not like with many 8s Gen 3 telephones. When it comes to day-to-day utilization, I discovered no points with the Neo 10: the app opening time is nice, as is the multitasking expertise, which is to be anticipated from a flagship grade chipset.
Owing to the height summer season warmth, the telephone does get a bit of heat throughout extended gaming classes, however it by no means turned too uncomfortable to carry, and the warmth dissipated rapidly as soon as the telephone was left alone.
Now, let’s check out the benchmarks of iQOO Neo 10:
On GeekBench 6, the telephone will get a single-core rating of two,102 and a multi-core rating of 6,572 for the CPU benchmark. As for the GPU benchmark, the Neo 10 garnered a rating of 14,338.
- On 3D Mark’s Excessive Wild Life Stress Check, the telephone acquired a greatest loop rating of three,217 and a lowest loop rating of two,174 with 67.6% stability. As compared, the OnePlus 13R had a better greatest loop rating of 5,036 and a lowest loop rating of two,758, however with a decrease stability fee at 54.8%.
Software program and battery:
iQOO Neo 10 runs on Funtouch OS 15 based mostly on Android 15, and iQOO has promised 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of safety patches with this system. In case you aren’t conscious of Funtouch OS, it’s the UI discovered on all Vivo and iQOO telephones in India.
One good factor I like about Funtouch OS is that there’s an choice to disable a lot of the bloatware if one is scrutinous through the preliminary setup course of. Nevertheless, regardless of that, a number of third-party apps nonetheless come bundled with the Neo 10, together with Snapchat, PhonePe, Fb, Spotify, Amazon, LinkedIn, and Netflix. The UI can also be full of advertisements—from the search drawer to the lock display screen—and disabling all of them is a process by itself.
Usually talking, Funtouch OS is a good choice for individuals who don’t actually care about their software program expertise, with all options so as, however it lacks the finesse provided by another smartphone makers like Samsung’s One UI or OnePlus’s OxygenOS.
When it comes to battery, the Neo 10 comes with a 7,000mAh setup with help for 100W quick charging, however there’s a 120W charger that comes contained in the field. The battery life is sweet sufficient to final nicely over a day, even for heavy customers, with a mean screen-on time of round 8–9 hours, and it takes about 40–45 minutes to completely prime up the battery.
Verdict:
At a beginning value of ₹31,999, the iQOO Neo 10 makes a powerful case for itself as a gaming-focused telephone, because of the brand new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, LPDDR5X RAM, UFS 4.1 storage, an enormous 7,000mAh battery, 120W quick charging, and a flat 120Hz AMOLED panel.
That mentioned, it’s arduous to see this telephone placing a chord with the broader viewers. The all-plastic construct feels dated at this value, and the absence of a telephoto lens or an IP68 score, mixed with the persistent advertisements and preinstalled bloatware on Funtouch OS 15, is perhaps a dealbreaker for a lot of.
