iQOO Neo 7 Review: The Best Gaming Phone Under Rs 30,000

The iQOO Neo 7 5G isn’t a phone that tries to do everything; but it does one thing very well. In other words, a smartphone designed for gaming, the iQOO Neo 7 delivers on many fronts and makes a sensible compromise – especially considering its affordable price.

Having used the phone for over a month, I can confidently say that if you want a gaming phone under Rs 30,000, reliable performance and a functional design, the iQOO Neo 7 can be a viable choice.

This is our review of the iQOO Neo 7 5G.

Performance: No sweat

iQOO Neo 7’s performance is its main selling point. Thanks to Dimensity 8200 SoC and 12 GB RAM, the phone is very fast. I’ve never experienced any lag – be it gaming or doing normal tasks.

Especially for gaming, the phone is a great choice! You can enjoy a smooth 90 frames per second in games like Call of Duty Mobile, and the phone can withstand heavy workloads for a long time. The longest I played COD Mobile was about 45 minutes at a time, and I didn’t notice many frame drops.

The Dimensity 8200 that powers the device is a 4nm chip, and based on my testing it sits somewhere between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and the mighty 8 Gen 2 in terms of gaming.

Sure, it gets a little warm, but what phone doesn’t, right?

Screen, speakers and media consumption

The iQOO Neo 7’s screen may not be the best in its class, but it’s still good. Thanks to the 120 Hz AMOLED panel, rich blacks and wonderful viewing angles make the screen quite comfortable. The outdoor brightness, which the brand says is up to 1300 nits, was enough for me to see the screen in the bright Rajasthani sun. I really appreciate thin bezels and a flat screen. As a gaming-focused device, the flat screen avoids the problem of accidental touches that certain *Galaxy* high-end flagships have.

However, the speakers need improvement. Although they have stereo speakers – one in the ear piece and one in the base, the stereo separation, mids and lows are not very good. The speakers are loud enough, but lack sharpness. While playing, I didn’t mind the speakers much because I could hear the steps of the games clearly. The call quality was also excellent. I heard the other person fine and they said I sounded fine too. So no problems here.

Camera: Has potential, but could be better

The iQOO Neo 7 has a dual camera setup on the back: a 64-megapixel main sensor and a secondary “bokeh” sensor. Although this setup has fewer lenses than the iQOO Neo 6 (which had both wide- and ultra-wide-angle lenses), the iQOO Neo 7’s main camera has good image quality for the price.

Dynamic range is accurate in most cases, and HDR is balanced, and highlight roll off is well done. I compared it to the Samsung Galaxy S23, which is a much more expensive device, and I was surprised that I barely noticed a difference in detail.

Even in indoor artificial lighting, the images become sharp. However, the 4k30 video is not very impressive. It lacks detail, overexposes highlights and is quite unstable.

The front camera, which is 16 megapixels, is suitable for the casual selfie-taker, but if you like natural photos without extra beautification and skin smoothing and texture change, the iQOO Neo 7 is not the right phone for you.

In portrait mode, it adds extra sharpness, which is not very attractive. But considering that the average user doesn’t care or even prefer skin smoothing, I’d say the phone is good for that.

Here are more camera samples:

The battery life and charging experience are top notch

The iQOO Neo 7 did well in the battery department. The phone has a great standby time and also lasts a long time – almost a day and a half – for a heavy user. And best of all, you can charge it super fast if the battery runs out using the 120W fast charger that comes with the phone.

I could easily charge it from 10% to full in less than 30 minutes. As for the screen on, I got about 7.5 hours after being off the charger for about a day and a half. I think the way iQOO has optimized the Dimensity 8200 here is key to ensuring good battery life.

Design: Plastic, but should you care?

The build is mostly plastic and doesn’t feel very high quality for a phone costing around Rs 30,000, but does that really matter? I mean, if you’re looking for a good gaming phone that’s functional, the design shouldn’t stop you from buying the device. But if you like high-quality materials like glass and metal, avoid the iQOO Neo 7.

However, the plastic build doesn’t feel bad and actually looks like glass and resists fingerprints thanks to the matte finish. In addition, it is not easily damaged. I didn’t see any deep scratches on the back or even on the screen glass.

Software: “Funtouch” that grows on you

As a Pixel user, I like Android based on Android 13 and stock UIs from other OEMs like Motorola, and while I may have started a review period against iQOO’s Funtouch OS based on Android 13, my opinion has changed. I actually like the “fun” additions to the iQOO – especially the gaming features.

Features like Ultra Game Mode which enables frame rate priority, minimized interference and others like various customization features to change touchscreen animations, ambient light effects and even loading animations – make the iQOO Neo 7 a dream. Android for power users.

So yes, while I may not need all the features, I’m sure enthusiasts will like them.

However, one thing I hate about the software experience is the pre-installed apps that include apps like Byjus and so on. Hot apps are also annoying in person. Fortunately, you can uninstall apps if you want, which you absolutely should. iQOO, please remove these apps.

Verdict: A reflection of practice

The iQOO Neo 7 is a phone that focuses on gaming performance, and it does it very well. With a fast and reliable processor, a smooth and functional screen, a decent main camera and a long-lasting and fast-charging battery, the phone delivers on its promise. It might not have the highest quality design or the best speakers or the most versatile camera setup, but it makes a reasonable compromise for its price. If you’re looking for a gaming phone under Rs 30,000, the iQOO Neo 7 is a worthy choice.

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