The sub Rs 25,000 smartphone market is buzzing with competition, and iQOO is stepping in once again—this time with the all-new iQOO Z10. Known for squeezing flagship-level performance into budget brackets, iQOO is taking on popular picks like the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, Nothing Phone (3a), Vivo T4, and Realme P3 Pro.
iQOO Z10
Rs 21,999
What Is Good?
- Premium and good-looking design
- Great viewing experience
- Good overall performance
- Extraordinary battery life
- No CPU throttling issues
- Great value for money device
What Is Bad?
- No ultra-wide camera
- Selfie camera captures artificial skin tones
- Loaded with pre-installed apps
- Only a single speaker
For starters, it packs the segment’s biggest battery, a bold camera module, and a sleek design that punches above its price. Under the hood, it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.
But does the iQOO Z10 really stand out in a sea of contenders? I’ve spent some quality time with it, and here’s my take.
Design and Display
The iQOO Z10 in Glacier Silver is a sight to behold in person, no doubt about it. The moment I saw this phone, I was reminded of the Vivo X200, mainly because of the striking camera module. It’s large and bold, definitely adding a touch of luxury to the design.
The wave-like pattern on the back is another standout, giving off major beach vibes. On the plus side, the matte finish is a smudge-proof win, so my inner Monica can rest easy. While the phone tips the scale at nearly 200 grams, it doesn’t feel like it’s carrying around a 7,300mAh battery, which is quite impressive.
All in all, the iQOO Z10 feels comfortable to hold and looks impressively sleek.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 199 grams |
| Thickness | 7.89mm |
| Colours | Glacier Silver and Stellar Black |
| IP Rating | IP65 dust and water resistant |
| Port and Button Placements | Bottom: Primary microphone, USB port, Speaker grille, SIM tray Top: Secondary microphone Right Side: Volume buttons and power button |
The iQOO Z10, as seen in the table above, is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance. In contrast, the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion offers superior protection with both IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance, making it the more robust option in the same price range.
Moving to the display, it sports a gently curved screen, not entirely flat, yet not heavily curved either. It strikes a balanced look, with slim bezels that maintain a consistent thickness all around.
Thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, the overall experience feels fluid. Whether it’s swiping through apps, navigating the home screen, or handling everyday tasks, everything flows seamlessly without any noticeable lag or stutter.
| Display | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Size | 6.77-inch |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2392 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | Claimed: 5000 nits Tested: 1956 nits |
| Minimum Brightness | 18 nits |
Using this smartphone outdoors, even under harsh sunlight, wasn’t a struggle at all — the display stayed impressively bright and perfectly legible without needing to shift angles or squint.
I watched Jewel Thief on Netflix and genuinely had a great time. The contrast between deep blacks and vivid colours felt natural and immersive. What’s more, the display offers three customisable colour modes — Standard, Professional, and Bright. Of the three, I gravitated towards the Professional mode, which delivered a tone and warmth reminiscent of Apple’s True Tone displays — something I’ve always appreciated.
The phone comes with mono speakers, which is slightly disappointing—especially when compared to the stereo setup on the iQOO Z9 series. The overall audio quality is decent, but distortion does creep in at maximum volume.
Hardware and Software
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC doesn’t just power the iQOO Z10 — it also runs under the hood of devices like the Vivo T4, Nothing Phone (3a), and Realme 14 Pro Plus, among others. Take a look at our AnTuTu benchmark results below to see how they compare.
According to the graph, the Vivo T4 fell short of the 8 lakh mark on AnTuTu. Meanwhile, the iQOO Z10 and the Nothing Phone (3a) delivered nearly identical scores, with the Phone (3a) holding a slight edge. Leading the pack, however, is the Realme 14 Pro Plus, which secured the highest score among the group.
In our CPU thermal throttling test, this smartphone reported “No CPU thermal throttling detected.” Simply put, even under intense workloads like gaming, it remained cool and stable. True to that result, I didn’t experience any heating issues during use. For a bit of perspective, the Vivo V50 was the first device in our testing to achieve this, and now, the iQOO Z10 joins that rare category.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 256GB |
| Storage Test | 809568 |
| CPU Throttling Test | No CPU thermal throttling detected |
| Software Version | Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15 Two years of OS updates and three years of security patches |
| Connectivity Details | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.2 |
In daily use, the iQOO Z10 impressed me. Whether I was snapping photos, binge-watching Netflix shows, or streaming high-resolution YouTube videos, the experience stayed consistently smooth. Scrolling felt fluid, and at no point did I run into any lags, stutters, or overheating problems.
When it came to gaming, I tested BGMI for over 30 minutes at the highest settings. Surprisingly, the phone stayed cool throughout. Most smartphones tend to get warm, especially near the camera module during intense sessions, but the Z10 handled it effortlessly.
The iQOO Z10 comes with Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15. While the interface is functional and generally smooth, it lacks the finesse and user-friendly polish seen in software from brands like Samsung, Google, Nothing, or Motorola. Those UIs tend to offer a cleaner look, better fluidity, and minimal bloatware. That said, the Z10 still provides decent customisation options and handles everyday tasks without any noticeable stutters or lag.
Out of the box, it comes with apps like Snapchat, Facebook, and Block Blast pre-installed. It also taps into the ongoing AI trend, offering features like AI Eraser and AI Super Doc. In a year where every brand is shouting about AI, it’s good to see iQOO bringing those tools even to its budget lineup.
The iQOO Z10 offers two years of OS updates and three years of security patches, which is fairly standard for its segment. However, the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion stands out with three years of OS updates and four years of security patches. If long-term software support is a priority for you, the latter would be a better choice.
Cameras
The iQOO Z10 is equipped with a dual-camera setup at the back. Unfortunately, the addition of a 2-megapixel bokeh sensor in 2025 feels underwhelming. To make matters worse, iQOO has left out an ultra-wide lens, which is a real disappointment for someone like me who frequently uses it—and I’m sure others would miss it too.
In bright outdoor conditions, the primary camera delivers lively, vibrant shots. One thing that stood out during my testing was the surprisingly wide field of view on the 1x mode — so much so that it often felt like I was shooting with an (almost) ultra-wide camera.
Photos captured with the iQOO Z10 offer natural-looking colours without the common problem of oversaturation, which I appreciated. That said, the phone struggles a bit with preserving details in the shadows, where some improvements are definitely needed.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 AI camera with OIS, f/1.8 aperture |
| Secondary Camera | 2-megapixel Bokeh, f/2.4 aperture |
| Selfie Camera | 32-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture |
| Video Recording Capabilities | Up to 4K at 30fps |
For portrait shots, the Z10 offers three zoom options: 1x, 1.5x, and 2x. I personally leaned towards using the 1.5x mode more often. The separation between subject and background is clean, colours are well-represented, and even complex textures—like leaves on a tree are captured with commendable accuracy. The bokeh looks smooth and natural, enhancing the overall portrait quality.
In low-light environments, the Z10 does make an effort to retain details, but there are visible compromises—with some loss of fine textures and noticeable graininess around the edges. Oddly enough, the phone tends to introduce an unnatural red tint when capturing human subjects, even if no red tones are actually present in the scene.
Selfies are where the Z10 really falters. Even without any beauty filters enabled, the front camera produces overly processed results. Skin tones look exaggerated and artificial, which made me shy away from using the selfie camera altogether.
Battery and Charging
The iQOO Z10 and Vivo T4 are the only phones in this segment to feature a 7,300mAh battery.
In our PCMark battery test, the Z10 delivered an impressive 25-hour performance (almost), just a few minutes less than the Vivo T4, which is a very similar phone. To give you an idea of its endurance, I fully charged the phone on April 25th, and by April 28th, it had only dropped to 90%, despite being left idle when connected to the WiFi.
After a day of shooting photos, running benchmarks, watching Netflix, and using it casually, the battery is still holding strong at 78%. This means it easily lasts a day and a half with regular use.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 7,300mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 90W Fast charging, charger in-the-box |
| Charging Time | 1 hour and 12 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | 24 hours and 47 minutes |
Thankfully, it comes with a charger in the box. The 90W charger brings the phone back to full power in just an hour and 12 minutes, which is remarkable given its large battery.
With all these features combined, the iQOO Z10 stands out for offering exceptional battery life and quick recharge times, making it a solid choice for heavy users like myself.
Verdict
The iQOO Z10 strikes a strong balance for users who want a taste of flagship-level features without stretching their budget.
One of its biggest highlights is the massive 7,300mAh battery, which not only grabs attention on paper but also delivers impressive real-world endurance. Despite the large battery, iQOO has done a commendable job of maintaining efficient power management. Performance is another area where the Z10 shines — whether you’re gaming or handling day-to-day tasks, it runs smoothly without falling victim to heating issues.
That said, photography enthusiasts may want to look elsewhere. The dual-camera setup performs adequately, but the lack of an ultra-wide lens is a significant drawback. In this price range, the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion would be a better option.
If your top priorities are robust battery life, strong all-round performance, a vibrant display, decent audio quality, and a premium build, the iQOO Z10 is an energetic contender at Rs 21,999 in India. You could also consider alternatives like the Vivo T4, Nothing Phone (3a), or the higher-storage variant of the new CMF Phone 2 Pro, which fall in a similar price bracket.
