iQOO, known for dropping ‘ultimate beasts’ at premium midrange prices, is always aiming to deliver the best gaming experience. But with the iQOO Z9s Pro, they’ve decided to flex in every category—performance, style, display, battery, and even the cameras. But hold on—is this phone truly flawless, or does it have some skeletons in the closet? Let’s find out in my review.
iQOO Z9s Pro
Rs 24,999
What Is Good?
- Premium look
- Curved display, excellent colours
- Fast performance
- IP64 rating
- Reliable battery life
- Good daylight and portrait shots
What Is Bad?
- Room for improvement in low light photography
- Distorted audio output at higher levels
- Bloatware apps
- Lesser software updates
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The iQOO Z9s Pro is available in three variants on iQOO eStore, Amazon and Flipkart.
| Variant | Pricing |
| 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage | Rs 24,999 |
| 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage | Rs 26,999 |
| 12GB RAM + 256GB Storage | Rs 28,999 |
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Design and Display
The iQOO Z9s Pro comes in two colourways — Flamboyant Orange and Luxe Marble. I think that the latter colour option is too much for me unless I am going for a gaudy look. The back panel? Total déjà vu of the iQOO 12—yes, the flagship. So, design-wise, you’re getting premium vibes without breaking the bank.
The back panel also reminds me of the marble tiles at home with its wavy pattern—and I have to say, it’s quite eye-catching. And let’s not forget that aura light in the camera module a signature touch of Vivo phones lately.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 185 grams |
| Thickness | 7.5mm |
| IP Rating | IP64 |
| Colours | Flamboyant Orange and Luxe Marble |
| Port and Button Placements | Bottom: SIM tray, Primary microphone, USB port, Speaker grille
Top: Secondary microphone Right Side: Power button and volume buttons |
This phone is impressively slim, boasting elegant curves. So, if you’re after that premium touch without the premium price tag, the iQOO Z9s Pro deserves a spot on your list.
On top of that, the in-display fingerprint sensor performed perfectly every time I went to unlock it.
Regarding the display, this phone flaunts a gorgeous, premium screen. Using it was a pleasure—I found myself watching high-quality YouTube videos and losing hours binge-watching Modern Family on Netflix. The colours were so sharp and vibrant. Netflix also supports HDR10 out of the box, which is always great to have. So, in terms of multimedia, this phone has you covered.
| Display | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Size | 6.77-inch |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080×2392 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | Claimed: 4500 nits, Tested: 1831 nits |
| Minimum Brightness | 11 nits |
No issues with accidental touches on the curved screen, which is a relief. Plus, the smooth scrolling and flawless app transitions made everything feel buttery smooth.
Now, about that AMOLED display—it’s so bright, I half-expected to get a tan indoors! I had to tone it down sometimes to avoid burning my eyes. It holds up well in outdoor conditions as well.
This phone comes with a dual stereo speaker setup that offers fairly good sound quality, but it’s not top-tier. Covering the speaker grille caused about 70 per cent of the sound to drop off, suggesting the secondary speaker handles only around 30 per cent of the output. I also picked up some distortion, particularly on higher tones and when using the ultra volume boost at 300 per cent.
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Performance and Software
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC is also found on the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, OnePlus Nord CE4 5G and the Vivo V30.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 256GB |
| Storage Test | 796704 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 92 per cent of its max performance |
| Software Version | Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14
Two years of OS updates and three years of security patches |
| Connectivity Details | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4 |
The Z9s Pro handled everyday tasks like a champ—no weird glitches or tantrums. Whether I was binging YouTube or Netflix, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram reels, or chatting up my friends, this phone kept up without breaking a sweat.
Now, when it came to gaming, I threw Call of Duty: Mobile at it, and on Low and Ultra settings, it hit 90 fps. The lowest it dipped was 87 fps, so no drama there. On Very High and Max settings, we’re talking 60 fps at peak performance, with the occasional dip to 52 fps. The session was pretty smooth, except for a couple of stutters when I bit the dust—took the phone a second or two to snap back to reality. But overall, there were no overheating issues, so that’s a win.
The software on this phone is solid, offering plenty of customisation options. You can learn more about the UI in our iQOO Z9s review. The downside, however, is the limited OS updates. The Samsung Galaxy M35, which starts at Rs 19,999, offers four years of OS updates. A bit more in this department would have been the cherry on top. Besides this, there’s the usual barrage of bloatware apps.
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Cameras
The iQOO Z9s Pro rocks a dual-camera setup at the back, with a 16-megapixel selfie shooter up front.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 50-megapixel wide camera with OIS, f/1.8 aperture |
| Secondary Camera | 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera,
f/2.2 aperture |
| Selfie Camera | 16-megapixel selfie camera, f/2.5 aperture |
| Video Recording Capabilities | Up to 2K at 30fps |
In daylight, the wide camera does a solid job. Like its Vivo cousins, this phone pumps up the saturation, making everything pop in the pictures—perfect for those who love their colours extra vivid. White balance, dynamic range, colours—it’s all crisp, sharp, and just where it needs to be.
The ultra-wide lens? It captures a wider field of view, and I didn’t spot any weird noise at the edges. Plus, the details and colour accuracy are also great.
One thing I really liked on this phone is the portrait mode. The edge detection, background blur, and skin tones are all top-notch.
But when the lights go down, so does the quality. I did notice some grain and noise in the overall image quality. Lens flare was also an issue—something the company should’ve worked on. So, I’m not a big fan of the image quality in this area.
By default, the selfie camera has a filter enabled, which results in very unnatural pictures that I didn’t like. But once I switched it to normal mode, the camera delivered a very natural look with close to accurate skin tones.
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Battery and Charging
The iQOO Z9s Pro offers a battery capacity comparable to that of the Realme GT 6T within the sub-Rs 30,000 price range. With the included 80W charging adapter, I managed to charge the phone from zero to full in 48 minutes.
In contrast, the Realme GT 6T took just 33 minutes to reach full charge, which is notably impressive. So, if fast charging is a key factor for you, there are certainly better choices available in this price range.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 5500mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 80W, charger in the box |
| Charging Time | 48 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | 22 hours 43 minutes |
During the PCMark battery test, this phone endured for almost an entire day. It’s now topping our testing charts previously held by the Vivo T3 Pro.
Regarding battery life, this phone excels. I charged it four days ago while drafting this review, and despite my usage being relatively light, the phone still has 27 per cent battery left. Given this, the iQOO Z9s Pro will easily last nearly two days with light to moderate usage. Clearly, this is a battery monster.
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Verdict
The iQOO Z9s Pro at Rs 24,999 is a solid pick—offering a premium feel, a battery that keeps going for almost two days, stellar performance, a classy curved display, and a camera that handles daylight and portrait shots like a pro.
But, there are a few areas where it slips. The software, low-light photography, and audio output? They’re just okay. Still, for Rs 25,000, it offers some serious bang for your buck, especially when you size it up against the Nothing Phone (2a) and OnePlus Nord CE4.
That said, if we’re talking design, the Nothing Phone (2a) easily steals the show with its unique, head-turning style.
For everything else, the answer is pretty clear.
