“Z” is the last letter of the alphabet, but iQOO has taken it upon itself to revamp the letter’s neglected image with the iQOO Z9s. The compelling reason is at the surface level, it has a sleek design with a gigantic battery and insists on having speedy performance. But, are these features just formalities or does it seep into the reality where it looks to stand proud among big players like the Vivo T3 and the Realme P1 Pro? Let’s dive in and find out in the review.
iQOO Z9s
Rs 19,999
What Is Good?
- Rocksolid build quality and stunning design
- Consistently great performance
- Smooth display
- Tremendous battery life
- Terrific low-light photography for the price
What Is Bad?
- The back panel attracts smudges
- Bloatware apps
iQOO Z9s Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The iQOO Z9s is available via Amazon, iQOO’s official website and retail stores. The company is offering a flat Rs 2,000 instant discount with ICICI or HDFC bank credit cards. Here are the prices for all the variants:
| Variant | Pricing |
| 8GB RAM + 128GB storage | Rs 19,999 |
| 8GB RAM + 256GB storage | Rs 21,999 |
| 12GB RAM + 256GB storage | Rs 23,999 |
iQOO Z9s Review: Design and Build Quality
The iQOO Z9s boasts the ability to captivate anyone with its splendid design. What else corroborates this is its lightweight structure, which can divert your attention from the fact that it carries a massive 5,500 mAh battery.
Moreover, its slim profile makes the whole experience of using it delightful. It is a nitpick but its tall aspect ratio complicates reaching the notification center for folks like me with tiny hands. So, one-handed usage is clearly not an option.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 182g |
| Thickness | 7.49mm |
| IP rating | IP64 |
| Port and Button placements | Bottom: SIM tray, primary microphone, USB port, and speaker grille
Top: Secondary microphone Right Side: Power button and volume button |
The iQOO Z9s’s rear panel is a beauty. On the contrary, it also collects smudges like how Ash grew his collection of Pokemon and will only appear when the light shimmers on it. By the way, you can catch iQOO Z9s in different shades of Onyx green and Titanium matte.
Speaking of its build quality, handing over the iQOO Z9s to your clumsy friends will hardly strike fear in your mind since it has a durable and sturdy structure. I would still recommend you use a phone cover given your phone will have added protection while keeping its original beauty intact.
It is IP64-rated for dust and water resistance, which is highest in this price segment. It is important to remember that you will be fine using it in rain but it would be a lot better to avoid taking it for a swim since it isn’t built for this condition.
iQOO Z9s Review: Display and Audio
The iQOO Z9s features a 6.77-inch curved display. And, its subtle curvature has swooned me over as it lends the phone a premium look whilst driving the brand to ensure all bezels are equal.
Besides, I watched Munjya on Disney+ Hotstar and was wholly delighted. What compels me to appreciate this is that the colours were vibrant with on-point consistency while the picture quality was crisp. Out of the box, it supports Widevine L1 certification, signifying it can play 1080p videos on streaming services like Netflix. The icing on the cake is that it has the additional capability of running HDR videos on Netflix.
| Display | Specifications |
| Size | 6.77-inch |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | FHD+ (1080 x 2392) |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz |
| Peak brightness | Claimed: 1800 nits, Tested: 1997 nits |
| Minimum brightness | 08 nits |
| Display protection | Schott Xensation Glass |
| Other features | Wet Touch Technology |
The screen was adequately bright indoors, even at 50 per cent intensity. Outdoors, I never had to squint my eyes to view what’s on the screen. The only thing I felt the need to do was to adjust the phone slightly to see the camera’s viewfinder. Talking about brightness, it is commendable to see iQOO delivering a lot more than what is promised in terms of peak brightness.
The speakers of this phone were quite good. They get pretty loud and are adept at emitting crisp and clear audio even at 75 per cent. Given that I watched Munjya, I had to increase the volume to max since I found myself missing some dialogues in some instances. This could be an issue with the streaming service or the movie’s audio editing lacked a bit.
iQOO Z9s Review: Performance and Software
The iQOO Z9s is powered by a Dimensity 7300-energy, which also powers phones like the CMF Phone 1 and the Realme 13+.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 256GB UFS 2.2 |
| Storage Test | 81663 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 92% of its maximum performance |
| Geekbench 6 | Multi-core: 3015, Single-core: 1044 |
| Software version | Funtouch OS 14 based on Android 14 |
| Connectivity details | Dual SIM, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, USB 2.0, GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS |
In terms of synthetic benchmarks, it managed to secure a decent score. However, it trailed behind the Vivo T3 in our testing even though it is similarly priced.
Synthetic benchmarks are an unwise way to gauge the smartphone’s performance. What can give you a clearer picture is running games at their maximum settings and this is what I did. Here are the observations I made during my gaming sessions involving Call of Duty: Mobile and BGMI:
| Game | Graphic Quality | FPS | Result |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Maximum: Very High Quality + Very High FPS | Maximum: 59.9 fps
Minimum: 58.9 fps |
The fps meter appeared to be locked in at 59.9 fps the entire time. It indicates that the gameplay was pretty smooth. |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Minimum: Low Quality + Max FPS | Maximum: 59.9 fps
Minimum: 58.9 fps |
The same thing applies here as well. |
| BGMI | Maximum: HDR Quality + Ultra FPS | Maximum: 40 fps
Minimum: 38 fps |
BGMI at this graphical setting ran without any stutter or lag. And I had a great time playing it. |
| BGMI | Minimum: Smooth Quality + Extreme FPS | Maximum: 60 fps.
Minimum: 57.5 fps |
The experience of playing BGMI at the lowest graphical setting was equally delightful. |
Summing up my observations, the iQOO Z9s perfectly fits your moderate gaming needs. Do note that the Realme 13+ has the same chipset powering it, yet it can run BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile at 90 fps at their lowest setting. I hope iQOO works with BGMI to enable this mode so gamers can enjoy higher frame rates.
The phone runs on FuntouchOS 14, based on Android 14. While interacting with the UI elements, the animations felt as seamless as Rohit Sharma’s pull shot. The one aspect that held it down was bloatware and the notorious duo of hot apps and hot games. A few spam notifications also accompany these. You get two years of OS updates and three years of security patches.
Following the current trend of adding AI features to phones, it gets the AI eraser and photo enhancement to iron out a few kinks from images.
iQOO Z9s Review: Camera
The iQOO Z9s sports a dual camera setup. But I would advise you to avoid getting your hopes high as the secondary camera has the purpose of adding a bokeh in the background, and does not function as a practical shooter.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 50-megapixel Sony IMX883 with OIS, ƒ/1.79 |
| Secondary Camera | 2-megapixel, ƒ/2.4 |
| Selfie Camera | 16-megapixel, ƒ/2.45 |
| Video recording capabilities | Up to 4K at 30 fps, video stabilisation: EIS/OIS |
The primary camera has a knack for taking pleasing shots in daylight. These photos usually came out with ample details. They also had close to accurate colours, good HDR processing and great exposure.
What won me over is its low-light photography. At its price, I have rarely seen phones outputting great images in dimly lit environments. I used the iQOO Z9s as my primary shooter to capture my maiden office party. The venue was enveloped with dull lighting, despite this, it gave me photos that retained most of the details it could see. Moreover, it got the colours right.
The area where it lacked is its slow shutter speed as it was its defence to capture more light, resulting in blurry images with a slight movement. I also took this phone on my walk to take random shots for further inspection.
I learned that when given time, the camera continued the streak of providing images with great HDR from daylight scenarios, and didn’t have any issues handling challenging lights. The night mode was equally on par with its competitors as the photos clicked in this mode came across as if they were taken with auxiliary lighting.
The phone also has a great track record in portrait photography. It has a flair for taking respectable shots with good edge detection in ample lighting. In low-light situations too, it can continue giving great images when the need for decent lighting and almost no movements are fulfilled. For people who fancy taking selfies, it is proficient at taking a few great images, given the ample lighting available. But it inclines to smoothen out human skin in dimly lit environments.
iQOO Z9s Review: Battery and Charging
The iQOO Z9s packs a 5,500 mAh battery. Courtesy of its massive size, it has a mastery of lasting nearly an entire day of capturing moments, casual gaming, and an unending cycle of reel scrolling.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 5,500mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 44W fast charging, charger-in-the-box |
| Charging Time | 1 hour and 11 minutes |
| PCMark battery test | 18 hours and 35 minutes |
The phone lasted for 18 hours and 35 minutes in the PCMark battery test, which is honestly tremendous. That said, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite has endured for 35 more minutes in our testing, not a lot but it can still make a difference.
The 44-watt charger takes 1 hour and 11 minutes to juice the battery from 3% to 100%.
iQOO Z9s Review: Verdict
The starting price of iQOO Z9s is Rs 19,999. And at this price, the package it offers makes this phone super compelling.
The massive 6.77-inch AMOLED screen makes watching content a delightful experience, and the camera has the strength to take admirable photos from daylight to low light coupled with great portrait photography. More importantly, it is consistent in both conditions.
The phone is also well-equipped with the power to handle daily tasks and moderate gaming with ease. Taking it to the next level is its outstanding battery life paired with fast charging.
If this is the package you have been waiting for in a budget segment for ages, this phone is an ideal choice for you. However, you may endure a few compromises it comes with as well; The rear panel can attract a substantial amount of smudges, and the UI will throw multiple annoying notifications towards you throughout the day coupled with bloatware.
For people who have gotten bored with phones with cookie-cutter designs and also want cleaner software, the CMF Phone 1 is a perfect choice for them.
