iQOO’s new midrange offering, Neo 10R, brings incredible gaming specs to the sub-Rs 30,000 price bracket. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which sits just below the 2024-flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC in Qualcomm’s hierarchy of processors. The Pro variant of the Neo 10 series will presumably rock the S8G3 chipset (while costing a decent premium over the 10R). Apart from the powerhouse processor, the Neo 10R also rocks a massive 6,400mAh battery. These specs add a lot of value to the Rs 26,999 price tag of the smartphone. We put the iQOO Neo 10R through its paces as our daily driver for a week – here is our review of the device.
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In This Article
iQOO Neo 10R Review: Design and Display
Here’s what you get inside iQOO Neo 10R’s retail box:
- Smartphone
- Power adapter
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable
- Clear plastic case
- Warranty and information card
- Quick start guide
The iQOO Neo 10R follows the design language laid down by the flagship iQOO 13 (our review here). The square camera cutout has rounded corners and houses two camera sensors (more on them later). The LED flash is placed outside this cutout. The back panel curved ever so smoothly along the edges. However, unlike the iQOO 13, the Neo 10R has a plastic back. The smooth matte finish lends it a premium in-hand feel. There are 2 colour variants on offer: Raging Blue (dual tone) and MoonKnight Titanium (mono tone).
The flat rails of the smartphone are made out of plastic as well. Despite its plastic chassis, the Neo 10R weighs 196g. The frame has rounded corners, which prevents it from digging into the palm while using the device. The right edge of the frame houses the volume rocker keys and the side button. The SIM tray, primary microphone, USB Type-C slot, and primary speaker are placed at the bottom. Up top lie the secondary microphone and IR blaster. The earpiece acts as the secondary speaker.
The 6.78-inch AMOLED display can reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. Being a gaming smartphone, this display is tuned to offer a 144Hz refresh rate. On top of that, it supports HDR10+. We were happy with the touch response that this AMOLED panel had to offer. However, the optical fingerprint scanner needs to be placed higher.
We used our iQOO Neo 10R review unit to stream TV and movie titles across OTT platforms like Netflix, JioHotstar, and Prime Video. The smartphone delivered an enjoyable viewing experience, relaying crisp and detailed visuals with a good dynamic range. We were satisfied with the wide range of viewing angles. The dual speaker setup produces a strong, albeit slightly boxy, audio output.
The smartphone is rated IP65 for protection against dust and water exposure. While IP67 protection is not standard for this price category yet, it is the bar that most smartphones should be aiming to achieve.
iQOO Neo 10R Review: Performance and Cameras
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset lies at the heart of the iQOO Neo 10R. On the Geekbench 6 app, the smartphone scored 1,916 points in the single-core test and 4,928 points in the multi-core test. There are 3 RAM and storage configurations on offer:
8GB (LPDDR5X) + 128GB (UFS 3.1): Rs 26,999
8GB (LPDDR5X) + 256GB (UFS 4.1): Rs 28,999
12GB (LPDDR5X) + 256GB (UFS 4.1): Rs 30,999
The iQOO Neo 10R crushes everyday tasks with absolute ease. Its RAM and storage standards facilitate a fast-paced usage experience. Apps take minimal time to load on the screen, and juggling multiple tasks does not take the phone out of the first gear. The smartphone maintains its composure even while being operated under direct sunlight. Tasks like instant messaging, calling, web browsing, navigation, and media streaming are handled expertly.
Carrying the reputation of a traditional gaming smartphone, the iQOO Neo 10R does a great job of running titles like Call of Duty Mobile, BGMI, and Asphalt Legends Unite. It renders great graphics at 90fps and offers smooth controls. The 6043mm² vapour chamber does an incredible job of keeping the device’s internal temperature in check. The back panel starts warming up after 30 minutes of gameplay, but it does not affect the gameplay in the slightest. To top it off, iQOO’s Ultra Game Mode offers features like an FPS meter, 4D game vibration, an AI voice changer, and more.
iQOO Neo 10R ships with the Android 15-based Funtouch OS 15 out of the box. The smartphone is guaranteed to receive 3 major OS upgrades. The overall software experience is fun and snappy. You get plenty of customisation options for the lock screen, app icons, fingerprint sensor icon, charging animation, screen transitions, and other elements. Security features like app encryption and hiding are good OS additions. Like most midrange Android smartphones, the Neo 10R is equipped with Gemini AI assistant and Circle to Search. The photo editor in the native Gallery app can use AI to enhance images and remove unwanted objects from them.
The massive 6,400mAh Si/C battery pack on this smartphone offers an amazing battery life. We racked up almost 5 hours of daily screen time throughout the week and were left with ~30% at the end of each day. During the review period, our daily tasks on the iQOO Neo 10R consisted of media streaming, IMing, calling, gaming, and web browsing. The smartphone supports 80W charging. It took us 50 minutes to charge it fully using the adapter provided in the box.
The iQOO Neo 10R’s rear camera panel comprises a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Up front, a 32MP selfie shooter is nestled inside a punch-hole cutout.
Being a gaming smartphone, you’d think that the iQOO Neo 10R would lag in camera performance, but that’s not the case here. iQOO has taken notes from its sister company, Vivo, and cleverly incorporated its photo-processing chops. The 50MP primary shooter takes incredible pictures in outdoor daylight conditions. The images showcase rich colours and pack a lot of detail. The boosted colour profile makes the images look ‘social media ready’, but we don’t deem that to be a bad thing, especially in this price bracket. In limited lighting conditions, the primary sensor lets in a lot of light and preserves the important details of the scene. The night mode gets rid of the grain and assigns accurate colours to the image.
The images taken with the 8MP ultrawide lens are a tad softer, but by a very soft margin. The smartphone does an incredible job of retaining the colour profile of the primary shooter. In limited lighting conditions, this camera lets in some noise, but the night mode does a good job of smoothening the final results.
The portrait shots taken with the iQOO Neo 10R are vivid and well-focused. The smartphone does a great job of separating the subject from the background. The background blur effect leaves a little more to be desired, but the final results are quite tasteful. The front-facing 32MP camera takes clear selfies while keeping the skin correction effects to a minimum. The selfie camera can record 4K videos at 30fps. The primary shooter can also shoot 4K videos at 30/60fps. Meanwhile, the 8MP ultrawide lens is limited to recording 1080p footage at 30fps.
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Verdict
The iQOO Neo 10R has something in it for everyone. For gamers, it offers a high refresh rate display and a powerful processor. Casual users will enjoy its bright AMOLED panel for media streaming and the versatile battery life offered by the 6,400mAh Si/C unit. However, what seals the deal for us is the impeccable camera setup. While the cameras on most gaming smartphones are seen as an afterthought, the iQOO Neo 10R does not gloss over this aspect. The primary shooter and ultrawide lens on this device put up an incredible performance in a variety of lighting conditions. At Rs 26,999, this smartphone is a bargain and a very easy recommendation from us.
iQOO Neo 10R: Pros
- Smooth display
- Powerful processor
- Great gaming performance
- Good cameras
iQOO Neo 10R: Cons
- Lacks IP67 rating
