When we reviewed the iQOO Z7 Pro last year, we had nothing but good things to say about its design, form factor, and gaming performance. However, the lack of an ultrawide sensor and a secondary speaker seemed like big tradeoffs even for a gaming smartphone priced under Rs 25,000. This year, iQOO has not only patched these gaps but also upgraded key aspects that its midrange Z series already excelled at. The result is a beast of a device that makes a very strong case for being the best smartphone in the sub-Rs 25,000 price category. We used the iQOO Z9s Pro for a week to see how it stacks up against its rivals – here is our in-depth review of the smartphone.
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In This Article
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Design and Display
Here’s what you get inside iQOO Z9s Pro’s retail box:
- Smartphone
- 80W power adapter
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable
- Clear plastic case
- Quick start guide
- Warranty card
While 2023’s iQOO Z7 Pro was designed in the mould of the Vivo V27, the Z9s Pro takes inspiration from the flagship iQOO 12. The two smartphones have a similar square-shaped camera cutout with rounded corners. The ‘Flamboyant Orange’ variant has a vegan leather back which is curved around the edges to provide a better grip. The ‘Luxe Marble’ variant has a ceramic texture, similar to iQOO 12’s ‘enamelled’ glass.
The glossy frame of the Z9s Pro has a metal finish and curved edges. The bottom edge of the frame houses the SIM tray, primary microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille. The side key and volume rocker are placed on the right edge. Up top lies the secondary microphone. The earpiece acts as the secondary microphone.
The 6.77-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+. This panel can now reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, which is quite amazing for a smartphone in this price bracket. We used the Z9s Pro under intense direct sunlight and it easily adjusted its brightness to overcome any legibility issues. The display’s touch response is good and the accidental touches caused by the curves along the sides are intelligently nullified by the software. The in-display optical fingerprint scanner is placed lower than our preferred position but it is quite snappy and works like a charm.
The AMOLED panel produces deep, natural blacks and punchy, rich colours. Our viewing experience was further enhanced by the stereo speaker setup. The Z7 Pro not having a secondary speaker was one of the issues we had with the device, so it is nice to see that iQOO took note and made improvements. We streamed a wide range of titles across platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar. The iQOO Z9s Pro held up very well and put forward a delightful viewing experience.
The Z9s Pro is rated IP64, which means it can survive minor water splashes and light rainfall without taking any damage. An IP67 rating would have been ideal, but it is one of the tradeoffs that iQOO has made to keep the price of the smartphone in check.
iQOO Z9s Pro Review: Performance and Cameras
The Z9s Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, upgrading from the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC on the Z7 Pro. We ran the Geekbench 6 app on the smartphone and it returned a single-core score of 1,157 points and a multi-core score of 3,141 points. In comparison, the Z7 Pro scored 1,196 and 2,657 points when we tested it last year.
iQOO Z9s Pro crushes any routine tasks that you throw its way. The apps take minimal time to load and the smartphone does a good job of optimising their background usage. We tested this by loading a dozen apps on the device and switching among them. The smartphone carried out the tasks seamlessly without a hiccup.
iQOO is one of the better gaming brands around, so we were quite excited to play titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt Legends Unite on our Z9s Pro review unit. We’re happy to report that the smartphone upholds the iQOO’s reputation as a gaming heavyweight. On medium to high graphics, the smartphone sticks to 60fps and delivers a steady gaming experience. We did not come across any lags or frame drops during our time with the device. While playing COD Mobile at 90fps, the game defaulted to low graphics.
One of the better things about the Z9s Pro is how well it manages its internal temperature during extended gaming sessions. We noticed the first signs of heating after 50 minutes of continuous gameplay. The VC liquid cooling system ensures that the phone doesn’t feel too hot in your hands when you’re in the middle of a gaming binge. The ‘Ultra Game Mode’ unlocks a 2,000Hz touch sampling rate and offers experimental features like 4D game vibration, AI voice changer, off-screen autoplay, motion control, and more.
The Android 14-based Funtouch 14 OS curates a decent software experience on the Z9s Pro. There is a fair bit of bloatware on the device and the infamous ‘Hot Apps’ and ‘Hot Games’ ads disguised as app folders are present on the home screen as well as the app drawer. You can manually remove the bloatware from the device but it does dilute the out-of-the-box software experience.
What we like about the Functouch 14 OS is its wide range of customisation options. You can personalise your smartphone by applying touchscreen animations to the interface, tuning the ambient lighting, changing the fingerprint animations and customising other elements of the software. The Ultra Gaming Mode and Gaming Sidebar are useful software additions and are very easy to access while gaming. iQOO has also incorporated an AI eraser in its native photo editor, but it didn’t produce desirable results for us. It still has a long way to go when you compare it with Google’s Magic Eraser.
We weren’t expecting iQOO to make any big changes to Z9s Pro’s battery capacity, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that the smartphone packs a 5,500mAh unit (compared to Z7 Pro’s 4,600mAh). On top of that, iQOO has upgraded its charging speed from 66W to 80W. During the week-long review period, we consistently got a day’s worth of battery life from the iQOO Z9s Pro even after heavy use. Our daily tasks included video calling, emailing, media streaming, instant messaging, and gaming. The 80W charger provided inside the box fully replenishes the smartphone’s battery in 50 minutes. It can reach a 50% charge in just over 20 minutes.
Last year’s iQOO Z7 Pro lacked an ultrawide camera, which is never a good look for a smartphone priced at Rs 25,000. This year, iQOO has rectified this error by adding an 8MP ultrawide lens to the rear camera panel. It joins the primary 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor.
We always go into reviewing the cameras of gaming smartphones with tempered expectations. In a bid to rev up the gaming performance of a smartphone, companies often make compromises with the camera. The iQOO Z9s Pro, however, does not play by that book. Its primary and ultrawide cameras put up a splendid performance that can match any smartphone in this price category.
In outdoor daylight conditions, the 50MP primary shooter takes detailed images with nicely tuned colours. They showcase a good dynamic range and an ideal contrast level. The final results are certainly more ‘social media ready’ than balanced, but that will probably appeal more to the casual user. One of the things we noticed while shooting against the sun was that the primary camera kept letting in very visible flares. Hopefully, this will be creased out in a future update.
The 8MP ultrawide camera is not just a stand-in in the rear camera module. It puts up a great performance and matches the colour richness of the primary shooter in outdoor daylight conditions. The images are a tad softer but that is something we expect from every ultrawide shooter in this price range.
In limited lighting conditions, the primary shooter does a good job of letting in enough light to produce well-lit images. In Night Mode, the smartphone’s photoprocessing signature makes the images much warmer and not entirely accurate to the scene. A fair bit of noise manages to creep in regardless of the mode you’re using. Images taken with the ultrawide lens are much more grainy and dimly lit.
The Z9s Pro also excels at portrait photography. It intelligently recognises the boundaries of the subject and does a good job of separating it from the background. It applies the ideal level of background blur in 1x and 2x zoom. While the images are well-focused, the colours seem a bit faded. Lastly, the 16MP front-facing camera takes good selfies and does not mess with the skin tone and texture. Its video recording chops are limited to 1080p at 30fps. Meanwhile, the rear camera can record 4K videos at 30/60fps.
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Verdict
With the Z9s Pro, iQOO has delivered a true all-rounder. The smartphone puts a strong foot forward in every aspect – be it the design, form factor, gaming performance, or camera skills. It is very hard to find a shortcoming of this device that isn’t shared by its price rivals. The Z9s Pro is one of those rare devices that we would recommend to gaming enthusiasts and casual users alike. Easily one of the best smartphones priced under Rs 25,000.
iQOO Z9s Pro: Pros
- Clean design
- Bright (4,500 nits) AMOLED display
- Stereo speakers
- Ideal for gaming
- Excellent camera performance
- 80W fast charging
iQOO Z9s Pro: Cons
- Contains bloatware
