iQoo created a sensation in the industry when it launched its most affordable Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphone, the iQoo 13, in India. And now it’s attempting to break into the entry-level market. This time, they’ve unveiled the iQoo Z10 Lite, which has a 6,000 mAh battery and is priced at Rs 9,998. However, based on the specs, it doesn’t appear to be a “Lite” phone. This is because the gadget has an IP64 rating, a dual back camera configuration with a Sony 50-megapixel primary sensor, and AI-powered editing capabilities. It features a strong processor as well. We will talk about a lot of the said areas in the review because we have been using this new phone for more than two weeks. Read the rest of our iQoo Z10 Lite review to know if it is worth purchasing.
In This Article
iQoo Z10 Lite Review: Design and Display
Let’s start with the contents of the package. Getting a back cover is quite convenient. Yes, a TPU case is included with the iQoo Z10 lite, saving you around Rs 250-500. In addition, a warranty card and a brief instruction manual are included, and a 15W charger and a Type-A to Type-C cable are included. Lastly, the packaging has a SIM ejector pin.
Now let’s discuss the design. Titanium Blue and Cyber Green are the two colour options for the iQOO Z10 Lite 5G.
Although the gadget is made of polycarbonate, it has an elegant look. The design on the rear panel is diamond-cut. Typically, brands in this price category don’t focus much on design. However, the camera module on this phone is really neat and not basic.
The phone meets MIL-STD-810H military-grade requirements for drop and impact protection and is IP64-rated for dust and water resistance. Therefore, you will be well protected against dust and typical water splashes. Furthermore, the phone’s cover includes additional padding at the edges.
Additionally, the back of the phone has a matte surface, which will save you from constantly cleaning it. iQoo Z10 Lite has flat edges and seems rather flat on the sides, too. Its thickness is 8.1 mm, which is okay for this level of smartphone. There is a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button sitting just below the volume rocker on the right side of the frame.
Talking more about the aesthetics, one loudspeaker is located on top. A microphone, a Type C port, and a headphone jack are located on the lower portion. On the left side of the frame is a SIM slot that allows you to use two SIMs and an SD card at the same time.
Also Read: iQOO Neo 10 Review: Is this the best gaming smartphone under Rs 35,000?
Upfront, it comes with a water drop notch design. The bezel is not super thick, but the chin area is quite noticeable. That, however, is also reasonable given the low cost.
Since all of the controls were within reach, we had no trouble operating the phone with one hand, even though it had a huge screen.
The iQOO logo sits subtly at the bottom of the back—like a designer’s signature on a masterpiece. The rear panel? Sleek. The front? All screen, all glory—perfect for bingeing and battling it out in games.
In short, iQOO didn’t just cut costs—they carved out style.
The 6.74-inch HD+ screen of the iQoo Z10 Lite has a resolution of 720×1,600 pixels. The display supports a refresh rate of 90Hz and can reach a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits. It helps lessen eye strain during prolonged usage, making it perfect for studying, binge-watching, or casual browsing. It is certified by TÜV Rheinland for low blue light, also.
Normally, you only get an HD screen for less than 10,000, but this smartphone has an HD+ screen, which is fantastic. With a bigger display, it was ideal for browsing various applications such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as streaming YouTube, and watching movies on the widescreen was enjoyable. Here, the maximum resolution supported by YouTube is 1440p.
The display of the iQoo Z10 Lite is suitable for use under direct sunlight, and the colours on the display stay vivid. Typically, smartphones in this price range have a maximum brightness of 500–800 nits. Its visibility is superb when compared to others in the same price bracket.
We found that the device’s in-display fingerprint sensor performed wonderfully; it was quick and precise, and you barely ever used the face unlock function to access the phone.
The firm offers a dynamic volume booster for the audio that lets you turn up the speaker level by up to 200%, which makes the speaker louder than its competition.
iQoo Z10 Lite Review: Performance and Cameras
Let’s move on to the next crucial part: performance. The iQoo Z10 Lite 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 CPU. The accessible RAM is up to 8GB, and it may be practically increased to 8GB more. There are two storage options for the phone: 128GB and 256GB.
We ran a few benchmark tests on this, and here are its scores:
Even after extended gaming sessions, we did not see any stutters during our evaluation. It was exposed to extended hours of binge-watching TV series, films, and YouTube videos. In addition to doing everyday tasks with ease, it was fantastic for surfing the web, social media accounts, app switching, and messaging.
By the way, iQOO phones are made to be excellent at gaming. You will notice a slight increase in the responsiveness of the display because it supports a touch sampling rate of 240Hz. You also get Ultra Game Mode and 4D Game Vibration because it’s an iQOO phone. The vibration motor in this gives you feedback wherever you shoot bullets.
Moving on to the software, Funtouch OS 15, which is based on Android 15, powers the iQoo Z10 Lite. This company promises three years of security patches and two years of Android upgrades. Many applications are pre-installed on it; however, these are easily uninstallable. On the other hand, you may easily disable the Hot app and games from the settings.
Also Read: iQOO Z10x 5G Review: Is this the no-brainer choice in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment?
Artificial intelligence is also supported by the gadget. The iQOO Z10 Lite 5G comes with smart AI features like AI Document Mode that quickly transforms images into clear, shareable digital files; AI Photo Enhance brings back the colour and clarity of photos; and AI Erase removes undesired elements from photos. Additionally, there is an AI screen translation tool that identifies your document automatically and instantly translates it into your language. There’s also the widely used circle-to-search function.
It has all the essential features, such as app lock, dual apps, hide apps, and more, but you don’t get the app-opening and closing animations. It is also possible to discreetly record calls if you so like.
When purchasing a smartphone, a beautiful phone with excellent design is not the only important thing. In the age of social media, people enjoy taking photos and sharing them right away. The Z10 Lite’s camera works well if you’re one of those people who like snapping photos and want them to look good on Instagram.
A 50-megapixel Sony AI camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor are part of the dual back camera setup of the iQOO Z10 Lite 5G. A 5-megapixel front-facing camera is also included for video calls and selfies.
When taking photos both indoors and outdoors, the camera’s performance was outstanding. Both in the hours of darkness and in the brilliant daytime, it produced striking images. A few samples of images captured in both low-light and daytime settings are also given. Additionally, the selfies are crisp and have decent contrast. The outcomes exhibited colours that seemed natural and were well-detailed.
In addition, two flashlights will be seen. The firm allows you to customise the torch settings. In this case, the bottom flash is a high-brightness flash with four distinct intensities. This flash will be helpful if you have to look for anything or walk outside in the dark.
Besides that, the camera has slow-motion and time-lapse modes, Super Night Mode, and Live Photos. And yes, there are many AI features in the camera too.
All in all, the phone was smooth and performed fast.
The battery is the most outstanding feature of this phone. It comes with a 6,000 mAh battery. A 15W charger has also been supplied by the manufacturer. Keep in mind that the iQOO Z10 Lite 5G has the largest battery of any 5G smartphone in its price range. The firm claims that even after five years of consistent usage (1,500 charging cycles), the battery maintains up to 80% of its capacity. The smartphone is lightweight (at 206 grammes) even with its big battery inside.
Verdict
In the end, we would say that very few phones in this price range can provide you with such fantastic value and amazing features. Although iQOO Z10 Lite 5G is a good-looking phone, and you might want to show it off, we advise using a cover to shield the rear panel from scratches due to its plastic construction. Also, the gadget is tall, slender, and well-balanced. We can confidently state that it is a multitasking phone, given the overwhelmingly positive experience. We just feel that, instead of the 15W fast charger that is included in the package, the company could have included a better charger.
iQoo Z10 Lite Pros
- Excellent design
- Bright display
- Good battery life
- Fast Biometrics
- Clicks great selfies
iQoo Z10 Lite Cons
- Bloatware.
- Slow charging
