The company’s most recent smartphone under Rs. 40,000 in India is the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G, which replaces the Neo 7 5G released earlier this year. The Neo 7 Pro 5G has two finishes, a more potent SoC than its more cheap sister and an additional camera sensor on the rear. There are presently a ton of options in the sub-Rs. 40,000 price range, including the OnePlus Nord 3 vs Neo 7 Pro Comparision, OnePlus 11R 5G, Vivo V27 Pro, Nothing Phone 2, and Oppo Reno 10 Pro.
Should you avoid the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G and consider the alternatives, or is it the finest smartphone in its class? Here is a whole review to aid with your decision.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G price in India
The Neo 7 Pro 5G from iQoo is now available in India with two storage options. The entry-level model costs Rs. 34,999 and has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Our evaluation model costs Rs. 37,999 and has 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G design and display
In terms of design, the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G resembles the Neo 7 5G. It has a plastic frame and a back panel with curved edges. The Neo 7 Pro has a vegan leather rear panel, like the Motorola Edge 40 and Realme 11 Pro+ 5G (Review). This one comes in a vibrant orange tint that the brand calls Fearless Flame. We adore the textured appearance, which, along with the phone’s lightweight construction (194.5g), contributes to its superb in-hand feel. In addition, Dark Storm AG glass feels upscale and has a faintly sparkly appearance when light hits the back panel.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G
The Neo 7 Pro 5G, according to company, has an IP52 rating, which is acceptable but could be better given that some competitors provide up to IP68 water and dust resistance. The in-display fingerprint scanner on the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G is quick to authenticate and unlock the device, although company should have positioned the scanner a little higher.
A 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a full-HD+ resolution (2400×1080 pixels) and 120Hz refresh rate is included on the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G. The gadget provides a fantastic multimedia experience with brilliant colors, deep blacks, and a loud dual-speaker arrangement despite having a flat display with relatively small bezels. The bezels are not, however, as thin as those of the OnePlus Nord 3 (Review).
A peak brightness of 1,300 nits means you shouldn’t have any problems utilizing it indoors or outdoors. Three refresh rate options are available on the display: 60Hz, 120Hz, and Smart Switch. There are no UI stutters when using the phone in Smart Switch mode.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G specifications and software
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC is present in phone and the more recent and pricey Nothing Phone 2, Oppo Reno 10 Pro+ 5G, and OnePlus 11R 5G (reviews). Additionally, the device has UFS 3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM. It has a sizable 5,000mAh battery and supports 120W fast charging. The charger is included with the phone.
Software-wise, the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G comes pre-installed with Funtouch OS 13, based on Android 13. The software situation is less awful than Realme UI 4 or ColorOS 13, where you get over 50 preinstalled apps, even though the phone has a few third-party apps. Several well-known apps, like Spotify, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Amazon, are pre-installed on the iQoo Neo 7 Pro. You can uninstall these programs if you do not use them.
The Hot Apps and Hot Games recommendation folders can also be made invisible from the app drawer or home screen by turning off the option in the Settings app’s ‘Home Settings’ section.
A lot of personalization and customization options are available in addition to that, as we have covered in our review of the iQoo 11 5G. For three years, company has committed to offering the Neo 7 Pro 5G two significant Android updates and monthly security fixes.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G performance and battery life
Performance is not an issue in the Neo 7 Pro 5G, thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. I used it for a week without any problems, even when playing games. The performance of Asphalt 9: Legends and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on my phone was quite good.
According to rumors, the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G has an independent display chip that enables support for “Frame Rate Interpolation.” To provide a smoother gameplay experience, the feature effectively adds extra frames between each game frame. This is activated by selecting “Ultra Game Mode,” which offers more features that improve the game experience. These include the ability to turn off notifications, lock screen brightness, and use motion control. You can also choose Monster, Balanced, and Battery Saver modes. The latter option uses more battery but prevents CPU throttling while playing games.
In benchmark tests, the iQoo Neo 7 Pro outperforms its nearest competitors. The iQoo Neo 7 Pro scored 12,63,884 on AnTuTu (v10). The OnePlus 11R 5G scores and OnePlus Nord 3 with their respective Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoCs were 8,47,115 and 10,26,784 points. The Neo 7 Pro 5G was able to get 1,727 and 4,459 points in Geekbench 6’s single-core and multi-core tests, which is again more significant than the Nord 3 (863 and 2,978 points) and the 11R (908 and 3,430 points).
Battery
The iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G has a respectable battery life. Throughout my review, I was in front of the screen for an average of 7 hours, 40 minutes. This included playing video games for 45 to 60 minutes, taking pictures and videos, and browsing social media. The Neo 7 Pro performed admirably, lasting 22 hours and 7 minutes on our HD video battery loop test.
A 120W rapid charging adaptor for the phone is also included in the box; it requires around 27 minutes to charge fully.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G cameras
There are three cameras on the back of the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G. An 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 50-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.88 aperture are all included. The phone sports a 16-megapixel front camera for taking selfies.
The daylight photos from the primary camera have good dynamic range and detail. Generally speaking, the colors are accurate. However, occasionally, the algorithm enhances the greens in trees. The color temperature of the ultra-wide camera is quite similar to that of the primary camera. The photographs have less clarity, but you get an excellent dynamic range and colors. Almost all samples from ultra-wide cameras have distortion around the margins.
The front camera on the iQoo Neo 7 Pro typically performs a decent job of accurately capturing skin tones in selfies. For individuals who want to avoid going through the extra step of post-processing a photograph, beautification is turned on by default. However, even deactivating it, the algorithm smoothes the skin and slightly overexposes the entire image.
The color temperature of the ultra-wide camera is quite similar to that of the primary camera. The photographs have less clarity, but you get an excellent dynamic range and colors. Almost all samples from ultra-wide cameras have distortion around the margins.
The Neo 7 Pro’s rear primary camera can capture movies in up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, and the output is generally reasonably impressive in terms of color, dynamic range, and stabilization. 1080p 30fps videos are recorded with the front camera. Colors are often good, but dynamic range performance may be better.
Verdict
You get a better performing, more potent SoC and a more comprehensive camera system. Additionally, the phone features a slick 120Hz AMOLED display, powerful speakers, and a long battery life with 120W fast charging. The iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G is an excellent deal overall, and outperforms the OnePlus Nord 3 (Review) in pure performance. On the other hand, the Nord 3 5G has an advantage in terms of overall camera performance and has 16GB of RAM.
The iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G’s 12GB RAM edition costs about the same as the entry-level OnePlus 11R 5G (Review). The 11R 5G has the same performance unit but a display with a better resolution and curved edges. The software experience is the primary distinction between iQoo and its OnePlus competitors, and most purchasing choices will eventually come down to personal preference for Android skins.
