iQOO NEO 7 Pro 5G review: Competent mid-ranger with a knack for gaming

Even as smartphone makers launch more and more expensive handsets every year, there are not many gaming centric options in the mid-range segment. iQOO, known to launch devices with competitive specifications at a relatively low price point, introduced the Neo 7 Pro 5G in India earlier this month. The device is available at a starting price of ₹34,999.

The handset comes with various features to enhance your gaming experience and is powered by a upgraded Snapdragon flagship series primary processor along with an additional built-in proprietary chipset. We tested the phone for three weeks.

Design

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G packs a flat screen on the front along with a plastic frame. The Dark Storm variant that we received packs AG glass on the back and features a smooth matte finish. The phone does seem pretty solid and secure to hold while not having a true-premium feel to it.

On the front of the device, you get a 16MP selfie shooter inside the punch-hole. Additionally, the earpiece is located on the top edge and also doubles as a secondary speaker. The secondary microphone and the IR blaster are also present on the top of the device.

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The dual SIM slot, primary microphone, USB Type-C port and a speaker grill are located at the bottom of the handset. The phone features a 93.1% screen-to-body ratio and comes with an on-display optical fingerprint scanner.

As for button placement, the phone has a power button and volume rocker located on the right-hand side of the device. The back of the phone has a camera part with triple rear cameras.

The phone does come with an IP52 rating for improved water resistance. The device’s on-display fingerprint scanner works well.

Display

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G comes with a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is pretty vibrant and offers saturated colours. As this is an AMOLED screen, you do get deep blacks.

The screen is adequately bright as well at 1300 nits. The phone allows you to choose between standard (default), professional and bright screen colour modes. The phone also supports Widvine L1 that means you get support for HD and HDR content on streaming platforms.

Watching content on Netflix and YouTube was a pleasant experience thanks to the improved contrast and vivid colours.

There is also a visual enhancement feature that optimizes the colour and contrast in apps like YouTube and Netflix for a more vivid viewing experience.

The phone comes with a smart switch option that can automatically switch between 60 Hz/90 Hz/120 Hz refresh rates automatically. Additionally, the device allows users to manually set the refresh rate at 30 Hz, 60Hz or 120Hz. You get a dual-speaker setup that is pretty loud but is not bass heavy with more emphasis on the highs.

Performance

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC along with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. For the unaware, this is the same chipset that is found in higher-priced smartphones including the Nothing Phone 2 and the OnePlus 11R 5G.

The phone also packs the company’s unnamed additional chipset and you get support for LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage on the handset.

We were easily able to run multiple apps including Instagram, Spotify and Netflix without any stutter. Switching between apps was a smooth experience as well.

As for gaming, the phone was easily able to run Call Of Duty: Mobile at the highest settings without any issues. iQOO seems to have improved thermal management as well.

The device also packs an Ultra Game Mode that works in unison with the company’s proprietary secondary chipset offering features such as changing in-game voice, frame interpolation, E-Sports mode and display enhancement while gaming, among others.

These features can be accessed while playing a game by swiping right from the left edge of the device. We do not recommend the frame interpolation feature as it can take away the gaming experience by making it artificial, as the device adds additional frames to games to make it smoother.

Battery

Battery life on the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G is impressive, offering around 7 hours and 30 minutes of screen-on time. The bundled 120W fast charging adapter charges the phone completely in about 27 minutes.

Software

The device runs on Android 13-based Funtouch OS 13 out of the box. The UI is highly customizable as users can change the theme, wallpaper and other aspects of the interface.

While the software is relatively clean, you do get pre-installed apps including Spotify, Netflix and Amazon among others. Thankfully, users can uninstall unwanted apps. iQOO has promised to provide two major Android updates and three years of monthly security patches for the Neo 7 Pro 5G.

Camera

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G comes with a triple-camera setup on the back headlined by the 50MP Samsung GN5 sensor with f/1.88 aperture and OIS support. Other cameras on the back of the device include a 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro shooter. You get a 16MP front-facing shooter for your selfie and video calling needs.

The primary sensor is competent at capturing shots in good lighting conditions with ample detail and sharpness. The phone does tend to be inconsistent with colours by boosting the same at times while keeping it flat on other occasions.

Some users would appreciate the boosted colour profile for their social media needs. If we had to nitpick, the HDR performance is not the best.

There is a night mode as well which works well in some scenarios and shots have a good amount of detail. However, the images are not as sharp as the ones clicked during the day. We noticed a lens flare issue in some shots.. The primary sensor will not disappoint you as long as you have your expectations in check.

The ultra-wide camera allows you to get a wider view with decent colors but lacks sharpness and has distortion around the edges. The 2MP macro sensor will allow you to take extreme close ups of subjects but the quality is nothing to write home about as expected.

For selfies, the front camera delivers accurate skin tones and includes beautification features that can be disabled if desired.

You get support for up to 4K 60fps videos from the primary rear sensor and the front camera can capture up to 1080p 30fps videos. Considering the price point of the device, the video quality is decent.

Verdict:

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G comes with a powerful processor along with an additional chipset, a capable primary camera and a good screen.

If you are in the market looking for a mid-range device for gaming that possess some traits of a flagship, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro could be a good choice.