The iQOO Z9s Pro is a compelling mid-range smartphone that delivers a powerful punch for its price. Featuring a sleek design, a vibrant display, and impressive cameras, the Z9s Pro aims to challenge competitors like the OnePlus Nord 4, Realme GT 6T, Realme 13 Pro+, and Nothing Phone 2a Plus. While it boasts a top-tier processor and a long-lasting battery, is the iQOO Z9s Pro the perfect choice for budget-conscious consumers? Let’s delve into a detailed review to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of this latest contender in the fiercely competitive mid-range market.
iQOO Z9s Pro Design: Slim and Stylish
The iQOO Z9s Pro adopts a familiar design language seen in previous iQOO Neo and flagship series devices, but with a refined and premium approach. Available in two distinct finishes, Flamboyant Orange with a leather back and Luxe Marble featuring a textured glass back, the Z9s Pro offers a stylish visual appeal. While both options are attractive, the Luxe Marble boasts a more premium look.
With a slim profile of just 7.49mm, the Z9s Pro is one of the thinnest smartphones in its price segment. The curved display contributes to a bezel-less experience, though the curved edges might feel sharp for some.
Button placement could be improved, as reaching the volume controls requires some effort. The phone includes screen protection, but not from the renowned Corning brand. A positive aspect is the IP64 rating, making the device dust and splash-resistant. Overall, the design language has been significantly enhanced, solidifying the Z9s Pro as one of the most stylish smartphones in the Rs 30,000 price segment.
iQOO Z9s Pro Display: Good for Outdoor Usage
The iQOO Z9s Pro comes equipped with a curved AMOLED display measuring 6.77 inches. The curved edges effectively minimize accidental touches. The display boasts crisp visuals and vibrant colors, delivering an immersive viewing experience.
Viewing angles are impressive, and outdoor visibility is excellent thanks to the peak brightness of 4,500 nits. Users have the option to customize the display experience with three color modes: Standard, Professional, and Bright. The Professional mode offers enhanced saturation, while Bright mode delivers more vibrant colors compared to the Standard mode.
The Z9s Pro benefits from a dynamic 120Hz screen refresh rate, ensuring smooth scrolling and a fluid user experience. The device also features an in-display fingerprint sensor that is both fast and reliable.
Complementing the excellent display, the Z9s Pro boasts stereo speakers that produce decent audio output. However, at maximum volume, a slight distortion can be noticed.
iQOO Z9s Pro Software: Bloatware Heavy
The user interface on iQOO devices has always been a potential point of contention, and the Z9s Pro is no exception. While the device runs on the latest Android 14 operating system with FunTouchOS 14 on top, the user interface, despite offering some customizability and fluidity, faces several drawbacks.
One prominent issue is the presence of bloatware, although most of it can be deleted. The Hot Games and Hot Apps features, unfortunately, display ads for different apps and games.
Adding to the annoyance, the V-Appstore bombards users with notifications for new app and game releases. While users can disable these features to avoid constant notifications, unfortunately, they cannot be permanently deleted.
Furthermore, while the company claims two years of OS updates and three years of security patches, the competition provides at least three years of Android updates and four years of security patches. This leaves the Z9s Pro lagging behind in terms of software support.
iQOO Z9s Pro Performance: Value for Money
The iQOO Z9s Pro stands out by offering the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor at a comparatively lower price point than other devices in the market boasting the same chipset. The Z9s Pro is currently one of the most affordable smartphones equipped with this capable processor, making it an attractive choice for budget-conscious consumers seeking high performance.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks, effortlessly handling multitasking, browsing, and social media apps. Whether it’s switching between various apps or scrolling through content-heavy social media feeds, the Z9s Pro handles it without any lag or stutter.
To understand the performance of the Z9s Pro relative to its competitors, here’s a comparison of benchmark scores:
| Benchmark | iQOO Z9s Pro | Honor 200 | Motorola Edge 50 Pro | Realme GT 6T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 Single Core | 1136 | 1145 | 1142 | 1843 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi Core | 3091 | 3304 | 3124 | 4756 |
| AnTuTu v10 | 814328 | 821,670 | 818,387 | 1,462,980 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 10460 | 12,723 | 13,730 | 19,517 |
| 3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Slingshot | 8255 | Maxed Out | 8393 | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Wild Life | 5287 | 5917 | 5394 | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Wild Life Unlimited | 5428 | 6043 | 5457 | 11481 |
| GFXBench T-Rex | 119 | 60 | 116 | 60 |
| GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 | 74 | 59 | 61 | 60 |
| GFXBench Car Chase | 40 | 38 | 32 | 60 |
The iQOO Z9s Pro delivers impressive gaming performance. It handles demanding titles like Call of Duty: Mobile with ease, running the game smoothly on Very High graphics settings and Max frame rates. While the device does become slightly warm around the camera module during prolonged gaming sessions, the temperature rise isn’t concerning.
The Z9s Pro offers a compelling balance of performance and affordability, making it a worthy contender in the mid-range smartphone market.
iQOO Z9s Pro Cameras: Top-Notch
One of the standout features of the iQOO Z9s Pro is its camera system. iQOO has significantly upgraded the camera capabilities in its Z-series, offering a pro-grade experience that delivers reliable results in various lighting conditions.
The Z9s Pro boasts a rear camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 sensor with an f/1.79 aperture and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. In daylight, the device captures crisp and detailed images with decent dynamic range.
Portraits shot with the Z9s Pro also impress with accurate subject detection and pleasant background blurring. The low-light performance is commendable, producing detailed shots even in challenging lighting conditions. For a more in-depth analysis of the iQOO Z9s Pro’s camera capabilities, you can refer to detailed camera reviews on Gadgets 360.
iQOO Z9s Pro Battery: Decent Battery Life
The iQOO Z9s Pro houses a substantial 5,500mAh battery, exceeding the battery capacity found in competing devices like the OnePlus Nord 4, Motorola Edge 50, Nothing Phone 2a Plus, and Honor 200. This generous battery capacity translates to impressive battery life, outperforming its rivals.
With casual to moderate usage, the Z9s Pro comfortably provides up to two days of battery life. Even with heavy usage, including streaming content, browsing, social media usage, and other demanding tasks, a full day of battery life can be expected.
The device lasted an impressive 26 hours and 42 minutes in the HD battery loop test. To further amplify its appeal, the Z9s Pro offers 80W fast charging.
With the included 80W fast charger, the device charges to 33 percent in just 15 minutes, 57 percent in 30 minutes, and achieves a full charge in 52 minutes. It’s a impressive charging speed that further strengthens the Z9s Pro’s appeal.
iQOO Z9s Pro Verdict
The iQOO Z9s Pro presents a compelling blend of style, performance, and features. It boasts a premium design, a vibrant display with excellent outdoor visibility, impressive battery life, and commendable cameras. The performance is excellent, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable user experience. However, the device has a few drawbacks, including the presence of bloatware, which can be frustrating for users.
Furthermore, the number of Android updates offered by the company falls short compared to its competitors. Considering the competition, the iQOO Z9s Pro goes head-to-head with devices like the OnePlus Nord 4, Realme GT 6T, Poco F6, Realme 13 Pro+, and Nothing Phone 2a.
Ultimately, if you’re searching for a stylish mid-range smartphone with a potent blend of features and performance, the iQOO Z9s Pro is a strong contender worthy of consideration.
