Quick Verdict
The iQOO Z11 is a nicely rounded pick if you want a comfortable, good-looking phone with dependable battery life and a display that holds up well outdoors, without needing to chase the highest refresh rate or the best haptics in the segment. It is a pleasant, capable phone, just not a flawless one.
Buy it if:
- You want a slim, comfortable phone despite the large 7,050 mAh battery.
- You care about display brightness, build durability (IP68/IP69), and dependable all-day battery life.
- You are fine with a phone that is very good rather than class-leading on gaming refresh rates and haptics.
- You want iQOO’s AI features, like AI Creation and AI Captions.
Skip it if:
- You want to run BGMI at 90 or 120 FPS, since the Z11 caps out at 60 FPS.
- NFC support is a must-have for you.
- Camera consistency, especially in low light, is a top priority.
The iQOO Z11 arrives as the first phone in its price range to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo, and iQOO is understandably proud of that. Between the vapour chamber cooling, the symmetrical dual stereo speaker, and a few flagship-adjacent AI features borrowed from the iQOO 15, the Z11 clearly aims to punch above its segment on paper.
I have spent time with the 12 GB variant in Aurora Green, and there is a lot to like here, especially if a comfortable in-hand feel and dependable battery life are high on your list. Like most phones at this price, it does come with a few trade-offs worth knowing about before you buy. Let’s take a look at everything in detail in this detailed review.
HOW I TESTED
| Reviewed By: Mehtab Ansari, expert in smartphones, cameras, and consumer tech (5 years experience, 150+ reviews) Test Unit: The review unit was provided by iQOO, though the company had no input in this review. Duration and Environment: I used the phone for close to 10 days in India, running daily tasks alongside BGMI sessions to properly test the battery and thermals. Tests: Daily usage including calls, social media, streaming, and navigation, along with BGMI sessions to check performance and thermals. AnTuTu v11, Geekbench 6, and 3DMark Wildlife Extreme were used for synthetic benchmarking, and battery drain was tracked across usage on WiFi and mobile data. Competitors: Motorola Edge 70 Fusion, realme P4s |
iQOO Z11 Price & Availability
The iQOO Z11 is priced at ₹31,499 with ongoing offers factored in. It comes in 6 GB, 8 GB, and 12 GB RAM configurations, all paired with UFS 3.1 storage, and ships in Aurora Green and Celestial Blue colourways.
- 6GB + 128GB: ₹34,999
- 8GB + 128GB: ₹39,999
- 8GB + 256GB: ₹44,999
- 12GB + 256GB: ₹49,999
Additional offers include up to ₹3,000 instant bank discount, an extra ₹1,000 coupon and no-cost EMI for up to 6 months. The phone is available via Amazon.in, iQOO.com, offline stores, vivo exclusive stores and Reliance Digital.
Pros
- Slim, comfortable in-hand feel despite the large 7,050 mAh battery
- Camera bar keeps the phone stable on a table, no wobble
- Bright, punchy AMOLED display that holds up nicely outdoors
- Optical fingerprint scanner is reliable, and face unlock is fast
- Vapour chamber cooling holds up well during BGMI sessions
- Symmetrical stereo speakers get loud and stay fairly balanced
- IP68 and IP69 rated, a nice bonus at this price
- 44W charging is quick when you need a fast top-up
Cons
- 144 Hz refresh rate is rarely utilized, most apps default to 90 Hz
- BGMI is capped at 60 FPS, with no 90 or 120 FPS option
- Haptics feel a bit basic
- Some bloatware, including a few first-party iQOO apps
- Night mode results can be a little inconsistent
- No NFC
iQOO Z11 Specifications
- Display: 6.83-inch AMOLED, 1.5K resolution, 449 PPI, 144 Hz refresh rate, 3D curved, 2000 nits HBM, 3000 nits peak, Amazon Prime Video HDR, Netflix HDR, 2,160 Hz/4,320 Hz PWM
- Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo (4nm)
- RAM: 6/8/12 GB LPDDR4X
- Storage: 128/256 GB UFS 3.1
- Main Camera: 50 MP Sony IMX882, 1/1.95-inch, f/1.79, OIS, 26mm, 4K30
- Ultra-wide Camera: 8 MP, 1/4-inch, f/2.2, 15mm, FF, 1080p30
- Front Camera: 32 MP, 1/3.1-inch, f/2.0, 23mm, FF, 4K30
- Battery and Charging: 7,050 mAh, 44W wired
- Cooling: 3,800 mm² vapour chamber
- Speaker: Symmetrical dual stereo speaker
- Biometrics: Optical in-display fingerprint scanner, face unlock
- Connectivity: IR blaster, USB 2.0, no NFC
- Protection: IP68 and IP69, MIL-STD-810H tested
- Build: Polycarbonate
- Dimensions and Weight: 7.99mm thickness, 199 grams
- Software: OriginOS, 3 major OS updates and 5 years of security patches
- Colours: Aurora Green, Celestial Blue
iQOO Z11 Review: Unboxing
Inside the box, you get the iQOO Z11 itself, a clear protective case, the 44W charger, a USB-A to USB-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and the standard paperwork.
iQOO Z11 Review: Design and Build
The in-hand feel is lovely here. Despite packing a 7,050 mAh battery, the Z11 doesn’t feel bulky at all, and the 3D curved display adds to the illusion of slimness. Just a small heads up: the curve is fairly steep, so it’s worth being a little mindful around the edges.
The camera bar keeps the phone nicely stable on a table with no wobble, and the overall silhouette reminded me quite a bit of the Pixel 10 Pro, in a good way. My unit is the Aurora Green variant, which reflects light beautifully and gives off a subtle glow-shifting effect in sunlight, while staying pleasantly resistant to fingerprints. The Celestial Blue option is darker and shows smudges a bit more easily, so keep that in mind if fingerprints bother you.
One thing worth knowing: while the design mimics glass and a metallic frame convincingly, this is actually a complete polycarbonate build. It doesn’t take away from the experience, but it’s good to know going in.
On the layout front, you get a dual nano-SIM tray, a USB 2.0 port, and the speaker grille and microphone up top, along with a secondary speaker, microphone, and IR blaster. The power button and volume rockers sit comfortably on the right, and the left edge stays clean. Network reception was reliably good in my testing with a Jio SIM. The one omission here is NFC, which would have been a welcome addition at this price.
iQOO Z11 Review: Display
The 6.83-inch AMOLED panel is bright enough for outdoor use without much trouble, though brightness does ease off a touch over extended sessions. Colours and clarity are good for the segment overall.
The refresh rate handling is one area with room to grow. By default, most apps run at 60 or 90 Hz under the Smart Select mode, and even manually switching to the high refresh mode doesn’t always get you all the way there, since a fair number of apps stay capped at 90 Hz. Very few apps take full advantage of the 144 Hz on offer, and I did notice the odd bit of lag in Clash of Clans, which was a little surprising on a phone this capable.
PWM dimming is rated at 4320 Hz, though that needs to be enabled manually through developer options. Left at default, it runs at 2160 Hz, which is still comfortably good and never gave me any trouble.
The always-on display has one quirk worth flagging: it only stays active for 3 seconds before switching off, with no option to keep it on permanently. On the plus side, the transition from AOD to the lock screen is smooth, and tap to wake works well. For reading and note-taking, the display is nice, and I didn’t run into any accidental touches from the curved edges during regular use.
iQOO Z11 Review: Speakers and Haptics
The stereo speakers are mostly symmetrical and get satisfyingly loud, with 150% and 200% volume boost options available for particularly noisy environments. The tuning has some room to improve, but overall output is solid for the price.
Haptics are the one area that could use a bit more polish. The vibration motor feels fairly basic, and it works best for alarms and calls rather than everyday typing or interactions.
iQOO Z11 Review: Software
The Z11 runs OriginOS 6 (based on Android 16), and the experience closely mirrors what I saw on the iQOO 15R. Roboto still pops up as the default font in a few places, like the calculator and the AOD clock, even after switching to iQOO Sans, and there is some missing blur here and there in transitions, small details that could use a bit more consistency. The UI overall has a lot of customization options to choose from, though.
ALSO READ: OriginOS 6 Review: The Upgrade That Changes Everything for vivo
On the AI front, you get AI Eraser in the Albums app, Circle to Search, AI DocMaster, Super Eraser, AI Creation, AI Transcript Assist in the recorder app, Google Gemini, and AI Captions, several of which carry over nicely from the iQOO 15 lineup. iQOO says credits for these features are unlimited, which is a nice touch.
ALSO READ: I Put the iQOO Z11’s AI Features to Work on Everyday Problems
Software support comes in at 3 major OS updates plus 5 years of security patches, in line with what most phones in this segment offer.
Bloatware is worth flagging here. Beyond the usual lock screen posters and notifications from the vAppStore, iQOO Browser, and iQOO Store, you’ll also find a fair number of pre-installed third-party apps like Block Blast, Booking.com, Agoda, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Netflix, and Sony LIV. The good news is the third-party apps can be uninstalled easily enough. As for the first party apps, you can only disable notifications.
iQOO Z11 Review: Biometrics
The optical in-display fingerprint scanner is placed a little lower than ideal, and it could be a touch quicker to respond. Face unlock more than makes up for it though, it’s impressively fast, and it works well even in low light, brightening the screen quickly before unlocking.
iQOO Z11 Review: Performance
The Dimensity 7500 Turbo, paired with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, feels appropriately swift for day-to-day use, and that shows in how smoothly the phone handles everyday tasks. On my 12 GB unit, AnTuTu v11 came in at 1,104,411, though results will naturally be a bit lower on the 6 GB variant. If you’re deciding between configurations, the 8 GB variant is a sensible, sweet spot.
| Benchmark | iQOO Z11 (Dimensity 7500 Turbo) | Motorola Edge 70 Fusion (Snapdragon 7s Gen 4) |
| AnTuTu Score | 1104411 | 1138456 |
| Storage (Score, Sequential Read Speed, Write Speed) | Score: 109566; Sequential Read: 1975 MB/s; Sequential Write: 1835 MB/s | Score: 119279; Sequential Read: 2112 MB/s; Sequential Write: 2131 MB/s |
| Geekbench 6 CPU (Single-Core, Multi-Core) | Single-Core: 1055; Multi-Core: 3155 | Single-Core: 1249; Multi-Core: 3507 |
| Geekbench 6 GPU (OpenCL, Vulkan) | OpenCL: 3906; Vulkan: 3884 | OpenCL: 3566; Vulkan: 5074 |
| 3DMark Wildlife Extreme (Score, Avg FPS) | Score: 1159; Avg FPS: 6.94 | Score: 1200; Avg FPS: 7.19 |
| 3DMark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test (Best Loop, Lowest Loop, Stability) | Best Loop: 1161; Lowest Loop: 1148; Stability: 98.9% | Best Loop: 1191; Lowest Loop: 1129; Stability: 94.8% |
The 3,800 mm² vapour chamber cooling earns its keep. During BGMI sessions at 60 FPS, I saw an average of 59.2 FPS with temperatures hovering around a cool 37°C, and the experience stayed smooth throughout with no thermal concerns.
The one thing on my wishlist is higher frame rate support in BGMI, since iQOO caps things at 60 FPS with no 90 or 120 FPS option, which feels like it leaves a bit of the chipset’s potential on the table. Hopefully a future update brings that along.
iQOO Z11 Review: Cameras
For the price, especially with the ongoing round of price hikes across the segment, the camera hardware here is quite decent. The 50 MP Sony IMX882 main sensor, at 1/2-inch, captures nicely natural depth, and results up to 2X zoom are good.
Portrait mode is a bit of a mixed bag. Faces come out noticeably soft with some brightening applied, and while most people I showed the results to still liked them, edge detection and the skin smoothing effect could both use some refinement.
Skin tones, on the other hand, are pleasantly accurate. HDR performance is mostly fine, though you’ll notice some flares in low light, likely down to the lens coating.
AI enhancement is applied by default and can’t be turned off, which is worth knowing. It shows up more prominently indoors, and while it can smooth out images nicely, it also introduces the occasional artefact, broken bar, or unusual texture.
Night mode can be a little inconsistent too, sometimes trailing behind the regular mode in auto settings, with textures looking a bit off. There’s also some oversharpening in scenes that aren’t well lit.
The 8 MP ultra-wide camera performs about as expected at this price. Daylight HDR is average, and while night time shots are just usable, there’s also a slight colour shift compared to the main camera, fairly common in this segment. If you’d like more nuanced colours, switching to the textured colour mode is worth a try.
The 32 MP selfie camera is a pleasant surprise. HDR is good, detail is decent, and there’s some AI enhancement applied by default, along with portrait mode kicking in automatically when you switch to the front camera. Despite being fixed focus, results hold up well, and the 23mm focal length is wide enough that you can pinch to zoom up to 2X.
Video from both cameras tops out at 4K30, and while it’s a touch shaky, nothing about it is alarming. One small quirk: exposure can shift a bit when switching modes on the selfie camera, and face exposure isn’t always perfectly consistent.
If cameras are your top priority in this price bracket, the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion is also worth a look and holds its own well.
iQOO Z11 Review: Battery Life and Charging
The 7,050 mAh silicon carbon battery is one of the highlights here, and it delivers a solid, dependable experience. Screen-on-time averaged around 8 hours on WiFi, dropping to roughly 7 hours on mobile data, with a mix of YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, note-taking, some camera use, and about 20 minutes of gaming. That’s good going, but there’s a little more headroom for iQOO to unlock through future optimisation.
Charging is handled by the bundled 44W charger, which takes the phone from 5% to 100% in around 1 hour 10 minutes, though a 50% charge in just over 30 minutes makes it reasonably quick whenever you need a top-up.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy the iQOO Z11?
The iQOO Z11 gets a lot of the fundamentals right: it’s comfortable to hold despite the large battery, the display is bright and dependable, and the vapour chamber cooling does its job nicely during gaming. At ₹31,499 with current offers, it’s a genuinely good deal.
There are a few trade-offs worth keeping in mind too: the 144 Hz refresh rate doesn’t get used as much as you’d like, BGMI is capped at 60 FPS, haptics could be more premium, and the camera’s AI enhancement can’t be switched off even on shots where a lighter touch would help.
If cameras, extra performance headroom, and features like NFC and 120 FPS BGMI support are closer to the top of your list, the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion at ₹30,999 for the 8 GB variant, with 68W charging, is also a strong option worth comparing against.
Smartprix ⭐ Rating: 8.0/10
- Design and Build: 8/10
- Display: 8/10
- Speakers: 8/10
- Software: 7.5/10
- Haptics: 6.5/10
- Biometrics: 8/10
- Performance: 7.5/10
- Cameras: 7.5/10
- Battery Life & Charging: 8/10
First reviewed in August 2026.
