iQOO launched iQoo Z7 in India in March 2023 and now the brand is back with its Pro variant that comes with a better chipset, faster charging speed, and new design. Compared to the Dimensity 920 chipset that powered the iQOO Z7, this one works on Dimensity 7200 which is a good upgrade. Apart from the iQOO Z7 Pro, the Vivo V27 Pro also has the same chipset but it costs more than the iQOO Z7 Pro. In a budget of Rs. 25,000 iQOO Z7 Pro comes with an AMOLED 120Hz display, 80W fast charging, 64MP primary camera, and more.
iQOO has also changed the design a little. The rear panel has a marble finish along with auro light and the device is slimmer as well. We used this smartphone for a few days as a primary device and are now ready with the review to help you understand where the iQOO Z7 Pro 5G stands amongst its competitors.
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G Review Snapshot
Editor’s rating: 3.9/5
Design
Display
Software
Performance
Camera
Battery
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Pros
- New design
- 120Hz display
- 80W charging
- Good performance
- AMOLED panel
Cons
- Loads of bloatware
- Underwhelming secondary camera
- No audio jack
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G Price & Availability
iqoo Z7 Pro 5G Review: Design
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G looks good in terms of appearance. The device is sleek (with a thickness of 7.36mm) and due to curved edges, it looks even slimmer. Despite being sleek, the camera module at the back is hardly protruded. We received iQOO Z7 Pro 5G in Blue lagoon color which is not my favorite. If you also like mature shades for your smartphone, then you can choose the graphite matte shade that has a velvet matte finish. As for the blue lagoon model, the rear panel looks bluish at the bottom and white at the top. The rear panel has a marble finish with a texture. When light falls on its back panel, it shines. Although the texture and finish are good, we didn’t like the shade much. However, when it comes to colors everyone has their own choice so choose what you like.
The rear panel of the device has a square camera module that has 2 cutouts with silver rings around them. There is an LED flash as well (iqoo calls it Aura Light) with a silver ring around it. There is iqoo branding at the bottom.
At the front is a large AMOLED display with slim bezels and punch hole camera for a selfie sensor at the top. The punch-hole camera is very small so doesn’t bother you when content streaming or gaming.
The right edge houses the power button and volume rockers while the left edge is vacant. The bottom edge includes a SIM tray, speaker grille, USB Type-C port, and one microphone. Another microphone is placed on the top edge.
iQOO Z7 Pro has a 4600mAh battery and yet the device is 7.36mm thick and weighs 175 grams. The smartphone can easily be operated with one hand for long durations, but due to the AG Glass finish it is slippery so use a protective cover to avoid any accidental drops. With the protective cover, the smartphone is more comfortable in hand. The best part is that the glass finish panel doesn’t catch much smudges. Iqoo Z7 Pro 5G comes with an IP52 rating that keeps it safe against water and dust. Although the design of the smartphone is good some might be disappointed by the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack.
All in all, the design of the smartphone is good. It is slim and lightweight as well. iQOO Z7 Pro 5G comes in 2 colorways and the TPU cover inside the box keeps it protected.
iqoo z7 pro 5G Review: Display
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G sports a large 6.78-inch display. This AMOLED panel comes with FHD+ resolution and supports 120Hz refresh rate. AMOLED panel ensures that the colors look gorgeous. A curved display ensures that the screen looks bigger and more premium. There are 3 modes to choose colors- Standard, Pro, and Bright and you can set the color temperature among Cool, Default, and Warm in all 3 modes. We used it in Pro Mode where colors looked accurate as neither were the colors too bright nor faded.
The smartphone comes with HDR support for apps like Netflix and YouTube. We would advise using Standard mode for HDR content and Pro mode for SDR content. This will give the best quality videos.
With a 120Hz refresh rate, scrolling is smooth but while watching videos, it switches to 60Hz. Even while gaming it shifts to 60Hz or 90Hz. The scrolling is mostly smooth.
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G comes with 1300 nits peak brightness and it is adequate. We used it outdoors and tasks like texting and chatting were easy on it. You can easily view the screen with maximum brightness levels outdoors.
To protect the screen, there is a Schott Xensation UP Glass that keeps it safe from scratches and dents. Protective film comes pre-installed.
iqoo z7 pro 5G Review: Performance
iQOO Z7 Pro is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset based on a 4nm manufacturing process. The chipset has 2 primary cores with a clock speed of 2.8GHz and the rest of the 6 cores have a clock speed of 2.0GHz. There is 8GB RAM that can be extended by 8GB with Extended RAM 3.0 feature. Although it is not that powerful but comes in handy when needed. There is up to 256GB UFS 2.2 storage as well but there is no option to expand it using a microSD card.
iQOO Z6 Pro was powered by Snapdragon 778G which had an AnTuTu score of 528228 while the iQOO Z7 Pro powered by Dimensity 7200 has an AnTuTu score of 610555. There is a slight difference in its actual performance. iQOO Z7 Pro 5G gives a fast and smooth performance. We used it as a primary device and it performed tasks like calling, content streaming, benchmarking, and more easily.
We gamed for about half an hour continuously and there were no lags of frame drops. Games like COD and BGMI can be played with high frame rates and graphics easily.
For thermal performance, there is a 3000mm2 vapor chamber cooling system that gives good results. Even after running all the benchmarks, the smartphone never heated up. The results of these benchmark tests are attached below. During the CPU Throttle test, peak performance throttled at 95%. This gives an idea about how good the performance is.
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G runs Android 13 with FunTouch OS 13 skin on top. It provides all the features of Android 13 with a little bit of customization and is easy to use. Vivo has promised 2 years of software updates and 3 years of security patches. FunTouch OS 13 is mostly similar to FunTouch OS 12 but customization options are more. You can adjust animation effects, the home screen, the lock screen, and more the way you like. Android 13 color palette support is also available. Ultra Game Mode too comes with loads of features. Using this mode, you can turn off notifications while gaming and play games in the background as well.
While iQOO has provided ample features, bloatware is a big downside. Vivo has loaded lots of apps in this device which include Hot Apps and Hot Games as well. However, this can be overlooked if you consider all the good things about the device.
iQOO Z7 PRO 5G REVIEW: CAMERA
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G comes with a dual rear camera setup. There is a 64MP primary ISOCELL GW3 sensor with Optical Image Stabilization and Electronic Image Stabilization. The secondary lens is a 2MP bokeh sensor. The primary sensor works well, especially during good daylight. The shots below clearly indicate that the colors are accurate and have ample detailing. The colors are vibrant which makes the photos look beautiful. However, if you zoom in you will witness grainy details.
In low-light conditions, the detailing is slightly less but the shots are satisfactory. Using Night Mode to click photos in low light is favorable as there is better dynamic range and contrast in these shots.
You can use this sensor to take 3x lossless zoom clicks as well. We clicked these photos in normal as well as zoom-in mode. Although details get softer in zoomed shots, considering the price point, the output is satisfactory.
The shots below have vibrant colors and the skin tones look natural.
iqoo z7 pro 5g Review: Battery Life and Charging
iQOO Z7 Pro packs a 4600mAh battery under the hood. The battery is slightly smaller than the regular 5000mAh one found in most phones these days, yet it gives a decent backup. The smartphone has good battery management. We used it for calling, web surfing, and watching content during the day and it worked easily till night. Even if you are a heavy gamer, you won’t need to charge the battery the entire day.
The smartphone comes with a 66W adapter inside the box. This is okay as per budget because devices in this segment come with 80W chargers as well. The 66W adapter takes around 50 minutes to charge the phone from 0 to 100%.
Review Verdict: Should you buy iqoo z7 pro 5G?
The iQOO Z7 Pro has made its debut in the Indian market, presenting itself with an introductory price starting at Rs. 23,999. While positioned at this price bracket, the device offers a range of commendable features, albeit accompanied by certain areas of improvement, notably in the secondary camera segment. While the audio speaker exhibits robust volume levels, the audio quality fails to leave a lasting impression. Comparatively, the Realme 11 Pro, also available within a similar budget, boasts a 200MP camera and a stereo speaker setup.
However in terms of performance, iQOO Z7 Pro leaves behind its competitors easily. The chipset handles everyday tasks, heavy tasks, and gaming easily while the vapor chamber cooling system ensures that the device never heats up. Design and display can also be the reasons for buying this smartphone. The iQOO Z7 Pro has everything good as per price point and if you want a reliable smartphone, then you can choose this one. If a camera is your priority, then this one isn’t for you.
Reasons to buy
- New design
- 120Hz display
- 80W charging
- Good performance
- AMOLED panel
Reasons to not buy
- Loads of bloatware
- Underwhelming secondary camera
- No audio jack
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