iQOO Z9s 5G Series of smartphones starts at Rs. 19,999 in the country. The base model, iQOO Z9s 5G comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, which has been seen on some other devices too in the past. Except for the chipset, the vanilla model shares most of the features with the Pro Model. iQOO Z9s 5G comes with a 50MP Sony IMX 882 primary camera, 1800 nits brightness with HDR10+ support for AMOLED screen, and 44W wired fast charging with a 5000mAh battery, that too for an offer price of Rs. 17,999. Considering specs, it looks like a good deal on paper, but does it also give an equally powerful performance? Let us find out through this iQOO Z9s 5G review.
iQOO Z9s 5G Price & Availability
iQOO Z9s 5G comes in three storage configurations-
- 8GB RAM+128GB storage-Rs. 19,999
- 8GB RAM+256GB storage-Rs. 21,999
- 12GB RAM+256GB storage-Rs. 23,999
Pros
- Stylish design & IP54 rating
- Bright AMOLED display
- Powerful & Smooth performance
- Good primary camera
- Large battery
Cons
- No ultrawide camera
- Average front camera
- Fast charging could have been better
- Bloatware
iQOO Z9s 5G Review – Design & Build
The first time I held the iQOO Z9s 5G in my hand, I felt it to be premium, considering its price point. The design differs from that of the iQOO Z9s Pro, but the brand has tried to give it a premium touch by making it slim and equipping it with a curved display. It is 7.49mm thick and weighs merely 180 grams.
We have the grey color variant, which looks good in person. It is made of plastic and has a matte finish. There is also a leather finish variant, which weighs slightly more and has more thickness but still looks sleek. The smartphone packs a 5500mAh battery, so its thickness is admirable considering the massive battery.
The capsule-shaped camera module at the back includes two pill-shaped cutouts. One of the cutouts has aura light, while the other in black houses two camera sensors. The LED Flash stands just outside the camera module. The device is sleek, which makes the camera bump feel slightly more. However, the bump is divided between the capsule module and cutouts, ensuring it doesn’t wobble on a flat surface.
Our Titanium Matte variant doesn’t catch smudges or fingerprints easily due to the matte finish. Moreover, it is sleeker and lighter than the leather finish variant. The color will be loved by those who like to have simple and sober hues for their devices. If you don’t like this grey color, you can opt for Onyx Green, Luxe Marble, or Flamboyant Orange leather versions.
The bottom edge of the iQOO Z9s 5G houses a SIM Tray, microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille. The top edge has a secondary microphone, while the volume rockers and power buttons are on the right edge. The side frame has a steel finish, while at the front is a 6.77-inch display with a punch-hole selfie sensor at the top.
With a thickness of 7.49mm, it is one of the slimmest and most stylish phones in the segment. For a budget of Rs. 20,000, iQOO Z9s 5G features an impressive design and build quality.
iQOO Z9s 5G Review – Display
At the front is a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, FHD+ resolution, and HDR10+ support. There is 1800 nits peak brightness as well. With HDR10+ support, content consumption on apps like YouTube and Netflix is a good experience. The curved display makes this experience even better. The AMOLED panel offers beautiful colors, and there are three color profile options- Standard, Bright, and Professional- and you can adjust the tone as needed. I mostly used the device in Professional mode and found the colors rich and natural.
The iQOO Z9s 5G has a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a super smooth scrolling experience and fast touch responsiveness. If you choose the Smart Switch option for refresh rate, it automatically adjusts itself between 120Hz and 90Hz depending on the app running on the screen. It even goes down to 60Hz when needed. It works at 60Hz when the Standard Profile is chosen.
While the Pro model comes with 4500 nits brightness, this one offers 1800 nits brightness levels. In a budget of sub-20k, I do not have any complaints about the brightness level. Although it isn’t as high as the pro variant, it still works well outdoors. There is also an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is reliable and fast.
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iQOO Z9s 5G Review - Software
iQOO Z9s runs Android 14-based FunTouch OS 14 out of the box. We saw the same user interface in the recently launched Vivo V40 series. There is bloatware, and you will find pre-installed apps, which makes you realize it is a budget smartphone. There are a total of 47 apps, out of which some can be deleted and others cannot.
The good part is that you will find customizable options to modify it as per your style. These include clock styles, always-on-display, smart sidebar, and more. iQOO has promised two years of software updates and three years of security patches with this one.
iQOO Z9s 5G Review – Performance
iQOO Z9s 5G is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset. Earlier, we saw this chipset in Oppo Reno 12 Pro, which is priced at Rs. 36,999, and recently launched Realme 13+, priced at Rs. 22,999. Compared to these two, iQOO Z9s 5G costs Rs. 19,999.
The device performs well on benchmarking platforms like Geekbench, AnTuTu, and others in comparison to its competitors.
| Smartphone | Geekbench Score | AnTuTu Score |
| OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite | single core – 911, multi-core – 2024 | 468021 |
| Vivo T3 | single core – 1177, multi-core – 2646 | 715922 |
| Poco X6 | single core – 973, multi-core – 2920 | 593702 |
| Samsung Galaxy M35 | single core – 1008, multi-core – 2926 | 611292 |
| iQOO Z9s 5G | single core – 1048, multi-core – 3025 | 699226 |
Talking about performance, it works well in all everyday tasks. Apart from benchmarking and photography, I used the smartphone for Instagram scrolling, WhatsApp, calling, and content streaming, and all of these were smooth. I did not face any problems in multitasking or switching between apps. You also get 12GB RAM with 256GB UFS 2.2 storage on board.
I also used the smartphone for gaming and performed well in this department. BGMI Mobile ran smoothly with high frame rates and ultra HDR graphics, while Call of Duty Mobile was also a decent experience. I did experience slight frame drops after long gaming sessions, but then this is pretty common, so no issues.
iQOO Z9s 5G Review – Cameras
iQOO offers similar cameras to iQOO Z9s and iQOO Z9s Pro. iQOO Z9s 5G comes with a 50MP Sony IMX882 main camera at the back which clicks good photos. There is OIS support as well. There is no ultrawide sensor, only a 2MP depth camera, and the main sensor is at the back. At the front is a 16MP punch-hole sensor for selfies.
The 50MP main sensor clicks decent images in daylight. You can say that it is one of the best-performing cameras in this budget. The photos have good details, and the colors look natural.
The clicks have an excellent dynamic range, too. In the image below, you can clearly see how light falls on half of the mannequins while the other half has shadows, both being clearly differentiated.
There is a 2MP depth sensor, which gives good results as well. Although you can’t compare the output from this one with the result of the primary camera, the sensor works fine by keeping the object in focus and blurring the detected background. On zooming in, edge detection can also be felt.
When used in low light, the output of the main sensor is slightly downgraded. Although colors are good, detailing and dynamic range take a hit in low-light conditions.
You will also get new AI features like Adjust, AI Photo Enhance, and AI Eraser. AI Photo Enhance improves the clarity of images by boosting brightness, whereas the AI Eraser tool removes unwanted objects and gives good results. How well it works can be seen in the images below.
The 16MP selfie sensor is good, considering the price range. It captures objects well, but the skin tones don’t look natural or real. Detailing is also not acceptable.
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iQOO Z9s 5G Review – Battery Life and Charging
iQOO Z9s 5G is a good option in a budget of Rs. 19,999. The device is super-slim and stylish, along with some more features that are preferred by those opting for budget smartphones. These include an AMOLED display, a big battery, and a good primary camera.
With a budget of 20,000, the brand also offers 44W wired fast charging support that takes around 1.5 hours to recharge the battery from 0 to 100%. Charging time might feel a lot, but the battery is larger, too. Still, if you want a faster-charging smartphone, you can opt for smartphones like the OnePlus Nord CE 4 lite and Realme 13+ in a similar budget. Both these offer 80W fast charging on the same budget. You also get a 44W adapter and charging cable inside the iQOO Z9s 5G box.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy the iQOO Z9s 5G?
Smartprix Rating: 8.5/10
Design and Build: 7/10
Display and Speakers: 8/10
Software and Haptics: 7/10
Performance: 9/10
Camera: 7/10
Battery Life and Charging: 9/10
iQOO Z9s 5G is a good option in a budget of Rs. 19,999. The device is super-slim and stylish along with some more features which are preferred by those opting for budget smartphones. These include an AMOLED display, a big battery, and a good primary camera.
Besides that, the biggest reason to buy this smartphone is its chipset, the dimension 7300, which gives the device the best performance in this budget. There is a huge battery, but 44W charging takes time to recharge the device. Although charging time isn’t slow, there are faster charging options available in a similar price range. Also, while iQOO Z9s 5G gets two years of software updates, whereas Realme Narzo 70 Pro gets 3 promised OS updates, and the Samsung Galaxy M35 gets 5 years of promised OS updates. However, in terms of performance, iQOO Z9s 5G leaves both of these competitors behind.
First reviewed in July 2024.
