iQOO Z9x Review – A Budget 5G Smartphone with Impressive Features

To make 5G accessible to everyone, both network providers and smartphone manufacturers must play their part. With Jio and Airtel offering unlimited 5G internet, telecom companies are stepping up. Now, with the launch of affordable 5G smartphones like the iQOO Z9x, manufacturers are also helping speed up 5G adoption in India.

The iQOO Z9x is the brand’s most budget-friendly 5G smartphone released this year. After using the iQOO Z9x for more than two weeks, here’s our detailed review of this cost-effective 5G smartphone

Stylish Design, Durable Build

The iQOO Z9x design is sleek and somewhat reminiscent of the company’s high-end models, though it’s not as premium. Despite its plastic frame and back, it feels sturdy and is among the thinnest and lightest phones with a 6,000 mAh battery. The plastic back also adds durability, making it more resilient than many premium smartphones.

It includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, appealing to users upgrading from older budget phones. The package comes with a transparent case and a charger. Notably, it boasts an IP64 rating for water and dust resistance, a feature usually seen in higher-end models.

Clear and Functional Display

The iQOO Z9x sports a 6.72-inch screen that is just the right size and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. For someone who enjoys watching videos and movies on the go, an OLED panel would be preferable for better color accuracy, but that’s a personal choice. The phone has a pre-installed screen protector, which shields it from everyday scratches but offers limited protection against drops.

The bezels are slightly uneven, and a blue halo effect appears when the screen displays a full white image. The punch-hole camera cutout enhances its modern look and screen-to-body ratio.

Since it’s an LCD screen, the contrast isn’t as strong, which is noticeable when watching videos. Regular users might not mind, but those used to OLED screens might feel it’s a step down.

Sufficient Camera Quality

The iQOO Z9x features a 50 MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2 MP depth sensor. An 8 MP camera is on the front for selfies. In daylight, the main camera captures vibrant colors and detailed shots. Impressively, it supports 4K video recording, though at 30fps.

While a 50 MP sensor might seem modest next to some 108 MP ones, the camera is well-tuned for various scenarios.

Solid Everyday Performance

Priced around Rs 15,000, the iQOO Z9x delivers a strong user experience with remarkable battery life. Powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, it smoothly handles everyday tasks like web browsing, social media, and video streaming, and supports moderate gaming with reduced graphics settings for games like BGMI and COD: Mobile.

It comes in 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB RAM variants with 128GB storage, with the 6GB RAM model recommended to avoid multitasking slowdowns. It also features a microSD card slot for up to 1TB of additional storage.

The software experience is typical of iQOO smartphones, shipping with Android 14 and some pre-installed apps. iQOO promises two major Android OS updates and three years of security updates.

The 6,000 mAh battery, combined with 44W fast charging, ensures all-day use for heavy users and up to two days for lighter use. The fast charger is included in the box.

Reliable 5G Performance

The phone supports both SA (standalone) and NSA (non-standalone) 5G networks and is compatible with Airtel 5G Plus and Jio True 5G networks.

While the 5G performance on the iQOO Z9x wasn’t the highest compared to some recent devices we tested, it offers good connectivity and fast internet speeds with lower latency than the 4G network.

Even when used as a WiFi hotspot, the phone didn’t overheat, and we could use the internet on our laptop for hours without any issues.

An Excellent Affordable 5G Smartphone

The iQOO Z9x provides solid smartphone performance with exceptional battery life. It’s also stylish and durable. Priced Rs 12,999, this phone is an excellent choice for anyone seeking their first 5G smartphone.