iQoo 11 5G is the first flagship Android smartphone of 2023 to arrive in India. The phone is a successor to the iQoo 9T, which launched last year. Positioned as the world's fastest Android smartphone, the iQoo 11 5G features Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The phone also packs premium hardware such as a 2K AMOLED display, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and support for 120W fast charging.
The new handset has received some 'pro' features but as they say, upgrades come at a cost. The iQoo 11 5G is far more expensive than the outgoing model. Should you buy the iQoo 11 5G or wait for other flagship phones to launch? Here is our full review to help you decide.
iQoo 11 5G price in India
The iQoo 11 5G has been launched in two configurations. The base model packs 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. It is priced at Rs. 59,999. The variant we are reviewing costs Rs. 64,999 and packs 16GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. As part of the launch offers, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank cardholders are eligible for a Rs. 5,000 discount.
iQoo 11 5G design and display
The iQoo 11 5G comes in two colours and finishes. The company sent us the Legend variant, which has the classic white rear panel with the BMW Motorsport-inspired racing stripe design. This particular variant uses a combination of fibreglass and silicone leather. The phone feels quite refreshing to hold and look at without compromising on the premium in-hand feel. The Alpha colour variant has a glass back and is a safer option for those who want the classic black colour. Both models come with a metal chassis for better durability and a premium touch.
The iQoo 11 5G in its Legend colour option
The phone is fairly tall and is not meant for one-handed use. It measures around 8.72mm in thickness. The phone's power and volume buttons are located on the right side and are easy to reach. Despite weighing about 205g, the phone does not feel very heavy. Of course, if you are coming from a lighter phone then you are bound to feel the dense weight.
On the front, the iQoo 11 5G has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 2K resolution. Because the screen offers vivid colours and deep blacks, the viewing experience is great. The cherry on top is the set of additional features that enhance the multimedia experience. These include up to 1800 nits of peak brightness (for outdoors, under sunlight), support for WideVine L1, and HDR10 content support in apps such as Netflix.
The display bezel around the chin of the iQoo 11 5G is slightly thicker than other bezels. There is a hole-punch cut out at the top for the front camera. The screen also has a layer of Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus, which should make it more resistant to scratches or shattering during accidental drops.
The display of the iQoo 11 5G also intelligently switches between 1Hz and 144Hz depending on the on-screen content. iQoo seems to have some pending optimisations for running apps at 144Hz as in my experience, most apps that I tried ran at 120Hz. Out of the three refresh rate settings, I preferred using Smart Switch, which adjusts the refresh rate automatically based on the system power consumption and actual usage scenario. Oddly, there were a few stutters in the UI on a select few apps such as Twitter and Instagram. Alternatively, you can set the refresh rate at Standard (60Hz) or High (up to 144Hz).
There is also a smart refresh rate feature on the iQoo 11 5G where only a portion of the display refreshes at a higher rate when required. This is possible in a few apps such as YouTube where the comments section, for example, refreshes at a higher rate when scrolling, while the part of the display where the video is being played refreshes at a lower rate. iQoo claims that the intelligent switching helps reduce power consumption. The display also supports a feature called Monster Touch, which lets you use portions of the display as additional in-game buttons within certain games.
iQoo 11 5G specifications and software
As mentioned above, the iQoo 11 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC making it the first smartphone in India with this new flagship SoC. There is also a dedicated Vivo V2 chip, which claims to help enhance the camera, display and gaming experience. The phone also packs a bigger 5,000mAh battery, compared to the iQoo 9T's 4,700mAh cell. The 120W fast charger is provided inside the box.
There is a quick and responsive in-display fingerprint scanner and support for AI face recognition as well. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, USB Type-C port, GPS, etc. The iQoo 11 5G does not get an IP rating and does not support wireless charging, which is disappointing.
In terms of software, the iQoo 11 5G runs on the latest Android 13 out of the box. It has a layer of Vivo's Funtouch OS 13 on top. The custom skin has multiple options for customising animations, app icon shape and size, changing wallpapers, etc. Funtouch OS 13 also supports Android 13's system UI colour palette feature and adjusts the system-wide colour based on the wallpaper or theme set by the user.
Funtouch OS also lets users create guest profiles so others can use the same phone, without gaining access to your apps and data. Think of it as a Netflix or Amazon Prime Video user profile, where each user has a record of their own watch history, preferences, etc. This is a good privacy feature for those who often hand their phone to other people to use.
You also get support for adding widgets to the home screen. In addition to this, the software supports Android 13's Privacy Dashboard, Permission Manager, etc. While all of this is great, the company's native V-App Store produces a lot of spam with frequent notifications. Fortunately, the UI is not filled with many third-party apps other than Snapchat, Spotify and Byju's. You can uninstall the unwanted apps if you wish.
The V-App Store frequently spams with unwanted notifications and recommendations
iQoo has promised to provide three years of Android updates and four years of security support for the iQoo 11 5G. This means that the phone should get Android 14 to Android 16 eventually, along with support for security patches till 2027.
iQoo 11 5G performance and battery life
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC inside the iQoo 11 5G is a powerhouse. I did not experience any lag whatsoever while playing games or performing routine tasks on the device. Call of Duty: Mobile ran well even at the 'Max' frame rate setting and 'Very High' graphics. The phone did not get as warm as I expected it to even after a couple of matches, which lasted for about 20 minutes each. I also played Asphalt 9 Legends and the experience was equally good with no sign of lag or stutter.
There is a feature called frame rate interpolation on the iQoo 11 5G, which is said to add additional frames to a game even if the game does not actually support it. The 'Ultra Game' mode also lets users switch between Battery Saver, Balanced and Monster power modes. While Balanced mode offers a mix of good performance and power efficiency, Monster mode unlocks the SoC's peak performance but at the cost of battery life.
I ran a few benchmarks to see if the iQoo 11 5G could match the company's claimed score of 13,23,820 points on AnTuTu. Our review unit scored 12,63,366 points in AnTuTu, which fell short of the claimed score. That being said, it is among the highest scores that we have recorded so far. The iQoo 11 5G beats the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC-powered Asus ROG Phone 6 (Review) by a fair margin. The iQoo 11 5G also scored 884 and 3099 points in Geekbench's single-core and multi-core tests.
The iQoo 11 5G comes with a 120W fast charger in the box
With great power, comes the fear of excessive battery consumption. However, the iQoo 11 5G seems fairly optimised for this flagship Snapdragon SoC. I got an average of a little over six hours of screen-on time, which is not bad. In our HD video loop test, the iQoo 11 5G lasted for 20 hours, 59 minutes, which was very impressive for a flagship Android smartphone. The 120W fast charger also charged the battery from 1-100 percent in 23 minutes, which is actually a couple of minutes quicker than the claimed time.
iQoo 11 5G cameras
The iQoo 11 5G has a triple-camera setup on the back. It has a 50-megapixel Samsung GN5 camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS). The primary camera is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 13-megapixel portrait camera with 2X optical zoom.
The iQoo 11 5G gets Vivo's V2 chip for enhanced camera performance in low light
Premium iQoo phones tend to have impressive camera performance and it is mostly true in the case of the iQoo 11 5G as well. The primary camera's daylight performance is pretty good. The colours are a touch boosted but the dynamic range is quite good. Images have controlled highlights and well-exposed shadows, be it any time of the day. In Photo mode with scene detection enabled, at times, captures good enough low-light shots that are well-exposed. If you want a brighter low-light image, you can switch to Night mode which usually takes a couple of seconds to capture and a couple more seconds to process an image.
iQoo 11 5G primary camera samples
The ultra-wide camera sensor is weaker compared to most flagships out there. Details from the 8-megapixel sensor are not as sharp, especially around the distorted edges. The dynamic range performance is also below average. I expected iQoo to do better in this area. The telephoto camera with 2X optical zoom captures good details and the blur around the subject also looks very natural. However, when in portrait mode, the subject's skin tone appears a shade or two lighter, making them look a bit fairer than real life.
Top to bottom: Ultra-wide sample, ultra-wide sample, Portrait mode on the iQoo 11 5G
For selfies, you get a 16-megapixel front camera that gets the skin tone right in most cases. However, just like with the rear camera's portrait mode, the front camera makes the subject look fairer than reality. The front camera's portrait mode also smoothens the skin a bit, despite turning off all sorts of beauty modes. It also blurs out the wrong edges at times, like in the image below where the software blurred out some parts of my face and also the earphones in my ear.
Front camera portrait mode on the iQoo 11 5G
In terms of video, the iQoo 11 5G can record up to 8K 30fps videos using the rear camera. The V2 chip unlocks Night Mode video recording at 4K 30 fps and the results are quite impressive. While there is some noise in the darker areas, I would not complain much as the overall video is well-exposed and does a far better job than the standard video mode. You can also record night mode videos at 1080p 30fps but not at 1080p/ 4K 60fps.
The front camera continues to support only 1080p 30fps video recording. The subject is exposed well but the camera compromises on the dynamic range.
Verdict
The iQoo 11 5G sets the tone for 2023 Android flagship smartphones. While design preferences are subjective, I quite liked the faux-leather back of the Legend edition. I hope iQoo experiments with more colours though, as having just two colours is a bit limiting. The phone also checks other boxes by offering a great display, solid performance, and strong battery backup. Thankfully, the 120W charger is included in the box. The phone is expected to get three major Android updates and while Funtouch OS is improving, iQoo needs to hit the brakes when it comes to spammy notifications from its own apps. The lack of wireless charging and IP rating also takes some points away from the 11 5G.
The primary camera is good and has some neat features, such as night mode for video. However, for a phone that costs Rs. 64,999, it deserved to get a better ultra-wide camera. In fact, we feel the iQoo 9 Pro (Review) has a better camera setup in this regard and would serve you better, at a lower price. If you're not a numbers person, then the iQoo 9 Pro is still a good deal as you get wireless charging and the superior Ultrasonic fingerprint reader.
However, if you want a phone that offers best-in-class performance with the latest processor, very fast charging, great multimedia experience, and good cameras, the iQoo 11 5G can certainly be considered. However, keep in mind that there are plenty more Android flagships from OnePlus, Samsung and others that are right around the corner, so it wouldn't hurt to wait a bit before making your purchase decision.
iQoo 11 5G price in India
The iQoo 11 5G has been launched in two configurations. The base model packs 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. It is priced at Rs. 59,999. The variant we are reviewing costs Rs. 64,999 and packs 16GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. As part of the launch offers, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank cardholders are eligible for a Rs. 5,000 discount.
iQoo 11 5G design and display
The iQoo 11 5G comes in two colours and finishes. The company sent us the Legend variant, which has the classic white rear panel with the BMW Motorsport-inspired racing stripe design. This particular variant uses a combination of fibreglass and silicone leather. The phone feels quite refreshing to hold and look at without compromising on the premium in-hand feel. The Alpha colour variant has a glass back and is a safer option for those who want the classic black colour. Both models come with a metal chassis for better durability and a premium touch.
The iQoo 11 5G in its Legend colour option
The phone is fairly tall and is not meant for one-handed use. It measures around 8.72mm in thickness. The phone's power and volume buttons are located on the right side and are easy to reach. Despite weighing about 205g, the phone does not feel very heavy. Of course, if you are coming from a lighter phone then you are bound to feel the dense weight.
On the front, the iQoo 11 5G has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 2K resolution. Because the screen offers vivid colours and deep blacks, the viewing experience is great. The cherry on top is the set of additional features that enhance the multimedia experience. These include up to 1800 nits of peak brightness (for outdoors, under sunlight), support for WideVine L1, and HDR10 content support in apps such as Netflix.
The display bezel around the chin of the iQoo 11 5G is slightly thicker than other bezels. There is a hole-punch cut out at the top for the front camera. The screen also has a layer of Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus, which should make it more resistant to scratches or shattering during accidental drops.
The display of the iQoo 11 5G also intelligently switches between 1Hz and 144Hz depending on the on-screen content. iQoo seems to have some pending optimisations for running apps at 144Hz as in my experience, most apps that I tried ran at 120Hz. Out of the three refresh rate settings, I preferred using Smart Switch, which adjusts the refresh rate automatically based on the system power consumption and actual usage scenario. Oddly, there were a few stutters in the UI on a select few apps such as Twitter and Instagram. Alternatively, you can set the refresh rate at Standard (60Hz) or High (up to 144Hz).
There is also a smart refresh rate feature on the iQoo 11 5G where only a portion of the display refreshes at a higher rate when required. This is possible in a few apps such as YouTube where the comments section, for example, refreshes at a higher rate when scrolling, while the part of the display where the video is being played refreshes at a lower rate. iQoo claims that the intelligent switching helps reduce power consumption. The display also supports a feature called Monster Touch, which lets you use portions of the display as additional in-game buttons within certain games.
iQoo 11 5G specifications and software
As mentioned above, the iQoo 11 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC making it the first smartphone in India with this new flagship SoC. There is also a dedicated Vivo V2 chip, which claims to help enhance the camera, display and gaming experience. The phone also packs a bigger 5,000mAh battery, compared to the iQoo 9T's 4,700mAh cell. The 120W fast charger is provided inside the box.
There is a quick and responsive in-display fingerprint scanner and support for AI face recognition as well. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, USB Type-C port, GPS, etc. The iQoo 11 5G does not get an IP rating and does not support wireless charging, which is disappointing.
In terms of software, the iQoo 11 5G runs on the latest Android 13 out of the box. It has a layer of Vivo's Funtouch OS 13 on top. The custom skin has multiple options for customising animations, app icon shape and size, changing wallpapers, etc. Funtouch OS 13 also supports Android 13's system UI colour palette feature and adjusts the system-wide colour based on the wallpaper or theme set by the user.
Funtouch OS also lets users create guest profiles so others can use the same phone, without gaining access to your apps and data. Think of it as a Netflix or Amazon Prime Video user profile, where each user has a record of their own watch history, preferences, etc. This is a good privacy feature for those who often hand their phone to other people to use.
You also get support for adding widgets to the home screen. In addition to this, the software supports Android 13's Privacy Dashboard, Permission Manager, etc. While all of this is great, the company's native V-App Store produces a lot of spam with frequent notifications. Fortunately, the UI is not filled with many third-party apps other than Snapchat, Spotify and Byju's. You can uninstall the unwanted apps if you wish.
The V-App Store frequently spams with unwanted notifications and recommendations
iQoo has promised to provide three years of Android updates and four years of security support for the iQoo 11 5G. This means that the phone should get Android 14 to Android 16 eventually, along with support for security patches till 2027.
iQoo 11 5G performance and battery life
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC inside the iQoo 11 5G is a powerhouse. I did not experience any lag whatsoever while playing games or performing routine tasks on the device. Call of Duty: Mobile ran well even at the 'Max' frame rate setting and 'Very High' graphics. The phone did not get as warm as I expected it to even after a couple of matches, which lasted for about 20 minutes each. I also played Asphalt 9 Legends and the experience was equally good with no sign of lag or stutter.
There is a feature called frame rate interpolation on the iQoo 11 5G, which is said to add additional frames to a game even if the game does not actually support it. The 'Ultra Game' mode also lets users switch between Battery Saver, Balanced and Monster power modes. While Balanced mode offers a mix of good performance and power efficiency, Monster mode unlocks the SoC's peak performance but at the cost of battery life.
I ran a few benchmarks to see if the iQoo 11 5G could match the company's claimed score of 13,23,820 points on AnTuTu. Our review unit scored 12,63,366 points in AnTuTu, which fell short of the claimed score. That being said, it is among the highest scores that we have recorded so far. The iQoo 11 5G beats the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC-powered Asus ROG Phone 6 (Review) by a fair margin. The iQoo 11 5G also scored 884 and 3099 points in Geekbench's single-core and multi-core tests.
The iQoo 11 5G comes with a 120W fast charger in the box
With great power, comes the fear of excessive battery consumption. However, the iQoo 11 5G seems fairly optimised for this flagship Snapdragon SoC. I got an average of a little over six hours of screen-on time, which is not bad. In our HD video loop test, the iQoo 11 5G lasted for 20 hours, 59 minutes, which was very impressive for a flagship Android smartphone. The 120W fast charger also charged the battery from 1-100 percent in 23 minutes, which is actually a couple of minutes quicker than the claimed time.
iQoo 11 5G cameras
The iQoo 11 5G has a triple-camera setup on the back. It has a 50-megapixel Samsung GN5 camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS). The primary camera is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 13-megapixel portrait camera with 2X optical zoom.
The iQoo 11 5G gets Vivo's V2 chip for enhanced camera performance in low light
Premium iQoo phones tend to have impressive camera performance and it is mostly true in the case of the iQoo 11 5G as well. The primary camera's daylight performance is pretty good. The colours are a touch boosted but the dynamic range is quite good. Images have controlled highlights and well-exposed shadows, be it any time of the day. In Photo mode with scene detection enabled, at times, captures good enough low-light shots that are well-exposed. If you want a brighter low-light image, you can switch to Night mode which usually takes a couple of seconds to capture and a couple more seconds to process an image.
iQoo 11 5G primary camera samples
The ultra-wide camera sensor is weaker compared to most flagships out there. Details from the 8-megapixel sensor are not as sharp, especially around the distorted edges. The dynamic range performance is also below average. I expected iQoo to do better in this area. The telephoto camera with 2X optical zoom captures good details and the blur around the subject also looks very natural. However, when in portrait mode, the subject's skin tone appears a shade or two lighter, making them look a bit fairer than real life.
Top to bottom: Ultra-wide sample, ultra-wide sample, Portrait mode on the iQoo 11 5G
For selfies, you get a 16-megapixel front camera that gets the skin tone right in most cases. However, just like with the rear camera's portrait mode, the front camera makes the subject look fairer than reality. The front camera's portrait mode also smoothens the skin a bit, despite turning off all sorts of beauty modes. It also blurs out the wrong edges at times, like in the image below where the software blurred out some parts of my face and also the earphones in my ear.
Front camera portrait mode on the iQoo 11 5G
In terms of video, the iQoo 11 5G can record up to 8K 30fps videos using the rear camera. The V2 chip unlocks Night Mode video recording at 4K 30 fps and the results are quite impressive. While there is some noise in the darker areas, I would not complain much as the overall video is well-exposed and does a far better job than the standard video mode. You can also record night mode videos at 1080p 30fps but not at 1080p/ 4K 60fps.
The front camera continues to support only 1080p 30fps video recording. The subject is exposed well but the camera compromises on the dynamic range.
Verdict
The iQoo 11 5G sets the tone for 2023 Android flagship smartphones. While design preferences are subjective, I quite liked the faux-leather back of the Legend edition. I hope iQoo experiments with more colours though, as having just two colours is a bit limiting. The phone also checks other boxes by offering a great display, solid performance, and strong battery backup. Thankfully, the 120W charger is included in the box. The phone is expected to get three major Android updates and while Funtouch OS is improving, iQoo needs to hit the brakes when it comes to spammy notifications from its own apps. The lack of wireless charging and IP rating also takes some points away from the 11 5G.
The primary camera is good and has some neat features, such as night mode for video. However, for a phone that costs Rs. 64,999, it deserved to get a better ultra-wide camera. In fact, we feel the iQoo 9 Pro (Review) has a better camera setup in this regard and would serve you better, at a lower price. If you're not a numbers person, then the iQoo 9 Pro is still a good deal as you get wireless charging and the superior Ultrasonic fingerprint reader.
However, if you want a phone that offers best-in-class performance with the latest processor, very fast charging, great multimedia experience, and good cameras, the iQoo 11 5G can certainly be considered. However, keep in mind that there are plenty more Android flagships from OnePlus, Samsung and others that are right around the corner, so it wouldn't hurt to wait a bit before making your purchase decision.
Verdict
Shades of red are churned out bright maroonish and the greens in tree leaves are often amped up. Putting that aside, the device captures excellent details and maintains a firm grip on exposure calibration. I also didn’t see any significant highlight clipping along the edges of subjects. With the auto HDR kicking in, more of the shadowy parts of the frame got evenly illuminated. Lastly, I also liked the snappy autofocus and shutter speeds on offer from the primary sensor.
The iQOO 11 runs on FuntouchOS 13 which is based on the Android 13 platform. There is not too much to criticise about the general interface and how things run. The UI has become more streamlined than previous generations with basic settings being easy to navigate. As far as bloatware goes, you still get the occasional Vivo-branded apps but that’s about it. In fact, if anything, the experience has a lot of semblance with current stock Android skins like Motorola’s MyUX. With timely upgrades and patches, the iQOO 11 should have a secure and enjoyable tenure as far as the software goes.
Inside the device is a 5,000mAh cell that has the capability of lasting easily for more than a day when fully charged. I got about 6 hours of screen-on time with the resolution capped at 2K along with 120Hz refresh rate. This also included an hour of CoD: Mobile, a few episodes of Netflix’s Kaleidoscope series along with some light social media browsing. Like several devices in the flagship space, the iQOO 11 also has fast charging capabilities that can juice up the phone at 120W. In my testing, it took about 20 minutes to completely fill up the battery from 0 – 100 percent.
Final verdict
The iQOO 11 can be classified as easily the best performance-focused Android tool made to date. Its processing prowess is excellent and its handling of heavy-duty tasks is impeccable. If high-end mobile gaming is your forte, then it would be hard for you to go amiss with the capabilities offered by the iQOO 11.
The picture isn’t all that rosy though, as the device does falter on not utilising an LTPO 2.0 panel for better power efficiency. The telephoto sensor can also get a bit jumpy at times while the long-standing issues concerning bloatware have not been eliminated. However, putting these niggles aside, the iQOO 11 is a fine phone worthy of a strong recommendation if you’re on the hunt for an all-rounder that focuses on performance.
The iQOO 11 is undoubtedly the fastest Android phone on the planet at the time of writing this. Any performance needs you might have from a modern-day smartphone will be met more than satisfactorily by iQOO’s latest handset. Rapid charging speeds, a robust design, a quality viewing experience and decent camera hardware, are ingredients in the recipe for one of the most wholesome smartphones in the flagship range.
Design and display
From the outside, iQOO has retained a lot of design elements that have been present in previous iterations. For example, the white finish and racing stripes pattern prevalent in the iQOO 9 series can also be seen with the iQOO 11’s Legend variant. However, I received the Alpha version of the device which has a sparkling dark grey matte finish, but looks every bit as premium. Gorilla Glass Victus is the protection being employed upfront, while on the back is standard AG glass. The weight distribution and build quality of the phone remains excellent, as expected. This fact is even more pronounced when you consider the large 4,013mm² vapour chamber being housed inside the device.
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There is no headphone jack on the iQOO 11 but you do get a set of stereo speakers. As for the fingerprint sensor, it is of the in-display variety and the power button along with the volume rocker bar is placed on the phone’s right side. Finally, there is a triple-camera layout that juts out ever so slightly from the chassis and bares quite a resemblance to some Vivo phones of the past. Overall, I think that the iQOO 11 is well-built and has sturdy construction but still manages to catch the eye.
Now the display is one of the biggest things that iQOO has focused on and the implementation of a 6.78-inch E6 AMOLED panel proves the same. The punch hole up top breaks the otherwise evenly distributed screen real estate with minimal but equal-length bezels on all sides. As far as the refresh rate goes, the iQOO 11 has a 144Hz panel paired with 2K resolution. On top of all this, the display can achieve up to 1800nits of peak brightness while showcasing HDR content. The result of all this is a very crisp yet vibrant viewing experience that manages to wow me every time I watch any visual media on the device.
Talking about OTT services, the iQOO 11 can showcase HDR10 content. I can personally vouch for how mesmerising Our Universe looks on Netflix with the screen’s super wide dynamic range available to play around with. However, I do think that iQOO could’ve also added the option of Dolby Vision playback if phones like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (review) can do it in the mid-range category.
I should assume that it is abundantly clear now, the iQOO 11 makes for a superlative media consumption device and you will enjoy every moment you spend watching your favourite movies or TV shows on the handset.
Cameras
iQOO hasn’t kept the smartphone’s photography skills as an afterthought, with the primary shooter being a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN5 sensor. It is supported by a 13MP telephoto lens capable of 2X optical zoom along with an 8MP ultra-wide shooter. The weather conditions around Delhi have been quite foggy over the past few days for me to accurately judge metrics like dynamic range, but what I have seen has me reasonably satisfied. During my tests, I took the camera through various indoor and outdoor shooting scenarios and the conclusion I can draw is that colours from the sensor can appear a bit saturated.
Design and display
From the outside, iQOO has retained a lot of design elements that have been present in previous iterations. For example, the white finish and racing stripes pattern prevalent in the iQOO 9 series can also be seen with the iQOO 11’s Legend variant. However, I received the Alpha version of the device which has a sparkling dark grey matte finish, but looks every bit as premium. Gorilla Glass Victus is the protection being employed upfront, while on the back is standard AG glass. The weight distribution and build quality of the phone remains excellent, as expected. This fact is even more pronounced when you consider the large 4,013mm² vapour chamber being housed inside the device.
There is no headphone jack on the iQOO 11 but you do get a set of stereo speakers. As for the fingerprint sensor, it is of the in-display variety and the power button along with the volume rocker bar is placed on the phone’s right side. Finally, there is a triple-camera layout that juts out ever so slightly from the chassis and bares quite a resemblance to some Vivo phones of the past. Overall, I think that the iQOO 11 is well-built and has sturdy construction but still manages to catch the eye.
Now the display is one of the biggest things that iQOO has focused on and the implementation of a 6.78-inch E6 AMOLED panel proves the same. The punch hole up top breaks the otherwise evenly distributed screen real estate with minimal but equal-length bezels on all sides. As far as the refresh rate goes, the iQOO 11 has a 144Hz panel paired with 2K resolution. On top of all this, the display can achieve up to 1800nits of peak brightness while showcasing HDR content. The result of all this is a very crisp yet vibrant viewing experience that manages to wow me every time I watch any visual media on the device.
Talking about OTT services, the iQOO 11 can showcase HDR10 content. I can personally vouch for how mesmerising Our Universe looks on Netflix with the screen’s super wide dynamic range available to play around with. However, I do think that iQOO could’ve also added the option of Dolby Vision playback if phones like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (review) can do it in the mid-range category.
I should assume that it is abundantly clear now, the iQOO 11 makes for a superlative media consumption device and you will enjoy every moment you spend watching your favourite movies or TV shows on the handset.
Cameras
iQOO hasn’t kept the smartphone’s photography skills as an afterthought, with the primary shooter being a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN5 sensor. It is supported by a 13MP telephoto lens capable of 2X optical zoom along with an 8MP ultra-wide shooter. The weather conditions around Delhi have been quite foggy over the past few days for me to accurately judge metrics like dynamic range, but what I have seen has me reasonably satisfied. During my tests, I took the camera through various indoor and outdoor shooting scenarios and the conclusion I can draw is that colours from the sensor can appear a bit saturated.
Shades of red are churned out bright maroonish and the greens in tree leaves are often amped up. Putting that aside, the device captures excellent details and maintains a firm grip on exposure calibration. I also didn’t see any significant highlight clipping along the edges of subjects. With the auto HDR kicking in, more of the shadowy parts of the frame got evenly illuminated. Lastly, I also liked the snappy autofocus and shutter speeds on offer from the primary sensor.
The iQOO 11 runs on FuntouchOS 13 which is based on the Android 13 platform. There is not too much to criticise about the general interface and how things run. The UI has become more streamlined than previous generations with basic settings being easy to navigate. As far as bloatware goes, you still get the occasional Vivo-branded apps but that’s about it. In fact, if anything, the experience has a lot of semblance with current stock Android skins like Motorola’s MyUX. With timely upgrades and patches, the iQOO 11 should have a secure and enjoyable tenure as far as the software goes.
Battery
Inside the device is a 5,000mAh cell that has the capability of lasting easily for more than a day when fully charged. I got about 6 hours of screen-on time with the resolution capped at 2K along with 120Hz refresh rate. This also included an hour of CoD: Mobile, a few episodes of Netflix’s Kaleidoscope series along with some light social media browsing. Like several devices in the flagship space, the iQOO 11 also has fast charging capabilities that can juice up the phone at 120W. In my testing, it took about 20 minutes to completely fill up the battery from 0 – 100 percent.
Final verdict
The iQOO 11 can be classified as easily the best performance-focused Android tool made to date. Its processing prowess is excellent and its handling of heavy-duty tasks is impeccable. If high-end mobile gaming is your forte, then it would be hard for you to go amiss with the capabilities offered by the iQOO 11.
The picture isn’t all that rosy though, as the device does falter on not utilising an LTPO 2.0 panel for better power efficiency. The telephoto sensor can also get a bit jumpy at times while the long-standing issues concerning bloatware have not been eliminated. However, putting these niggles aside, the iQOO 11 is a fine phone worthy of a strong recommendation if you’re on the hunt for an all-rounder that focuses on performance.
Tags
ANDROID