This week, iQOO released a pair of slim phones with big batteries – the Z9s duo are 7.5mm thin but pack 5,500mAh batteries. And they’re not all that heavy, weighing in at 180g or 185g, depending on which model you choose.
The iQOO Z9s has a 6.77-inch (FHD+, 120Hz) curved OLED display, a Dimensity 7300 chipset, a 50MP (IMX882, 1/1.95”) main camera with 4K video recording, and a 16MP selfie camera. As mentioned, the battery has a capacity of 5500mAh and charges at 44W. Both phones are IP64 rated (dust-resistant, basic waterproof).
iQOO Z9s and Z9s Pro
The iQOO Z9s Pro builds on that, brightening up the 6.77-inch curved display (4,500 nits vs. 1,800 nits) and introducing a more powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset and 80W charging (50% in 21 minutes). The Pro also has an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera on the back. In case you missed it, here’s our photography tour of Baku with the iQOO Z9s Pro in hand.
In short: the most important features of the iQOO Z9s and Z9s Pro
The Z9s pair is being sold in India via iQOO online store and Amazon. The Pro is available now, the vanilla model will go on sale from Thursday. Here are the prices:
| Configuration | iQOO Z9s | iQOO Z9s Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 8/128GB | 20,000 ₹ | 25,000 ₹ |
| 8/256GB | 22,000 ₹ | 27,000 ₹ |
| 12/256GB | 24,000 ₹ | 29,000 ₹ |
The Poco F6 (12/256GB) is priced at ₹30,000, so it’s a tad more expensive, and there’s no cheaper 8/128GB option. It has a more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and a 6.67-inch flat OLED display with 1220p+ resolution and 12-bit colour. The phone has the same IP64 rating and the same 50MP IMX882 main camera with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The battery is a smaller 5,000mAh, but it’s a tad faster with 90W charging (1-100% in 35 mins).
The Poco X6 (8/256GB) is currently priced at ₹18,500, which puts it in opposition to the Z9. It has a weaker Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, but makes up for it with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and the same display as the F6. It has a comparable IP54 rating and a smaller 5100mAh battery with 67W charging (100% in 44 mins).
Xiaomi Poco F6 • Xiaomi Poco X6
The OnePlus Nord 4 is quite pricey (₹33,000 for the 8/256GB), but can you really put a price tag on the joy of an aluminium unibody? This model has a faster Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset (with a Cortex-X4 core) and a 6.74″ 1240p+ flat display. It also has a 5,500mAh battery, the latter with 100W charging (100% in 28 minutes). The primary camera uses a 50-megapixel LYT-600 sensor, which is essentially the same as the IMX882, and it’s paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. The phone is IP65-rated and has fast UFS 4.0 storage (versus UFS 2.2 on the iQOO).
Alternatively, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus (8/256GB for ₹28,000) has a competing Dimensity 7350 Pro chip and a flat 6.7-inch OLED display (FHD+, 120Hz). And don’t forget the Glyph LED strips on the back. The 50MP primary camera has a larger 1/1.57” sensor, and it’s joined by a high-resolution 50MP ultra-wide camera. Even the selfie camera has a 50MP sensor (versus the 16MP on the iQOO). The phone is IP54-rated and has a 5,000mAh battery with 50W charging (100% in 56 mins).
On the cheaper side, the CMF Phone 1 costs ₹18,000 for the 8/128GB model. You’re getting the same Dimensity 7300 as the iQOO Z9s, but with a microSD expansion slot. The display is a 6.67-inch (FHD+, 120Hz) flat OLED panel, and the back is removable, so you can customise the look of the phone (and attach some accessories too). There’s a single 50MP camera on the back and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging inside. The removable back cover does compromise on the ingress protection of this phone, providing only basic dust and water resistance.
OnePlus Nord 4 • Nothing Phone (2a) Plus • vivo iQOO Z9s
What do you think of the iQOO Z9s Pro? Does it offer a good enough balance of price and features that you would consider it when buying a new phone?
What about the iQOO Z9s? It’s mostly the same phone, but for 20% less money. Great deal or not?
