Iqoo

iQOO's Neo 10R offers excellent value for money, but it sure wasn't the best at everything (especially its cameras). With the iQOO Neo 10, the brand raises the bar. At a slightly higher asking price, the iQOO Neo 10 attempts to deliver even better value compared to its R-branded sibling. While doing so, iQOO also ends up challenging the norm of this segment, which currently consists of mid-range smartphones like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and the Redmi 14 Pro+ that also focus on the bigger picture (literally). Most mid-range devices focus on striking a balance between power, features, and aesthetics, with the new addition being the emergence of the telephoto camera this year.

The upper end of the budget smartphone segment is highly competitive. On the one hand, we have high-end budget phones that offer good value but lack capable cameras. On the other hand, we have low-end mid-range phones that offer decent low-light imaging and better overall specifications, albeit at a slightly higher price. The iQOO Z10R is one such device that somehow does not fit in either of the above-mentioned smartphone segments. After using it for a few weeks, I discovered that the iQOO Z10R finds itself on the fence, trying to offer mid-range performance at a budget price. Does it succeed in finding its sweet spot? Or does it fail to deliver both value and performance? Read on to find out.

The premiumisation of the budget smartphone, which started a few years ago (and continues today), meant that everyone would have purchased a sub-Rs. 15,000 device were then willing to spend upwards of Rs. 20,000, provided the device justified its price tag. It could accomplish this by offering a decent set of cameras with good performance, faster charging, better displays and more. And so you could buy a quality smartphone like the Realme 9 Pro+ that checked all the boxes at the lower end of the mid-range.