Iqoo

Previously, budget 5G smartphones offered the bare minimum when it came to core hardware and had cameras that basically snapped a photo without caring for image quality. Things changed over the past few years, and as the chipsets became more affordable, manufacturers were soon able to squeeze in additional hardware and add more value. With the ‘5G tax' finally out of the equation, the expectations from a budget 5G smartphone are sky-high. Samsung offers high-refresh-rate AMOLED displays, while Motorola even provides a basic IP52 rating in smartphones priced under Rs. 15,000.

iQoo launched the Neo 9 Pro in February, followed by the more affordable iQoo Z9 last month. The latter offers some of the best mid-range specifications in the segment. We've spent some time testing the iQoo Z9's day-to-day performance, camera quality, and battery endurance. This handset competes with other smartphones around the Rs. 20,000 mark in India, such as the Realme 12+ 5G and Moto G84 5G, as well as the more expensive Honor X9b and Nothing Phone 2a.

Smartphone companies face intense competition in the premium midrange segment in India, and any handset that debuts under the Rs. 40,000 mark needs to be a jack of all trades — with a powerful chipset, reliable cameras, and a modern design. iQoo has now launched the Neo 9 Pro, a handset that is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a 50-megapixel primary rear camera. This handset will compete with the OnePlus 12R, the Samsung Galaxy A54, Nothing Phone 2, and Oppo Reno 11 Pro.