Iqoo

Things can get a little complicated when two sibling brands launch almost identical smartphones under their respective banners. It is one thing to compare phones from competing companies with entirely different approaches, but quite another when similarities extend from a purely design perspective to almost identical internals. This is the situation the new iQOO Z11 finds itself in, launched in the country almost a fortnight after its cousin, the Vivo S2.

With most flagships now offering similar hardware and near-identical benchmarks, the real differences are starting to come from polish, efficiency and long-term usability rather than numbers on the spec sheets. The recently launched iQOO 15 fits into that shift, presenting itself as more than just another performance-focused device. The brand, however, isn't attempting to reinvent the flagship formula but to refine the experience in key areas that matter day-to-day.

For a brand that built its reputation on the "performance-first" formula, iQOO has always been comfortable playing the disruptor. We've seen this strategy evolve over the years, where the goal isn't just to match the flagships, but to undercut them by focusing on raw power while trimming elsewhere. The "R" series formula is the latest iteration of this approach, a calculated attempt to keep the core internals of a near-premium smartphone intact while making sensible compromises to keep the price in check. It's a path that we have regularly seen OnePlus take, and now, iQOO is doubling down on that same philosophy with the new iQOO 15R.