iQoo Neo 7 Pro Challengers: Poco F5, OnePlus 11R, More

iQoo Neo 7 Pro price starts at Rs 34,999.

iQoo Neo 7 Pro comes in two RAM and storage variants. ( Image Source :iQoo )

When iQoo first entered the smartphone market, it walked on a very different path than its parent company Vivo. The brand focused on creating a strong niche for itself that focused on gaming and power-packed phones that were meant for online platforms, unlike Vivo which wanted to give users a little bit of everything, mainly offline. Even though it is a fairly new brand, iQoo has managed to make a place for itself in the smartphone market. And to continue consolidating its grip on the mid/ upper mid-segment, iQoo has now released another smartphone which focuses on bringing a powerful performance punch to its users at not too high a price. 

iQoo Neo 7 Pro Specifications, Price

iQoo recently launched the Neo 7 Pro, which is being pushed as a gaming phone. The gaming phone tag comes with certain expectations and to meet them iQoo has packed the phone with some serious spec-muscle. The most important spec of any gaming phone has to be the processor that powers it and the iQoo Neo 7 Pro comes with one of the flagship chipsets from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. To boost its performance even further, iQoo has paired it with 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB RAM and storage options which would be more than sufficient to get you through as much multitasking as you like.  

Another major USP of the phone is its 120W fast charging support which can charge its 5,000mAh battery up to 50 per cent in just eight minutes in its Fast Charging mode, as per iQoo. 

The iQoo Neo 7 Pro sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and the triple camera unit on the back comprising a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor will take care of photography and video needs. 

There is also a 16-megapixel selfie snapper on the front for selfies and video calls. The device runs on Android 13 out-of-the-box which comes with Vivo’s FunTouchOS 13 on top. The UI is a bit cluttered but comes with a number of useful additional features. The phone is available in two colour variants — Fearless Flame and Dark Storm, both of which look good but we like the former better as it is more striking and has a leather-like finish. All of this for a starting price of Rs 34,999 could be considered to be a good deal.

But even great deals have to face some stiff competition in the cut-throat smartphone world and so does the iQoo Neo 7 Pro. The phone has many competitors hovering over its horizon, and five of these can give the Neo 7 Pro a proper run for its money: 

Poco F5: The Gaming Contender 

Price: Rs 29,999

If power is on your mind, then one of the most obvious competitors to the Neo 7 Pro would be the Poco F5. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset. 

This combined with 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB RAM and storage options, make the Poco F5 a very capable smartphone that can easily take care of most of your power hunger pangs, be it gaming or intense multi-tasking. 

While the Poco F5 also brings a triple camera unit on the back with the same megapixel count of 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel for supporting the ultrawide and macro lens. Even the selfie camera has the same 16-megapixel count, it is its main sensor of 64-megapixel that has an edge (megapixel-wise) over the 50-megapixel sensor of the Neo 7 Pro. 

That said, the Neo 7 Pro has an advantage in the charging game as the Poco F5 comes with 67W fast charging support which will not charge its 5,000mAh battery at the same lightning speed as the 120W charging on the Neo 7 Pro.

But what makes the Poco F5 an everyday taskmaster is that 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, combined with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner which is usually much more accurate and fast as compared to an in-display one that is present on the Neo 7 Pro, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone might not have head-turning looks (it looks a bit routine) but it is definitely a value-for-money proposition with barely any compromises. 

OnePlus Nord 3: A New Nord-ic Challenge

Price: Rs 33,999

Merely a day after the iQoo Neo 7 Pro was launched, OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord 3. But it wasn’t just the close launch dates that made them rivals. It is almost the same price and almost the same spec sheet that has landed them in a cage match.  

Both devices have cameras with the same megapixel count and arrangement — a 50-megapixel main sensor, 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro lens on the back and a 16-megapixel selfie camera at the front. 

The two phones also have the same 5,000mAh batteries and run on Android 13 out of the box. The display size is quite close too with the OnePlus Nord sporting a 6.74-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. That said, the Nord comes with a 93.5 per cent screen-to-body ratio, which means the bezels on this one will be even thinner.  

The similarities end here as the OnePlus runs on a slightly inferior and older but still very powerful  MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor which is paired with 8GB+128GB and 16GB+256GB RAM and storage options.

This, combined with the clean, almost stock Android-like OxygenOS 13.1 running atop Android 13 make the OnePlus Nord 3 a very attractive proposition to those who might wish to steer clear of a cluttered skin. 

Redmi Note 12 Pro+: 200-Megapixel Powerhouse

Price: Rs 29,999

Another hurdle in the way of the iQoo Neo Pro 7 but with different spec weapons is the Redmi Note 12 Pro+. The Note series used to be all about the budget but of late Xiaomi is moving it up the spec and price ladder.  This is why the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ brings some major spec muscle to the table, albeit at a higher price than usual. 

The biggest highlight of the device and the biggest edge it has over the Neo 7 Pro has to be its 200-megapixel camera which delivers a good photography experience in spades. There are two more supporting cameras on the back, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro one while a 16-megapixel selfie snapper sits at the front.  

The phone also matches the Neo 7 Pro in the battery and charging department and brings a 5,000mAh battery with a massive 120W fast charging support to the table. Those looking for a powerful device might not approve of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ as it comes with MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor, which is not in the league of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip on the Neo 7 Pro, but it is definitely a great multimedia phone, thanks to its 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, good dual stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack.  

The phone still comes with Android 12 out of the box but expected to get Android 13 soon. It is topped with MIUI 13 which definitely gives the phone a personality that is not stock but not cluttered either. 

Realme 11 Pro+: Throwing A Display Curve Ball

Price: Rs 27, 999

If you want a device with a very distinct design, that premium feeling curved display and a good camera sensor, all at a price tag of less than Rs 30,000,  then the Realme 11 Pro+ will literally fit the bill. 

The phone, with its highlighted circular camera unit on the back, will easily stand out in a sea of smartphones and the vegan leather back only helps matters. The front looks equally premium thanks to the 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, giving the phone a very high-end feel. 

Another major USP of the phone is its 200-megapixel main camera sensor which does justice to its numerics and is capable of delivering some great pictures. It is backed by the very popular 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro combo (ultrawide and macro) but the 32-megapixel selfie camera on the phone has a higher megapixel count than the one on the Neo 7 Pro. 

These specs and design features make the Realme 11 Pro+ a very attractive proposition but there are some areas where the Neo 7 Pro takes the lead. 

For instance, the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor that powers the Realme 11 Pro+ is definitely a few levels below the processor on the Neo 7 Pro, and while the phone comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for a very fast 100W charging, it still is no match for the 120W fast charging support on the Neo 7 Pro. 

That said, the Relame 11 Pro+ packs premium looks and feels, a superb camera, and a much lower starting price. All of this makes it a big headache for the iQoo Neo 7 Pro. 

OnePlus 11R: The More-Affordable OnePlus Flagship

Price: Rs 39,999

It may be the most expensive device on this list but there is a reason why the OnePlus 11R made it here. The OnePlus 11R also features the same processor as the iQoo Neo 7 Pro. The phone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and is paired with 8GB/16GB RAM variants. The added RAM on the top variant gives the OnePlus 11R a slight edge over the Neo 7 Pro which maxes out at 12GB. 

The cameras on the OnePlus 11R perform quite well and match the numbers on the Neo 7 Pro. The OnePlus 11R also brings a 50-megapixel main sensor backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro sensor on the back and a 16-megapixel one at the front as well. Significantly, the OnePlus 11R comes with the same Sony IMX890 sensor that was seen in the more expensive OnePlus 11, although with no Hasselblad collaboration.  

The phone's 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate is quite pleasing to the eye and the 5,000mAh battery can go through a day of heavy usage. That said, the OnePlus 11R comes with 100W fast charging support while the Neo 7 Pro has 120W fast charging ability. 

The phone runs on Android 13 out of the box and the very clean OxygenOS 13 might also lure some users its way as compared to the slightly cluttered UI on the Neo 7 Pro. And the fact that this is a OnePlus phone, that too from the latest number series, and looks like a clone of the OnePlus 11 (with a very similar large circular camera unit), might sway some people away from the Neo 7 Pro, and even shell out the extra bucks it comes for.