Highlights

• Slim, eye-catching design featuring a stunning Blue Lagoon variant that truly stands out.
• Equipped with a 64MP primary camera, delivers solid imaging but struggles with dynamic range.
• Powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7200 SoC, offering robust performance for gaming and multitasking.
• Affordable pricing with a starting rate of Rs 23,999, providing a balance of features and value.

The iQOO Z7 Pro, priced starting at Rs 23,999, enters the competitive mid-range smartphone market with the intention of marrying aesthetic appeal with strong performance.

While the device sports a slim, attractive design, it also doesn’t compromise on iQOO’s well-established reputation for robust performance capabilities.

This comprehensive review unpacks various facets of the device, including its design, display, camera functionalities, performance metrics, software experience, and battery life.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Verdict

The iQOO Z7 Pro stands as a compelling offering in the mid-range segment. The phone successfully balances design aesthetics with solid performance.

While it excels in display quality and general performance, its camera system could be more versatile, and the battery life has room for improvement.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Pros and Cons

iQOO Z7 Pro: Expected Specs

• Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
• Processor: Dimensity 7200 SoC, 4nm chipset
• RAM: GB physical + 8GB virtual RAM
• Storage: 128GB or 256GB options
• Camera: 64MP primary, 2MP depth sensor
• Front Camera: 16MP
• Battery: 4,600mAh with 67W fast charging
• Software: FunTouch OS 13 over Android 13
• Network: 5G-enabled

iQOO Z7 Pro: Design

The iQOO Z7 Pro exudes a premium feel, marking a shift from iQOO’s typical focus on performance-oriented, bulky devices.

Notably, it is one of the slimmest smartphones available, with a thickness of just 7.36mm.
The well-rounded frame ensures a comfortable grip, making it a pleasure to hold.

Instead of the common colour-changing backs we often see, the Z7 Pro features a rear panel with a refined sparkly matte finish, which not only looks appealing but also does an excellent job of hiding fingerprints and smudges.
The device we reviewed came in a stunning Blue Lagoon variant that truly stands out.

In terms of design elements, the Z7 Pro sports a rectangular camera housing with a dual-camera setup, accented by a ring-shaped flash cutout known as Aura Light.

The minimalist buttons, which are more like slits integrated into the sides, the bottom-firing speaker grill, and the USB Type-C port at the bottom, are design features that remind us of the Vivo V29e, released earlier.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Display

The iQOO Z7 Pro features a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel that gracefully curves along the sides, a design choice increasingly popular in mid-range smartphones.

The curvature not only minimizes bezels but also enhances the device’s visual appeal. iQOO has successfully mitigated the issue of accidental touches on the curved screen, an accomplishment that deserves praise.

The display panel is impressively bright, offering excellent visibility even under harsh sunlight.

Adding to the fluidity of the user interface is the panel’s 120Hz refresh rate, which ensures a smooth and seamless navigation experience.

Coupled with a capable chipset, the phone guarantees that elements like web pages and apps load without any stuttering, making the overall browsing experience quite enjoyable.

As for colour reproduction, we set the device to a vibrant colour profile, which rendered punchy and dynamic visuals.
The device doesn’t stop at just delivering vibrant colours; it also offers HDR10+ certification.
This feature, often found in higher-priced phones, considerably enriches content streaming on OTT platforms like Netflix.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Camera

The iQOO Z7 Pro’s camera system is a mixed bag, offering some highs but also revealing notable shortcomings.

The 64MP primary camera, promoted as one of the phone’s standout features, delivers solid results but not without limitations.
While it performs well in good lighting, it falls short when it comes to dynamic range, especially when compared to competitors in the same price bracket.

Nonetheless, the camera maintains iQOO’s tradition of punchy colour output. It also provides commendable sharpness and contrast across various lighting conditions.

Though the focusing speed leaves room for improvement, the shutter speed is more than adequate, and the manual exposure slider functions impressively.

Built-in Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) ensures good detail capture, even when there’s some shake.

One glaring omission is the absence of ultra-wide or macro lenses, which is surprising given the device’s price point.
The 2MP depth sensor is merely serviceable, and its utility is often eclipsed by the phone’s adept AI-based edge detection for bokeh effects.

Low-light photography is another area where the phone struggles. Though you can get some utility from the Aura Light flash feature, it doesn’t provide natural tones. The dedicated Night mode is inconsistent, often missing the mark on delivering good low-light shots.

On a brighter note, the 16MP front-facing camera, housed in a punch-hole cutout, excels at capturing selfies.
It delivers skin tones and facial details that are more than satisfactory.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Performance and Features

When it comes to performance, the iQOO Z7 Pro is no slouch.
Powered by the Dimensity 7200 SoC, a 4nm chipset featuring a competent CPU and GPU setup, the device lives up to iQOO’s reputation for performance-oriented smartphones.

While design elements do take some precedence in this model, the phone’s standard benchmarking scores affirm its capabilities.

For instance, it registered a multi-core score of 2,673 on Geekbench 6 and 713,216 on AnTuTu, results that, while not groundbreaking, are more than sufficient for everyday use.

The Z7 Pro comes equipped with GB of physical RAM complemented by an additional 8GB of virtual RAM.

Storage options of 128GB and 256GB are available. Remarkably, the device sustains over 90% of its peak performance even under heavy loads.

Gaming is another strong point, as the phone smoothly handles 60fps BGMI gameplay at HD graphics settings, exceeding expectations for a device in this segment.

In terms of audio, the Z7 Pro offers a single bottom-firing speaker.
While a stereo setup would have been a welcome addition, the existing speaker delivers respectable sound quality.

Biometric authentication is facilitated via an in-display fingerprint sensor, which performs quickly and accurately.

Additionally, the device is 5G-ready, and during testing on Airtel’s Noida network, it showcased its 5G capabilities impressively.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Software and Battery

In the realm of software, the iQOO Z7 Pro comes pre-installed with FunTouch OS 13, Vivo’s proprietary skin, layered over Android 13.

While the software is far from bloat-free, it does offer a plethora of customization options.

Users have the liberty to uninstall pre-loaded apps that they find redundant.
Additional features such as customizable UI icons, album-hiding capabilities, and thermal management via the iManager Cooling phone app add to the user experience.

For gaming enthusiasts, the device offers an ultra-gaming mode to ensure an immersive and distraction-free experience.

It also comes with six motion gestures to grant players enhanced in-game control. Importantly, Vivo has committed to providing two years of major software and security updates for the device.

Adding to this, the iQOO Z7 Pro is slated to receive an upgrade to Android 14, reinforcing Vivo’s strong track record for software support.

The iQOO Z7 Pro features a 4,600mAh battery, which is slightly less capacious compared to the standard 5,000mAh offerings in the same price range.

While the device managed to deliver around 5 hours of screen-on time, there is room for improvement in this aspect.

Nevertheless, the phone can comfortably last through a full day of use, eliminating the need to carry a charger to work.

Enhancing the battery experience is the inclusion of Vivo’s 67W fast charging support, which quickly replenishes the battery, meeting your power requirements in a flash.

iQOO Z7 Pro: Final Verdict

The iQOO Z7 Pro is a welcome evolution in iQOO’s traditionally performance-oriented portfolio, introducing a striking design language.

Its key strengths include a vibrant AMOLED display, consistent performance, and a variety of software features courtesy of FunTouch OS 13.
Vivo’s commitment to software updates, including an upgrade to Android 14, is a significant plus.

On the downside, the device doesn’t quite hit the mark in terms of camera capabilities, and its 4,600mAh battery could offer a bit more endurance.

If these are not deal-breakers for you, the iQOO Z7 Pro delivers a comprehensive package that makes it a strong contender in its price bracket.

FAQs

What is the starting price of the iQOO Z7 Pro and what does it offer for this price?

The iQOO Z7 Pro is competitively priced, starting at Rs 23,999. At this price point, you get a well-designed phone with a slim profile, a 64MP primary camera, a Dimensity 7200 SoC, and a host of software features running on FunTouch OS 13 layered over Android 13.

Does the iQOO Z7 Pro feature any ultra-wide or macro camera? If not, how does it compensate?

Unfortunately, the iQOO Z7 Pro does not offer ultra-wide or macro lenses, a surprising omission for a device in this price range. However, the 64MP primary camera and 2MP depth sensor are designed to capture detailed and vibrant images, and the phone employs AI-based edge detection for bokeh effects to somewhat make up for this lack.

What chipset is under the hood of the iQOO Z7 Pro and what kind of performance can users expect?

The device houses the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC, a 4nm chipset featuring a strong CPU-GPU combination. This chipset ensures smooth performance across a variety of tasks, from web browsing to gaming. The phone also scored 2,673 on Geekbench 6 and 713,216 on AnTuTu, indicating good overall performance.

What is the battery life like on the iQOO Z7 Pro and does it support fast charging?

The iQOO Z7 Pro comes with a 4,600mAh battery, which is a bit less capacious compared to the standard 5,000mAh batteries in phones in a similar price bracket. However, it still offers around 5 hours of screen-on time and can last through a full day. Additionally, the phone supports Vivo’s 67W fast charging technology, which quickly refuels the battery when needed.

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