🔰 Introduction
The Indian smartphone market just witnessed a major leap in performance with the arrival of the iQOO Neo 10—the country’s first phone to feature the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset. Priced under ₹35,000, this device promises flagship-grade power, ultra-fast charging, and a high-refresh-rate AMOLED display, all packed into a sleek and gamer-friendly design. In this iQOO Neo 10 review, we dive deep into its specs, performance, battery life, and camera capabilities to see if it truly lives up to the hype as a new budget flagship killer.
1️⃣ Launch & Availability
- Launched in India on May 26, 2025, marking the debut of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset in the country .
- Price starts at ₹31,999 for the base variant (8 GB/128 GB), with models up to ₹40,999 (16 GB/512 GB)
- Customers can avail launch offers: ₹2,000 instant discount, up to ₹4,000 exchange bonus, and free TWS earbuds with pre-orders
2️⃣ Design & Display
- Elegant design in Titanium Chrome + Inferno Red, with an IP65 rating for splash/dust resistance.
- Massive 6.78″ 1.5 K AMOLED display with 144 Hz refresh, 3,000 Hz touch sampling, and up to 5,500 nits brightness (2,000 nits HBM).
- Ultra-responsive 4,320 Hz PWM dimming, reducing eye strain and boosting visual fidelity.
3️⃣ Cutting-Edge Performance
- Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4 nm) delivers ~31% CPU and 49% GPU improvement over previous-gen chips.
- Optimized for gaming with a Q1 Supercomputing Chip—enabling 144 FPS interpolation for BGMI and similar titles .
- AnTuTu score reaches ~2.42 million; BGMI, Genshin, CODM can run at 144 FPS; 3DMark wild-life extremes show impressive sustained performance.
4️⃣ Thermal Management
- Massive 7,000 mm² vapor chamber cooling with graphite and multiple thermal sensors manages heat effectively.
- In real-world gaming (30 mins of BGMI), the display reached ~43 °C—warm but comfortable.
- Performance dips occur under prolonged stress, but throttling is well-managed.
5️⃣ Battery & Charging
- Huge 7,000 mAh battery provides an outstanding 22 hours of screen-on time and 24+ hours of mixed use.
- Lightning-fast 120 W FlashCharge: 0–50% in 19 mins, full charge in just ~36 minutes.
6️⃣ Optics & Imaging
- 50 MP Sony IMX882 OIS sensor for sharp daytime photos; 8 MP ultrawide for group shots.
- 32 MP front camera supports 4K at 60fps.
- India Today calls it a “stellar camera setup” in its segment.
- Consistent, solid daylight performance; ultrawide and low-light could be better.
7️⃣ Software & Features
- Ships with Android 15 + Funtouch OS 15, with 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches.
- Feature-rich: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, IR blaster, stereo speakers, ultrafast in-display fingerprint.
- Cool AI tools: image expand, live text, call translation, note assist, Circle to Search.
✅ Pros & Cons
👍 Pros:
- Flagship-level Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 performance
- Ultra-smooth 144 Hz AMOLED display with peak brightness
- Massive 7,000 mAh battery + 120W fast charging
- Excellent gaming performance with sustained heat control
- Long software support and feature-rich UI
👎 Cons:
- No telephoto or macro lens
- Plastic build feels less premium
- No wireless charging
- Some thermal throttling under intense load
- Software includes some bloatware
🧭 Final Verdict
The iQOO Neo 10 delivers premium flagship performance, powerhouse battery life, and a stunning display—all for under ₹35,000. Its gaming prowess, AI tools, and long-term support make it an outstanding value pick. The trade-offs—build material and niche camera limits—are minor compared to the spec sheet value.
If you’re a gamer, multimedia user, or power user, this phone is easily India’s strongest contender in the sub-₹35K range.
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