iQOO, a sub-brand of Vivo, today launched its new iQOO 7 series in India. Since its inception, iQOO’s primary focus has remained its home country China, where it has launched multiple smartphones across different price ranges. However, the company’s global portfolio only contains one device: the iQOO 3, which launched in India last year. The last year’s iQOO 3 was impressive but felt like a missed opportunity as it missed out on a higher refresh rate display while aiming to be a gaming phone. With the iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend, the company seems well-equipped to take on the competition this time around.

iQOO 7 Legend & iQOO 7: specifications

Specification

iQOO 7 Legend

iQOO 7

Build

  • AG matte glass
  • Aluminum frame
  • AG matte glass
  • Aluminum frame

Dimensions & Weight

  • 162.2mm x 75.8mm x 8.7mm
  • 210g
  • 163.34mm x 76.37mm x 8.43mm
  • 196

Display

  • 6.62-inch AMOLED
  • 2400 x 1080 (FHD+)
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 300Hz (up to 1000Hz using Instant Touch Sampling Rate)
  • 1300nits peak brightness
  • HDR10+
  • 6.62-inch AMOLED
  • 2400 x 1080 (FHD+)
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 300Hz (up to 1000Hz using Instant Touch Sampling Rate)
  • MEMC
  • Intelligent Display Chip
  • 1300nits peak brightness
  • HDR10+

SoC

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888:
    • 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz
    • 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz
    • 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz
  • Adreno 660
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
    • 1x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 3.2GHz
    • 3x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 2.4GHz
    • 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
  •  Adreno 650 GPU

RAM & Storage

  • 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5
  • 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1
  • 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5
  • 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage

Battery & Charging

  • 4,000mAh
  • 66W fast wired charging
  • 4,400mAh
  • 66W fast-wired charger

Security

In-display fingerprint scanner

 In-display fingerprint scanner

Rear Camera(s)

  • Primary: 48MP Sony IMX598 OIS
  • Secondary: 13MP ultra-wide, macro
  • Tertiary: 13MP, 50mm, telephoto
  • Primary: 48MP Sony IMX598 OIS
  • Secondary: 13MP ultra-wide, macro
  • Tertiary:2MP monochrome

Front Camera(s)

  • 16MP
  • 16MP

Port(s)

  • USB Type-C
  • USB Type-C

Connectivity

  • 5G NR
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi
  • GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
  • 5G NR
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi
  • GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo

Software

Android 11 with Funtouch OS 11.1

Android 11 with Funtouch OS 11.1

Other Features

  • Monster Touch
  • 4D Dual-Linear vibration motors
  • Hi-Res Audio certified
  • Dual-speakers
  • Dual-speakers
  • Hi-Res Audio certified

The iQOO 7 series comprised of two phones: the iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend. Both phones have several things in common including the overall design, display, and primary camera but differ in areas such as the chipset, battery, and gaming features. For iQOO 7 Legend is the top-of-the-line flagship here. It’s built in partnership with BMW M Motorsports and features tri-color racing stripes on the back.

iQOO 7 Legend with tri color stripes

On the front, both phones feature a 6.62-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz screen refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, and up to 1,300nits peak brightness. Under-the-hood, the iQOO 7 Legend is powered by the top-tier Snapdragon 888 chipset, paired with up to 12GB LDDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The iQOO 7, on the other hand, opts for the Snapdragon 870 chip. iQOO says they’re using a new V6 UFS 3.1 flash chip which enables up to 21% faster read and write speeds compared to the last year’s chip. They are also touting a feature called "Extended RAM" which can re-allocate up to 3GB of flash storage to be used as RAM.

iQOO 7's front, back, side and the bottom

On the back, the iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend feature a triple camera array comprised of a 48MP Sony IMX598 primary shooter with OIS and a 13MP wide-angle camera that also doubles as the macro lens. The third shooter on the standard iQOO 7 is a 2MP monochrome lens while the Legend gets a 13MP telephoto lens with 50mm equivalent focal length.

The iQOO 7 Legend is a gaming-focused device and as such it boasts some exclusive gaming features and hardware which is not available on the standard model.

For one, you get the Monster Touch feature, which offers an on-screen virtual joystick and control pad with pressure-sensitive digital buttons. iQOO claims this setup will let gamers play with two fingers and still accomplish what they could do with four fingers. Notably, the last year’s iQOO 3 had two pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons which allowed users to play with four fingers. The iQOO 7 Legend gets rid of these physical buttons and instead opts for the on-screen controls. It will be interesting to see whether this software solution will prove itself to be better than the shoulder buttons.

The iQOO 7 Legend also has Dual-Linear motors on the left and right sides of the phone to offer a more immersive experience in games and movies. For heat dissipation, the iQOO 7 Legend utilizes a 4096 sq. mm vapor chamber Liquid Cooling System. Meanwhile, the iQOO 7 uses a 6000 sq. mm Graphite layer Full Coverage Liquid Cooling System.

The iQOO 7 Legend packs a 4,000mAh cell while the standard iQOO 7 gets a bigger 4,400mAh battery, with both phones supporting 66W FlashCharge technology.

Other highlights of the iQOO 7 series include 5G support, dual speakers, Bluetooth 5.2/5.1, an in-display fingerprint scanner, dual-band Wi-Fi, Hi-Res Audio, and dual SIM.

Pricing & Availablity

The iQOO 7 will be available in three variants at following prices:

  • 8GB + 128GB — ₹31,990 ($427)
  • 8GB + 256GB — ₹33,990 ($454)
  • 12GB + 256GB — ₹35,990 ($481)

The iQOO 7 Legend comes in two variants at the following pricing:

  • 8GB + 128GB — ₹39,990 ($534)
  • 12GB + 256GB — ₹43,990 ($588)

Both phones will be available for pre-order starting May 1 from iqoo.com and Amazon India with various cashback and discount offers from ICICI and Amazon.


Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that the iQOO 7 Legend doesn't have the Intelligent Display Chip. Just the standard iQOO 7 has it. We regret the error.