iQOO is known to make some great value-for-money devices. The iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend were affordable flagships that provided a well-rounded experience with fast performance and reliable cameras. They even made it to our list of the best Android phones in India for 2021. Building on the success of the iQOO 7 series, the brand has now launched the iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro smartphones with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. iQOO has always been about speed and it's evident when you take a look at the specs of the iQOO 9 series along with the fact that the phones are available in a special BMW version.

iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro: Specifications

Specification

iQOO 9

iQOO 9 Pro

Build

  • Metallic frame
  • Glass back
  • Metallic frame
  • Glass back

Dimensions & Weight

  • 164.5 x 76.7 x 8.4 mm
  • 206g
  • 164.8 x 75.2 x 8.8 or 9.2 mm
  • 204/210g

Display

  • 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED
  • 1080 x 2400 pixels
  • HDR10
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 1,500 nits peak brightness
  • 6.78-inch QHD+ AMOLED
  • 1440 x 3200 pixels
  • HDR10
  • 120Hz LTPO panel
  • 1,500 nits peak brightness

SoC

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Adreno 730 GPU
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Adreno 730 GPU

RAM & Storage

  • 8/12GB RAM
  • 128/256/512GB storage
  • 8/12GB RAM
  • 128/256/512GB storage

Battery & Charging

  • 4,700mAh
  • 120W fast charging
  • 4,700mAh
  • 120W fast charging

Security

In-display fingerprint scanner

In-display fingerprint scanner

Rear Camera(s)

  • Primary: 50MP, f/1.8, OIS
  • Secondary: 12MP, f/2.0, 2X telephoto
  • Tertiary: 13MP, f/2.2, ultra-wide
  • Primary: 50MP, f/1.8, OIS
  • Secondary: 16MP, f/2.2, 2.5X telephoto
  • Tertiary: 50MP, f/2.3, ultra-wide

Front Camera(s)

16MP. f/2.5

16MP. f/2.5

Port(s)

USB-C

 USB-C

Audio

Stereo speakers

Stereo speakers

Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
  • Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS

Software

  • OriginOS
  • Android 12
  • OriginOS
  • Android 12

Colors

Black, Orange, White with BMW stripes

Orange, White with BMW stripes

iQOO announced its latest pair of flagship phones in China that succeed the iQOO 7 series from last year. Both the iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro come with Qualcomm's latest mobile platform -- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. There are a few differences between the two phones though in the rest of the specifications and features. The standard iQOO 9 features a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. One of the unique aspects of this panel is that it can achieve a peak brightness of 1500 nits. You can choose between 8/12GB of RAM coupled with 256/512GB of onboard storage.

The rear of the phone houses a 50MP f/1.75 primary camera with OIS accompanied by a 13MP ultra-wide lens and a 12MP telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom capabilities. One of the major highlights of the iQOO 9 is the 120W fast charging onboard that can reportedly juice up the 4,700mAh cell in under 19 minutes. The iQOO 9 uses Vivo's OriginOS based on top of Android 12.

iQOO 9

While the chipset running the show is the same on both devices, the iQOO 9 Pro gets more premium features compared to the standard version in the form of a 6.78-inch QHD+ display which is now an LTPO panel. Apart from the 4,700mAh battery and 120W fast charging, the iQOO 9 Pro also gets 50W wireless charging support making it a true flagship offering. The primary camera on the rear is the same 50MP shooter but the ultra-wide camera has received an upgrade to a 50MP sensor. The 2X telephoto lens has also been upgraded to 2.5X with a 16MP unit. Unsurprisingly, the iQOO 9 Pro also runs on OriginOS based on top of Android 12.

iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro: Pricing and Availability

The iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro will currently be available only in China from 12 January, but the device should make its way to other shores in the near future. The standard iQOO 9 will be available in three color variants -- Black, Orange, and a White version with BMW stripes. 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage is what you'll get on the base variant for RMB 3,999 ($630/₹47,000). The price goes all the way up to RMB 4,799 ($750/₹56,000) for the top-end variant with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

The iQOO 9 Pro forgoes the black variant and is available only in two colors -- Orange and White with BMW stripes. Even the iQOO 9 Pro has the same RAM and storage configuration as the iQOO 9 on the base variant -- 8GB + 256GB -- and starts at RMB 4,999 ($785/₹58,000). The top-end variant with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage will cost you RMB 5,999 ($940/₹70,000).