Is the iQoo Z7 5G the Ultimate Smartphone Gem Under ₹20,000? A Comprehensive Review!

iQoo Z7 5G represents the brand’s newest smartphone priced under Rs. 20,000 in India. Serving as the next iteration of the Z6 5G, the Z7 5G comes at a marginally higher cost than its predecessor. Nevertheless, the updated model boasts significant enhancements, such as a more luminous display, an upgraded camera setup, and faster charging capabilities. The iQoo Z7 5G goes head-to-head with the newly released OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Review), Redmi Note 12 5G (Review), and Moto G73 5G (Review). Should you opt for the iQoo Z7 5G over its rivals? Check out our review for guidance.

iQoo Z7 5G pricing in India

The iQoo Z7 5G is available in India with two storage configurations. The basic version features 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, priced at Rs. 18,999. Our testing unit comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, costing Rs. 19,999.

Design and display of iQoo Z7 5G

The design of the iQoo Z7 5G resembles a refined variant of the budget-friendly iQoo Z6 Lite 5G (Review), featuring a larger rectangular camera module. It sports a flat polycarbonate body and frame, a common trait in many smartphones within this price bracket. The Pacific Night color variant we received exhibits a premium feel, as noted in our initial impressions. The rear panel’s glistening finish reflects light beautifully, while the matte texture minimizes fingerprint smudges.

iQoo Z7 5G features a flat frame design

 

I find the overall hand feel of the iQoo Z7 5G appealing. The flat edges are comfortable to hold, and its weight of 173g makes it quite portable. The device has a practical size with a 6.38-inch AMOLED display that delivers strong contrast and brightness. Colors are vibrant, and blacks are deep, especially evident when watching HDR10 content on platforms like Netflix and YouTube.

The display dynamically refreshes between 60Hz and 90Hz, thanks to the ‘Smart switch’ feature. Throughout my use, I did not experience any hiccups during animations or scrolling. Nevertheless, I would have preferred a more fluid 120Hz AMOLED display, similar to that on the Redmi Note 12 5G.

Its slightly outdated appearance is attributed to the chunky chin and waterdrop notch on the display. While the design may grow on users, most competitors have adopted a hole-punch cutout. As a counterbalance, the device offers an IP54 rating for moderate water and dust resistance, outperforming the Redmi Note 12 5G’s IP53 and the Moto G73 5G’s IP52 ratings.

iQoo Z7 5G’s chin is notably thicker than the surrounding bezels

 

Additionally, the iQoo Z7 5G comes equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack, useful since its speaker setup is not the most impressive in its category. It features a single speaker, which can produce a distorted sound at maximum volume. For biometric security, there’s a quick in-display fingerprint scanner and AI-based face recognition.

iQoo Z7 5G specifications and software

The iQoo Z7 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC, marking an upgrade over the previous version. Charging speed has also been enhanced to 44W, though the battery capacity has been reduced to 4,500mAh compared to its predecessor. This model includes a hybrid SIM slot, a USB Type-C port, as well as support for Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, and GPS.

Running on Android 13 with Funtouch OS 13, the iQoo Z7 5G is promised to receive two major Android updates and three years of security patches. As for RAM management, there has been a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. Most applications stayed in the background and didn’t reload during multitasking. However, this may not hold true for demanding applications like games or during video recording.

Some third-party applications are pre-installed but can be removed. Additionally, you will find the well-known Hot Apps and Hot Games folders in the app drawer, which can be hidden through the V-App Store settings. The app tends to send constant notifications with recommendations, which you can silence by long-pressing any notification and selecting “Turn off all V-App Store notifications.”

V-App Store frequently sends recommendations

 

The iQoo Z7 5G encompasses all the features of Funtouch OS 13 found in the more premium iQoo Neo 7 5G (Review) and the flagship iQoo 11 5G (Review). These features include support for the Material You theme engine in Android, allowing customization of animations across various tasks, wallpapers, icons, and more.

Performance and battery life of iQoo Z7 5G

The iQoo Z7 5G is a robust performer in its price bracket. It handles nearly all tasks efficiently, whether it’s casual social media browsing or gaming. However, more intensive applications like Call of Duty: Mobile take a bit longer to load. Despite this, the gaming experience remains enjoyable. In fact, I found gaming on the iQoo Z7 5G superior to the similarly priced OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, which was recently reviewed.

The iQoo Z7 5G includes some bloatware in the UI

 

In Call of Duty: Mobile, I was able to run it at ‘Max’ frame rate with ‘Low’ graphics settings, though switching to ‘High’ graphics and ‘Very High’ frame rates is also possible. In both settings, I experienced no lag or stuttering while playing, though there was a slight jolt when notifications interrupted gameplay. To mitigate this, you can activate the ‘Block notifications’ function within the Ultra Game mode settings. Remarkably, the iQoo Z7 5G does not heat up excessively during gameplay, despite its slim design and powerful chipset.

In benchmark tests, the iQoo Z7 5G recorded a score of 4,36,524 on AnTuTu, outperforming the Moto G73 5G which scored 4,22,824 points with its MediaTek Dimensity 930 SoC and the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G which landed at 4,12,150 points with its Snapdragon 695 SoC. Within Geekbench 6’s single-core and multi-core tests, it achieved scores of 729 and 1,835 points, respectively.

Battery-wise, the iQoo Z7 5G averages about nine hours of screen-on time (SoT). It takes just slightly over an hour to charge completely from 1-100% using the included adapter. In our HD video battery loop test, the device lasted an impressive 18 hours and 51 minutes, which is commendable.

Camera performance of iQoo Z7 5G

The iQoo Z7 5G is equipped with a dual-camera rear system featuring a 64-megapixel primary sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a 2-megapixel portrait lens. For selfies, a 16-megapixel front camera is provided, although it lacks an ultra-wide option.

iQoo Z7 5G’s dual-camera system on the back

 

The primary camera delivers satisfactory daylight performance for its price point, capturing vivid colors and respectable detail. However, shadows may not always be rendered accurately in HDR shots, and the same can occur in low-light conditions. Night mode can improve performance, reducing noise in darker areas.

Samples from the iQoo Z7 5G’s primary camera (click for full size)

 

Portrait mode on the rear camera performs well in both bright and low-light scenarios. The background blur appears natural, but sometimes images can be overly sharpened. I noticed that the front camera tends to smooth skin texture, even with beauty mode disabled. Conversely, the Portrait mode on the front camera accurately detects edges but can make skin look lighter than it is in reality, which may appeal to some users.

Samples from the iQoo Z7 5G’s front camera (click for full size)

 

The iQoo Z7 5G can record video footage at up to 4K 30fps with its rear camera. For its price category, the video output is commendable, offering good dynamic range and colors. The front camera can shoot decent 1080p videos at 30fps. However, the absence of an ultra-wide lens limits the versatility of the camera setup.

Final Thoughts

The iQoo Z7 5G effectively delivers impressive performance for under Rs. 20,000. The phone is well-suited for content consumers, featuring an AMOLED display, solid battery life, and rapid charging. Both the front and rear cameras perform admirably, although the lack of an ultra-wide lens is a notable omission.

On the downside, the audio quality leaves something to be desired. The single speaker setup cannot compete with a dual-speaker arrangement. Personal preferences towards software can vary, but if Funtouch OS works for you, the iQoo Z7 5G might be an excellent choice in this market segment.

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