iQoo Neo 6 Review: Powerful Performance at an Affordable Price
The iQoo Neo 6 offers strong hardware at a reasonable price.
With the debut of the Neo 6 in the ultra-competitive sub-Rs. 30,000 pricing range, iQoo has launched its Neo series to India. To give the phone a fighting chance, iQoo outfitted it with strong hardware including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, as well as features like 80W quick charging and a 120Hz AMOLED display. The charging speed, in particular, is far faster than what is often found in this price category. Is the iQoo Neo 6 therefore unbeatable? My initial views of this phone were favorable, and now it’s time to discover if it’s as excellent as it appears.
iQoo Neo 6 price in India
The base edition of the iQoo Neo 6 costs Rs. 29,999 and comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. The pricier edition with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage, which I have, costs Rs. 33,999. The iQoo Neo 6 is available in two color options: Dark Nova and Cyber Rage.
iQoo Neo 6 design
The iQoo Neo 6 is a rebranded iQoo Neo 6 SE that was released earlier this year in China. The Neo 6 is a large smartphone weighing 190g. It has a 6.62-inch AMOLED display with a selfie camera hole punched at the top. The bezels are fairly slim all around. The phone’s frame is composed of plastic and is flattened at the top and bottom.
On the top of the Neo 6, iQoo has incorporated an IR (infrared) emitter close to the secondary microphone. The USB Type-C connector, speaker, and SIM tray slot are located at the bottom of the frame. The rear panel is similarly constructed of plastic and has curved sides, making the phone easy to grasp. The frame’s right side is small, with compact power and volume buttons.
In my perspective, the iQoo Neo 6’s Dark Nova trim is elegant. It features a gradient finish with dark blue and bright teal tones blended together. When light strikes it at certain angles, this later colour shines through. If you like something more flamboyant, the Cyber Rage color may appeal to you. The iQoo Neo 6’s camera module will also catch your eye. It features a two-step design with bold Neo branding.
In the packaging, iQoo includes a clear cover for the Neo 6. The phone’s rear panel has a matte surface, so fingerprints shouldn’t be an issue, but the case should give some extra protection. A USB Type-C to 3.5mm audio converter is also included, which is a welcome feature.
iQoo Neo 6 specifications and software
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC powers the iQoo Neo 6, making it one of the most powerful SoCs in this price range. The same SoC powers the Mi 11X (Review), which directly competes with this phone. iQoo claims to have employed a liquid cooling system to keep the SoC cold.
The Neo 6 has a full-HD+ E4 AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It features a touch sampling rate of 360Hz, which may be increased to 1,200Hz in a select titles. The screen is also HDR10+ certified and boasts an 800 nit brightness. iQoo has also included stereo speakers in the Neo 6, however it lacks an IP classification.
Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, four 5G bands, dual-4G VoLTE, and five satellite navigation systems are all supported by the phone. NFC does not exist. The iQoo Neo 6 comes with a 4,700mAh battery and supports up to 80W rapid charging. In addition, iQoo includes a suitable charger in the box.
The iQoo Neo 6 is powered by Funtouch OS 12 on top of Android 12. iQoo guarantees two years’ worth of Android OS upgrades and three years’ worth of security patches. Because both devices use Funtouch OS 12, the user experience is essentially identical to that of the Vivo X80 that I recently reviewed. Unfortunately, I had the same problem with bloatware as I had with the Vivo X80, since there is simply too much of it. Most of these programs may be uninstalled to free up storage space. On the iQoo Neo 6, I discovered that the browser app pushed unnecessary alerts throughout the day, which rapidly became unpleasant.
iQoo Neo 6 performance and battery life
The iQoo Neo 6 is equipped with a strong SoC that offers steady performance with no indications of slowing down. I had the 12GB model, which allowed me to multitask without having to close any active programs in the background. I was able to switch between several applications and games without noticing the phone having to refresh an app. iQoo also includes an extended RAM capability, which enabled me to use 4GB of system storage as virtual RAM.
Watching videos on the iQoo Neo 6’s clear AMOLED display was enjoyable. The dual speakers improved the viewing experience as well. The faster refresh rate improved scrolling in applications and menus. The refresh rate was set to Smart Switch by iQoo by default, and the Neo 6 ran at 120Hz the majority of the time.
The iQoo Neo 6 boasts an in-display fingerprint reader that worked flawlessly every time I tried to unlock it. I had also configured facial recognition, which worked just as well. In benchmark tests, the phone performed admirably. In AnTuTu, it scored 729,331 points, which was more than the OnePlus Nord 2. (Review). The Neo 6 earned 983 and 3074 points in single-core and multi-core Geekbench 5 tests, respectively. The iQoo Neo 6 achieved 50fps in the Car Chase test in the GFXBench graphics benchmark. Overall, the results in this part were on the higher side, so those hoping for strong performance should be satisfied.
I played Call of Duty: Mobile on the iQoo Neo 6, which had the graphics setting set to ‘Very High’ and the frame rate set to ‘High’ by default. I played the game for around 20 minutes, which resulted in a 5% battery depletion. The phone didn’t feel warm to the touch, which might be due to the liquid cooling system working well.
I was pleased with the battery performance of the iQoo Neo 6, as it comfortably lasted more than a day and a half without trouble. The phone lasted 21 hours and 17 minutes on our HD video loop test, which was amazing. The included 80W charger charged the phone to 83 percent in 30 minutes and entirely in about 50 minutes.
iQoo Neo 6 cameras
The iQoo Neo 6 has three cameras: a 64-megapixel main with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide with a 116-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel macro. It sports a 16-megapixel camera for selfies. The camera software is quite simple to use and looks identical to the one on the Vivo X80, lacking the Zeiss enhancements. By default, the primary camera pixel-bins photographs to 16-megapixels, but you may shoot at full resolution if necessary.
The primary camera’s daytime landscape photographs were detailed, and things at a distance could be identified. Text on distant buildings could also be read. The phone features an AI scene optimization option that increases the contrast in the output on occasion. The ultra-wide-angle camera features a larger field of vision and a color profile identical to the main camera. However, the output was twisted along the frame’s boundaries.
Close-up shots were sharp, and the iQoo Neo 6 captured minute details admirably. It also achieved a natural, smooth bokeh between the subject and the backdrop. Portrait mode shots featured good edge detection. The macro camera captured excellent extreme close-ups of things. However, the sensor’s resolution reduced the quality.
In low light, the iQoo Neo 6 was fast to assess the situation and kept the shutter open for longer. This produced a reasonably detailed picture. In really dark situations, the phone also asked me to switch to Night mode, which seemed brighter and offered greater details in the shadows.
Selfies made with the iQoo Neo 6 were captured at the full resolution of the sensor. By default, the program applies a beautifying filter, however this may be changed or even eliminated if desired. Skin tones were correct in daylight images. In low light, the phone’s screen flashed automatically, resulting in a better output. Portrait mode selfies had good edge recognition, and I could fine-tune the degree of background blur before snapping the photograph.
Video recording topped out at 4K 60fps for both the primary back camera and the selfie camera, which is unusual. In daylight, video footage was properly stabilized, however in low light, there was obvious shimmer in the output when walking. The camera app also offers a dual-video mode, which allowed me to film with both the primary and selfie cameras simultaneously.
Verdict
If you have a budget of roughly Rs. 30,000 and want to buy a smartphone, the iQoo Neo 6 should be at the top of your list. It boasts the high-end Qualcomm SoC performance you’d expect, as well as superb battery life and lightning-fast charging. The promise of guaranteed Android OS and security upgrades makes the iQoo Neo 6 somewhat future-proof. The iQoo Neo 6 basic model, in my opinion, is the one to purchase because it offers greater value than the 12GB variant.
Except for the preinstalled bloatware, which is clearly a worry, I don’t have many issues about the iQoo Neo 6. Those searching for good video recording capabilities should be aware that the iQoo Neo 6 does not perform well in low light.
If you appreciate clean software, the recently released Motorola Edge 30 (Review) is worth considering. However, if you don’t want to sacrifice performance, the Xiaomi Mi 11X (Review) and the OnePlus Nord 2 (Review) are excellent options to consider in the same price bracket.