Vivo iQOO 9 Review – The iQOO’s 9 series flagship phones are probably the most-hyped releases of 2022 after the great success of the iQOO 7 series. The Vivo iQOO 9 smartphone is released in February 2022 and is available for purchase in the global market. Though the first release of the phone is carried out in the Chinese market, it will eventually get released in the international market. We have already covered the iQOO 9 Pro, you check that as well in the meantime. The main difference in the Chinese and global variants is the chipset, camera, and battery section.
Although it is a performance & game-centric phone, it has many more exciting attributes including 5G. Apart from this, you will also obtain a diverse range of colors options and features that makes the overall experience great. So, let us go through all the necessary details of the Vivo iQOO 9 (global) smartphone in the following review.
Table of Contents
Vivo iQOO 9 (Global) Review
Highlights
- The Vivo iQOO 9 channels a 6.56 inches AMOLED screen with up to 120 Hz refresh rate.
- For the hardware section, it arrives with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset, so don’t worry about performance.
- In the software department, it fetches FunTouch 12 UI based on the Android 12 OS is a great combo.
- Vivo iQOO 9’s triple rear camera arrives with a 48 MP primary camera along with a 16 MP front camera.
- The phone equips a Li-Po 4350 mAh battery with robust 120W fast charging support.
Design and Display
Vivo iQOO 9’s layout is elegant, embracing a sporty touch added by its back texture & the colored power button. The back has a unique-shaped triple camera module, whereas the front has a little punch-hole with a lesser chin & bezels. However, one may witness fingerprint smudges at times. The 200 grams smartphone is not a lightweight device yet feels premium in hand.
The screen is a 6.56 inches AMOLED display with HDR10+ resolution. Thus, the content looks sharp & accurately colored as the refresh rate can go up to 120 Hz with 1200 nits peak brightness so, the gaming experience will be uninterrupted because of such a capable presentation. While the AMOLED screen presents an under-display fingerprint scanner.
Besides this, it also has Panda Glass protection, and though there is no IP rating, still the company promises it to be splash and dust resistant. The phone offers vivid color options namely Legend, Alpha, and Phoenix. The colors and contrast on the screen also come out impressed with the 1 Billion colors support. Overall, the build, look & display is a thumbs up for sure.
Memory and Internal
The iQOO 9 equips a 5nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ 5G chipset, the powerful processor that delivers up to a max of 2.99GHz clocking speed. The animation & app-opening/closing is very fluid, while there would be no brightness drop or heating issues. Therefore, the day-to-day usage is swift & speedy.
Under the hood, you get the Funtouch 12 user interface based on the latest Android 12 OS. The iQOO 9 avails tons of customization options. Also, there are a few bloatware apps, that can be uninstalled. On top of that, the interface skin provides various functions from which you can create a personalized android ecosystem.
Apart from this, the smartphone targets gaming users and serves the purpose well. For the next-level gaming experience, it offers multiple game modes & graphic settings. The pressure-sensitive skin is apt for playing games like PUBg or BGMI with two fingers.
Users will attain two variants from 8GB to 12GB RAM coupled with 128GB to 256GB internal storage, with no SD Card slot. Yet, enough room for storage so you can choose according to your budget & requirement. Overall the performance and storage section is not going to disappoint.
Camera
The triple camera setup on iQOO 9 equips a 48 MP primary lens followed by a 13 MP ultra-wide & a 13MP telephoto sensor. The main camera shots are excellent with low noise, true colors & sufficient dynamic range. Low-light photos are equally good. The 2x optical zoom results in sharp & detailed images via the telephoto lens. Even, the ultra-wides are worthy enough.
The 16MP front camera shots bring average details, enough contrast, and a wide dynamic range. Considering, the video recording iQOO 9 rear camera can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps, which are precise and realistic. You can even switch lenses while the recording is on. On the top, the Gimbal OIS stabilization ensures Smooth images & videos even while walking or with shaky hands. The front lens can record 1080p videos at 30 fps at max. So, all-around the camera is also a green signal.
Battery and Others
The iQOO 9 global version fits a strong Li-Po 4350 mAh battery supported by a 120W fast charge that may charge 100% in just 18-20 minutes. The iQOO 9 lacks wireless charging but delivers 4 to 5 hours of screen time. Hence, the battery provision is enough to pull throughout the day. Aside from this, the battery endurance is also quite decent and you will obtain good screen time.
On the other hand, the in-display fingerprint sensor is highly responsive and functional. In addition, it has a dual stereo speaker, offering great audio quality but not too loud. Speaking about the price, the iQOO 9 values about $550 (Rs 42,990 in India) approx.
Vivo iQOO 9 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Vivo iQOO 9 smartphone.
| Specifications | Vivo iQOO 9 (China) | Vivo iQOO 9 (Global) |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G | Same |
| Announced | January 2022 | February 2022 |
| SIM | Dual SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.48 x 3.02 x 0.33 inches | 159.1 x 75.1 x 8.6 or 8.7 mm |
| Weight | 206 grams | 200g |
| Size | 6.78 inches | 6.56 inches |
| Display | AMOLED 120Hz HDR10 1500 nits (peak) brightness 20:9 ratio ~388 PPI density | AMOLED 1B colors 120Hz HDR10+ 1200 nits ~398 PPI density |
| Protection | No | Panda Glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2376 pixels |
| OS | Android 12, Origin OS Ocean | Android 12, Funtouch 12 |
| Chipset | 4nm – Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen1 | 5nm – Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510 | Octa-core 1×2.99 GHz Kryo 680 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680 |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 660 |
| Card slot | No | Same |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB | Same |
| Internal | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1 |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 12 MP (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 13 MP 120Ëš (ultrawide) Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama Max – 4K@30fps, gyro-EIS | 48 MP (wide), PDAF, gimbal OIS 13 MP (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 13 MP (120Ëš ultrawide) Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama Max – 4K@30fps |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide) HDR Max – 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 16 MP (wide) HDR Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (dual speakers) | Yes (stereo speakers) |
| 3.5mm jack | No 24-bit/192kHz audio | No |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| Sensors | Under-display fingerprint, Optical, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Same |
| Battery | Li-Po 4700 mAh Fast charging 120W Fast wireless charging 50W 10W reverse wireless charging | Li-Po 4350 mAh Fast charging 120W |
| Colors | White (BMW M branding), Orange, Black | Legend, Alpha, Phoenix |
| Expected Price | $640 (Rs 47,999 in India) Approx. | $550 (Rs 42,990 in India) Approx. |
Conclusion
The Vivo iQOO 9 smartphone is available globally and game enthusiasts must try their hands on this smartphone as its main highlights are gaming & performance. But what is more interesting is that you will receive decent camera software support too with this phone. Furthermore, two years of Android updates and three-year security updates. So, there’s nothing to worry about the software updates and enjoy the latest versions without any hassle.
Although there are a few cons like no IP rating, low-video recording quality, and many more. But, despite all the other features are really worthy. Still, if you find it over-priced then you may compare and consider the iQOO Neo 5S or the Galaxy S21 FE as an alternative option but the final decision is yours according to your requirements.
