Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro Smartphones Review – The Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro are the newest smartphone releases by IQOO. These two new smartphones were launched in December 2023. Both smartphones have launched in China but IQOO has announced that they will be released globally in the coming weeks. These new 5G smartphones are meant to present the best of what IQOO is meant to offer going 2024 and beyond.
Both smartphones feature top-of-the-line hardware, software, and camera capabilities. But can the new smartphones compete with smartphones like the OnePlus 12? The only way to find out is through a proper review. So, let’s begin with a detailed review of both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro and see if these smartphones are worth purchasing.
Table of Contents
Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro Smartphones Review
Highlights
- Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro feature the same 6.78-inches LTPO AMOLED display with 144Hz high refresh rate support.
- The Vivo iQOO Neo 9 is powered by the 4nm Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 5G chipset, which is capable of reaching clock speeds of 1×3.2 GHz. The Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro is powered by the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9300 5G chipset, which is capable of reaching clock speeds of 1×3.25 GHz.
- Both smartphones come pre-loaded with Android 14 out of the box with OriginOS 4 user interface for better customization support.
- Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro feature the same 50MP rear camera system along with a 16MP selfie sensor.
- Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro have a 5160 mAh long-lasting battery. Both smartphones support 120W wired fast charging.
Design and Display
The design of the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro are identical with the same color options, Black, Blue, and Red. Both smartphones feature a flat design language with a flat rear panel and side frame. This is a modern design that users love. The mid and side frame is made out of aluminum, which provides the smartphones with durability.
The rear panel is made of glass with a frosted finish etched on top of it. This provides the smartphones with a premium touch. The smartphone is elegant and extremely well-built with no signs of any possibility of creaking or bending. As for the display, both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro feature the same 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 144Hz high refresh rate support for a smooth user experience.
This is an LTPO panel, so it can dynamically boost or decrease the refresh rate to save battery. The display also supports 1.5K resolution and up to 1 billion colors. It can also play HDR10+ content and can get enough bright at 1400 nits during peak sunlight moment, which should dramatically improve user experience in outdoor situations.
Memory and Internal
The Vivo iQOO Neo 9 is powered by the 4nm Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 5G chipset, which is capable of delivering clock speeds of 1×3.2 GHz. But the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro is powered by the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9300 5G chipset and this chipset is capable of reaching clock speeds of 1×3.25 GHz. These are some of the best Android chipsets in the world, so you are getting the absolute bang for your buck.
Also, both smartphones support 5G connectivity for gigabit-level speeds. So, download all your favorite apps and games without needing to wait for several minutes for them to finish downloading. Speaking of gaming, the two smartphones come with Adreno 740 and Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPUs and they are some of the best in the business when it comes to mobile gaming.
So, you can easily play games such as PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, and CODm with the highest graphical options. For RAM and storage, both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro can be purchased with up to 12GB/16GB of RAM and 256GB/1TB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. When it comes to the software side of things, the new smartphones are running on Android 14 with OriginOS 4 for better customization and ecosystem support.
Camera
Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro smartphones feature the same 50MP main camera that takes some top-quality pictures with the highest clarity, detail levels, and color tone. But when it comes to the secondary ultra-wide camera, there‘s a difference between the two smartphones. The Vivo iQOO Neo 9 has an 8MP ultra-wide camera, which takes decent shots but it is inferior compared to the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro’s 50MP.
This 50MP sensor in the Pro model takes far more detailed shots and preserves the colors more accurately. Both smartphones also support portrait mode. The night mode is also quite capable on the new smartphones. The night mode algorithm allows the cameras of the new smartphones to let in more than usual and takes multiple shots before combining them into a single perfect night image.
On the front, both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro have the same 16MP selfie camera, which is also quite good. Even the tiniest details in the subject’s face are captured perfectly with a natural skin tone. When it comes to video recording, both smartphones record videos at a maximum of 8K from the rear camera while the selfie camera maxes out at 1080P@30FPS. The rear cameras also support OIS and gyro-EIS for better video stabilization during a video recording session.
Battery and Others
Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro have a 5160 mAh long-lasting battery. Since both smartphones have high-capacity batteries with efficient processors, they provide an excellent battery life. The new smartphones should last 1 – 2 days’ worth of battery life with low to medium usage. But with higher usage and gaming, the battery will drain the battery faster and the smartphones may not last a full day.
Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro support 120W wired fast charging and the chargers are provided in the box, which is certainly a smart thing to do to provide a better package than their competitors. The 120W charger can charge the smartphones to 40 minutes in around 9 minutes, which is faster than most of the other flagship smartphones.
Apart from that, both smartphones have Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, an under-display fingerprint scanner, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port for charging. As for pricing, the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 is available starting at $360 (Rs 29,990 in India) approx. While the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro is available starting at $432 (Rs 35,999 in India) approx.
Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro Pros and Cons
Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro smartphone.
| Specifications | Vivo iQOO Neo 9 Pro |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | December 2023 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 163.5 x 75.7 x 8 mm or 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 190-196 g |
| Size | 6.78 inches |
| Display | LTPO AMOLED 1B colors 144Hz HDR10+ 1400 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~453 PPI density |
| Protection | No |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels |
| OS | Android 14, OriginOS 4 |
| Chipset | 4nm – Mediatek Dimensity 9300 |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×3.25 GHz Cortex-X4 3×2.85 GHz Cortex-X4 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A720 |
| GPU | Immortalis-G720 MC12 |
| Card slot | No |
| RAM | 12GB, 16GB |
| Internal | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 4.0 |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 50 MP (119Ëšultrawide), AF LED flash, panorama, HDR Max – 8K, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide) Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes Stereo speakers (closed type) |
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| GPS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b) GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| NFC | Yes |
| Infrared port | Yes |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | 5160 mAh 120W wired Reverse wired |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Red |
| Expected Price | $432 (Rs 35,999 in India) approx |
Conclusion
Both Vivo iQOO Neo 9 and 9 Pro are extremely high-end smartphones that one might even call flagship smartphones. After all, both smartphones do have flagship-level displays, chipsets, batteries, and even design, but they lack a few too many features to be called proper flagships. There’s no water and dust protection. Nothing for the display as well. The camera system lacks a telephoto sensor and there’s no wireless charging as well. But that’s not a bad thing considering the price these new smartphones are asking for. If IQOO had incorporated those features, the new smartphones would have been a lot more expensive but it’s not.
It’s all thanks to the decisions made by IQOO and this has opened the door to these new smartphones to a whole new level of user base. There is an alternative smartphone to these two that may or may not provide better features depending on the availability of the smartphones. The smartphone is the new Xiaomi Redmi K70 Pro. However, the final decision is up to you, so it is better to choose a smartphone based on your requirements and needs.
