Vivo iQOO Z9 Smartphone Review – The Vivo iQOO Z9 was released in late March 2024 and started shipping later that month. The new smartphone will go on sale globally, but India was the first country where it launched. In terms of design, the iQOO Z9 hasn’t changed much and still has the same design language as that of its previous iteration, the Vivo iQOO Z7 Pro, but with a fresh coat of paint.
The iQOO Z9 also included 5G connectivity as iQOO wants to impress every user out there, especially those who prefer performance over other things. The iQOO believes it can provide a great experience to its users with the new smartphone. The main attractions of this phone are the display, battery, and protection. So, let’s begin with a detailed review of the iQOO Z9 smartphone and find out if this smartphone is worth purchasing.
Table of Contents
Vivo iQOO Z9 Smartphone Review
Highlights
- The iQOO Z9 smartphone features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with support for 120Hz high refresh rate.
- The chipset inside the IQOO Z9 is the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 5G SoC, which is capable of reaching clock speeds of 2×2.8 GHz.
- The iQOO Z9 smartphone arrives with Android 14 out-of-the-box with Funtouch 14 for better customization options.
- The iQOO Z9 smartphone has a 50MP rear camera system, while the selfie camera has a 16MP sensor.
- The phone has a Li-Ion 5000mAh battery with 44W wired fast charging support.
Design and Display
The iQOO Z9 follows the same design language as its predecessor, iQOO Z7 Pro. But it now has a flat body and new colors. It is available in Brushed Green and Graphene Blue. Each color has a unique pattern on the rear panel and sets them apart. The camera module on the left further complements the design. The display on the front also has minimum bezels and the chin is thinner than other smartphones at the same price.
This gives the smartphone a very premium appearance and makes it seem like a flagship-level smartphone. Speaking of bezels and display, you get a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz high refresh rate for better user experience. This display panel features an FHD+ resolution with support for HDR.
The display is also quite bright at 1800 nits peak brightness, so using the smartphone outdoors won’t be an issue. The display is also protected with Dragontail Star 2 Plus glass. The smartphone is also protected by IP54 against dust and splashes.
Memory and Internal
Vivo equipped the iQOO Z9 with MediaTek Dimensity 7200 5G chipset. This chipset is capable of reaching a clock speed of 2×2.8 GHz. It features an octa-core CPU configuration and is equipped with a much larger vapor chamber, which will ensure that the smartphone doesn’t overheat. As the heat is kept under control, the chipset can flex its wings and deliver solid performance.
Whether that’s browsing the web, running multiple apps, or gaming, the chipset breezes through these tasks. Speaking of gaming, the Mali-G610 MC4 GPU runs all your games, including PUBGm, Summoners War, CODm, and even Genshin Impact at high graphical fidelity. The smartphone also comes with Android 14 out of the box along with an Funtouch 14 user interface, which provides better customization support.
The smartphone also has support for 5G connectivity, which will also decrease latency during multiplayer gaming sessions. For memory and storage, the iQOO Z9 is available for purchase with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of fast UFS 2.2 internal storage. The storage can also be expanded later with the microSDXC slot.
Camera
The Vivo iQOO Z9 features a 50MP rear camera setup. The primary rear camera consists of a 50MP sensor, which is properly optimized. So, it is capable of taking some great shots with a high dynamic range, higher detail levels, and saturated colors. This superb performance level is also carried over during nighttime photography.
The sensor is optimized to capture more light than ever. This combined with the night mode algorithm allowed the camera sensor to enhance every shot it captures during the night. So, the rear camera performance won’t disappoint, whether that’s during the day or night. However, there’s no ultrawide or telephoto camera.
On the front, the smartphone has a 16MP selfie camera that can capture great selfies with natural colors and accurate skin tone. When it comes to video recording, the rear camera can shoot videos at 4K@30FPS while the selfie camera can shoot at a maximum resolution of 1080P@30FPS. The videos from the rear camera are stabilized with gyro-EIS.
Battery and Others
The Vivo iQOO Z9 has a high-capacity Li-Ion 5000mAh battery that can keep this smartphone running for at least 1 – 2 days with light to medium usage, including camera, music, and a bit of social media. But if you are a heavy user or play a lot of games, the battery will drain a lot faster and won’t last a full day. Also, if you use 5G to download movies or other content, then the battery will also drain faster.
But you will be glad to know that the smartphone has support for 44W wired fast charging, which can charge the smartphone from 1% to 50% in just 30 minutes. Apart from that, the smartphone has support for dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, an under-display fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, and a USB Type-C connector for charging. The smartphone will start at $240 (Rs 19,999 in India) approx.
Vivo iQOO Z9 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Vivo iQOO Z9 smartphone.
| Specifications | Vivo iQOO Z9 |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | March 2024 |
| SIM | Hybrid Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.43 x 2.98 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 188 g |
| Size | 6.67 inches |
| Display | AMOLED 120Hz HDR 1800 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~395 PPI density Always-on display |
| Protection/Others | Dragontrail Star 2 Plus IP54, dust and splash resistant |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| OS | Android 14, Funtouch 14 |
| Chipset | 4nm – Mediatek Dimensity 7200 |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 6x Cortex-A510 |
| GPU | Mali-G610 MC4 |
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Internal | 128GB, 256GB UFS 2.2 |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 2 MP (depth) LED flash, panorama, HDR Max – 4K@30fps, gyro-EIS, HDR |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide) Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (stereo speakers) |
| 3.5mm jack | No 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS |
| NFC | No |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | Li-Ion 5000 mAh 44W wired |
| Colors | Brushed Green, Graphene Blue |
| Expected Price | $240 (Rs 19,999 in India) approx |
Conclusion
The Vivo iQOO Z9 has provided what other smartphones have been failing to do in the $200 price range. This price point used to be highly competitive but has since been bland. There hasn’t been any meaningful competition in this segment and that’s exactly what this smartphone wants to change. It certainly has the hardware and features to do so. Let’s take the design for example.
It features a modern flat design with expressive patterns that many would love. The display is also fantastic with mostly uniform bezels and helps elevate the status of the smartphone. The chipset on the smartphone is quite fast and has the raw performance needed to be a champ in this segment. The camera is also quite capable and so is the battery. It’s not that there aren’t many smartphones with similarly capable specs and features.
It’s just that those smartphones often came with a high price tag but not this one. The price of this smartphone is a solid deal that you can’t miss, especially considering all that it offers. The closest alternative would be the Infinix Zero 30. It has similar specs but with a slightly higher price tag. However, the final decision is up to you, so it is better to choose a smartphone based on your needs and requirements.
