iQOO is here with its highly anticipated Neo series for 2024. The Neo lineup has stirred up quite the hype over the years for its unbeatable price-to-performance deals. The Neo9 Pro was launched globally on 22nd February. The global Neo9 Pro’s features are quite similar to the iQOO Neo9 released in China, while the Neo9 Pro’s Chinese version differs from its global version in the processor and camera section. Let’s find out more on this flagship phone.
Key Specs of the vivo iQOO Neo9 Pro
Design and Build Quality: A Mix of Sophistication and Refinement
The actual Neo9 Pro has been exclusively released for China for the time being. iQOO may not opt to release this model globally as it shares almost the same DNA with the parent company’s Vivo X100.
From the outside, you’re looking at the same dimension as that of the Neo9. There’s a vegan leather version which iQOO calls their Fiery Red model. There are also options for either blue or black glass back finishes.
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Dimension-wise, the iQOO Neo9 Pro comes in at 163.53 mm by 75.68 mm by 7.99 mm or 8.34 mm (Fiery Red). The aggregate weight of the device comes in at 190 g (Fiery Red) of 190 g as standard.
iQOO has incorporated several innovative design choices with the Neo9 Pro. The plastic frame has a four-sided micro-arc design for a seamless transition with the body. The front bezel on the side has been reduced to just 1.54 mm for a near-borderless view. There is also the Fluorite AG glass on the back of the blue and black model to deter fingerprints and smudges.
Ports, buttons, microphones, and dual SIM slots are in their usual spot like the Neo9. There’s no water resistance rating on the Neo9 Pro which might be its only gripe design-wise.
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The Display: Feature-Packed AMOLED Display
The display on the iQOO Neo9 Pro is stacked with features. On paper, users will get a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 1B colors, 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and 1400 nits of HBM. The near-symmetrical panel comes in a 20:9 aspect ratio good enough for a 93.43% screen-to-body ratio.
The resolution has been cranked up to 1260 by 2800 pixels featuring of 452 ppi density. Additional display techs like XDR 2.0 and ZREAL have also been incorporated into the panel. The result is a whopping 8000000:1 contrast ratio in normal usage.
iQOO claims that the touch latency has been reduced by 36% compared to the previous models. The 2160 Hz PWM dimming mode increases the brightness perception by 14.3% making it easier on eyes in ultra-low light environments.
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The Camera
The camera is where the difference between the global 9 Pro and Chinese 9 Pro becomes apparent.
The main rear camera is a 50 MP shooter sporting a Sony VCS IMX 920 sensor. Spec includes f/1.88 aperture, 1/1.49 inch sensor size with PDAF and OIS.
The Chinese Neo9 Pro’s secondary rear sensor is another 50 MP f/2.0 shooter, 119-degree ultrawide sensor. On the other hand, the global version comes with an 8 MP (f/2.2) 119-degree ultrawide sensor.
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For both the Chinese and Global Neo9 pro, the front camera features a single 16 MP f/2.5 lens. It can shoot 1080 pixels of footage at 30 fps.
The custom Sony sensor can nicely capture natural and warm-looking images. The usual photorealism of the IMX 920 was missing here as pictures had a distinct color pop in them. The dynamic range was a bit sub-par. The ultrawide sensor was able to match the performance of the main sensor during daylight.
Pictures taken at night or in low light fared much better thanks to the large sensor size. The night mode was an added plus in low-light photography.
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Videography on the Chinese Neo9 Pro supports up to 8K, 4K, and 1080P. While the global version can capture a maximum of 4K videos. Video quality has been impressive thanks to the gyro-EIS and OIS.
Processor and Performance: Sheer Gaming Capabilities
Beyond the camera, the Chinese 9 Pro is using the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9300 based on the 4 Nm architecture unlike yesteryear’s 8 Gen 2 found on the global 9 Pro. The octa-core processor is coupled with Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU. iQOO is claiming 40% increased performance with 33% less power consumption compared to the last generation.
The storage combination goes up to 16 GB RAM and 1TB internal storage. iQOO has upgraded to LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0 for the RAM and ROM respectively.
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In addition to the Dimensity 9300 chip, iQOO has also included the Q1 gaming chip developed in-house. iQOO claims that the Q1 can replicate PC-level super-resolution for open world and other graphics-intensive games. In the test, PUBG, COD, Genshin Impact, and Asphalt 9 were running smoothly at 60 Hz. What’s even more impressive is the lack of heating even after hours of gaming. The usual day-to-day browsing and surfing is fast and smooth thanks to the blazing 144 Hz display.
iQOO introduced their 6K Skylight vapor chamber liquid cooling technology which takes up around half of the internal footprint of the device. It accounts for precise heat dissipation resulting in a 26% increase in overall heat transfer.
Software: OriginOS 4 over Android 14
While the global variant comes with Funtouch OS, the Chinese Neo9 Pro sticks with the OriginOS. And given that it is released in China only. It’s a pretty heavy skin over Android 14. Needless to say, it would take some time to get used to its interface and navigation.
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Battery and Charge Time
The Neo9 Pro comes with 5160 mAh battery capacity. The 120W ultra-fast flash charge can take the device from 0 to 40% in 9 minutes. The full charge takes about 1 hour and 24 minutes. iQOO claims that the Neo9 Pro has been tested for up to 1600 full charge cycles after which the battery can retain up to 80% of its original capacity.
