iQOO is a sub-brand of Vivo that aims for a lower price point than mainline Vivo devices but also brings its own design language (which I am personally a very big fan of). Today, iQOO announced the Z9 series, with the lower-end Z9x, mid-range Z9, and upper mid-range Z9 Turbo, all of which come at very sensible prices, so let's talk about them.
iQOO's Z9 Series Brings Minimalist Designs With Low Prices
The iQOO Z9 series is the newest entry into the market from the Chinese sub-brand iQOO, and it brings three new smartphones to the market: the Z9x, Z9, and Z9 Turbo. When you go with iQOO phones, you can expect low prices, and that stays true here.
While the phones have a few things that make them similar, there's a lot that sets them apart, so let's talk about each of them.
The iQOO Z9x
The iQOO Z9x is the model at the bottom of the pile but it isn't shabby for its cost. The phone has a flat display with a chunkier bezel on the chin than other sides and an 8MP selfie camera embedded in the display at the top. The back is flat and plain save for the iQOO branding at the bottom and the rounded circle dual-camera module with a flash. The phone also has a flat frame, which adds to the modern look. It is also IP64 certified.
The screen is a 6.72-inch IPS LCD FHD+ unit with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1000-nit peak brightness. There's a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 inside along with Android 14 skinned with OriginOS 4. It also comes in three storage configurations: 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, and 12GB/256GB, each with UFS 2.2 storage and a microSD card slot. The battery is a massive 6,000 mAh and can be charged at 44W. That's impressive.
The phone has a 50MP primary camera with a 2MP depth sensor next to it. You'll be able to record up to 4K on this. Plus, there's a headphone jack, which is a nice perk to have thrown in. The phone is available in Black, White, and Light Green colorways, and it starts at about $180.
The iQOO Z9 and Z9 Turbo
The iQOO Z9 and Z9 Turbo are both rather similar devices, but the Z9 Turbo, as the name might suggest, gets a boost in several spec categories. First off though, let's talk about a few things which make the phones the same.
The first thing is the design which takes obvious inspiration from the iQOO 12, with a flat 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz max refresh rate, 4500 nits of peak brightness, and HDR certification. There's a cutout in the screen for the 16MP camera. The frame is flat, and so is the back panel which only has iQOO branding and the squircle-shaped dual-camera module. They also both share IP64 certification and run on Android 14 and OriginOS 4.
A Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 powers the vanilla Z9 while the Turbo model gets a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 instead. The storage configurations also differ quite a bit. The options for the Z9 include 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB, and 12GB/512GB, all with UFS 2.2 storage. The Z9 Turbo has 256GB and 512GB options with UFS 4.0 storage, and each can come with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM.
The cameras are also rather similar, with a 50MP primary for each (though only the Z9 Turbo gets OIS and can record 4K/60). The second camera on the Z9 is a 2MP depth sensor, but it's an 8MP ultrawide on the Z9 Turbo. The batteries are both 6,000 mAh with support for 80W fast wired charging. They drop the 3.5mm jack on the Z9x but they gain an infrared port at least.
The Z9 comes in black, white, and mint, and starts at $207. The Z9 Turbo comes in the same colors and adds a bit extra for a starting price of $275.
