iQOO is taking a measured approach with its product launches in India, introducing the Neo 10R a year after the Neo 9 Pro, a strong “flagship killer.” The Neo 10R features limited hardware upgrades but maintains a sleek 7.9mm design with a 6,400mAh battery and IP65 rating for durability. It has a similar AMOLED display and advances in processing power with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Camera upgrades include a 50MP primary and 32MP selfie camera, while charging speeds have decreased. Priced at Rs. 26,999, it competes with established mid-range models, marking it as a contender in its segment.
In contrast to many Chinese smartphone brands operating in India, iQOO seems to be adopting a measured approach with its product launch timelines. The Neo 10R arrives a year after the introduction of the Neo 9 Pro, which lived up to its “flagship killer” moniker. Our review highlighted it as a strong entry in the low-end premium segment, given its remarkable performance, competent cameras, rapid charging, and, most importantly, its value. Indeed, the Neo 10R has significant expectations to meet, but a quick look at its hardware upgrades reveals there aren’t many. So, let’s delve into what’s different.
The iQOO Neo 10R retains the same overall design as its predecessor. However, it has moved away from the perplexing dual-tone vegan leather rear panel to something that, while less garish, remains equally confusing.
The iQOO Neo 10R features an IP65-rated design for dust and water resistance
We received the Raging Blue variant of the device, which clearly targets the youth and gaming demographic. However, the odd dual-tone rear panel features a pixelated gradient that transitions from white to lavender. The iQOO branding seems lost amidst this pixelated gradient, and likewise, the ‘NEO Power to Win’ branding is only visible from extreme angles, rendering it mostly invisible. Confusing? We think so too!
Fortunately, the iQOO Neo 10R also comes in a more understated MoonKnight Titanium finish, closely resembling the Titanium Grey of the iPhone 15 Pro. iQOO persists with a polycarbonate frame and rear panel to keep the device’s weight manageable (and costs down). It has increased slightly to 196 grams, but considering it houses a sizable 6,400mAh battery within a reasonably slim 7.9mm profile while offering an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance, this is quite impressive.
The display of the iQOO Neo 10R remains consistent with the previous model, both in size and features
The display is unchanged from before. It’s AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 300Hz touch sampling rate for gaming. Thankfully, it remains flat and functional, avoiding the trend towards quad-curved panels.
On the specifications front, the Neo 10R boasts a newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, replacing last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It also comes with two RAM and storage configurations: 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and either 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 and UFS 4.1 storage options.
Both rear-facing cameras of the iQOO Neo 10R have seen upgrades
Among the significant upgrades is the battery. The new 6,400mAh lithium-ion battery employs advanced silicon-carbon technology, allowing it to maintain a larger capacity while keeping the same size and thickness as the older version. However, wired charging speeds have decreased from 120W in the previous model to a more moderate 80W.
While the camera specifications appear similar to the previous model, they feature new sensors. The primary camera is now a 50-megapixel sensor (Sony IMX882) with OIS, joined by an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera (Galaxy Core GC08A3-WA1XA), both of which differ from the prior model. The front-facing camera also receives an upgrade to a 32-megapixel (Galaxy Core GC32E1-WA1XA) sensor.
Charging speeds have seen a downgrade, but the battery capacity boasts a significant increase
The latest flagship killer from iQOO runs Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15. While it emphasizes customization, the software now integrates native AI tools that we’re eager to test.
With the iQOO Neo 10R starting at Rs. 26,999 for the base 8GB + 128GB model in India, it goes up against established mid-range challengers in this price bracket. Competitors include new launches like the Nothing Phone 3a, along with older devices such as the Poco F6 (Review) and the OnePlus Nord CE 4 (Review), among others. Can the new iQOO Neo 10R live up to its “flagship killer” ambitions amid this fresh competition? Stay tuned for our in-depth review, coming soon!