The iQOO Neo 7’s (review) introduction this week has heightened the competition among smartphones priced under Rs 30,000. The phone is loaded with the newest MediaTek Dimensity chipset, 120W fast charging capability, and more, which can give smartphones in the segment a run for their money. In this article, we pitted the iQOO Neo 7 price in India and specifications against the well-known Nothing Phone (1). Read on to find out which smartphone holds the edge.
iQOO Neo 7 vs Nothing Phone (1): price in India
| MODEL | VARIANT | PRICE |
| Nothing Phone (1) | 8GB + 128GB | Rs 27,999 |
| 8GB + 256GB | Rs 28,999 | |
| 12GB + 256GB | Rs 35,999 | |
| iQOO Neo 7 | 8GB + 128GB | Rs 29,999 |
| 12GB + 256GB | Rs 33,999 |
There are two versions of the iQOO Neo 7 on the market. The base model, which has 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage, costs Rs 29,999, while the higher-specified variant, which has 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage, costs Rs 33,999.
The Nothing Phone (1), in contrast, offers three memory configurations with a choice of either 8GB or 12GB RAM. The cost of the entry-level 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model is set at Rs 27,999, while the most expensive 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs 35,999.
iQOO Neo 7 vs Nothing Phone (1): design, display, hardware, and camera
Design
The iQOO Neo 7’s blad design is comparable to that of its more expensive brother, the iQOO 11. The handset now features a larger display, thinner bezels, and a thicker profile because of the larger battery. A triple camera setup is vertically oriented on the rear, and a prominent iQOO logo is present on the bottom. Regardless of the colour you choose, the rear is made entirely of plastic and has a type of two-tone finish. The iQOO Neo 7 gets all the standard ports, with the volume rockers and power button placed on the right side, and an IR blaster on the top, while the USB Type C slot, SIM tray, and main speaker vent are placed on the bottom. The phone lacks a 3.5mm audio jack but gains an in-display fingerprint scanner.
As modest as the iQOO Neo 7 is, the Nothing Phone (1) (review) is equally loud. On first inspection, it seems to resemble an iPhone. Similar to an iPhone, it has flat aluminium edges and flat glass on the front. The Nothing Phone (1) has a transparent glass back that reveals the interior of the device. Nothing has also added LED strips that cover all of the essential elements, including the cameras, wireless charging coil, and the bottom. The company calls it the Glyph. In contrast to the Neo 7, it has a noticeably more distinctive appearance.
Display
Compared to the Neo 6 model that it replaces, the iQOO Neo 7 now has a larger, more modern display. The phone has a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 1000Hz rapid touch sampling rate. Moreover, this panel has HDR10+ certification and can output HDR content on apps like YouTube that support it.
The 6.55-inch Full HD+ OLED display of the Nothing Phone (1), in comparison, is smaller and supports both a 240Hz touch sampling rate and a 120Hz refresh rate. The panel features symmetrical bezels and is certified for HDR10+ content out of the box.
Processor, RAM, and Storage
The iQOO Neo 7 is the first smartphone with the brand-new MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Processor to hit the market in India. Considering that the Dimensity 8200 is paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS3.1 storage since the Neo 7 is a smartphone geared toward gamers.
On the other hand, a rather old Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC powers the Nothing Phone (1). For the Phone (1), Qualcomm upgraded the SD778G+ SoC and included support for a wireless charging module. Three memory setups are available for the phone: 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB UFS3.1 storage, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and the priciest 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage configuration.
The iQOO Neo 7 has an edge in terms of software because it uses the most recent version of Android (version 13), with the company’s own Android skin on top. That said, the Android 13 upgrade is expected to arrive sometime in March for the Nothing Phone (1), which boots Android 12 out of the box.
Camera
The iQOO Neo 7 has a triple camera arrangement on the back, including a 64MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and a dual-LED flash. For selfies and video calls, a front-facing 16MP camera with tailored AI capabilities is used.
In contrast, the Nothing Phone (1) gets a dual-camera setup on the rear, featuring a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor with f/1.8 aperture, Dual OIS & EIS, and a 50MP Samsung JN1 Ultrawide angle lens, and an LED flash. The selfies on the phone are handled by a 16MP sensor.
Battery
The iQOO Neo 7 packs a sizeable 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging that can top up the handset in under 25 minutes. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (1) utilises the USB PD3.0 protocol and offers a 33W rapid wired charging mode in addition to 15W wireless charging capability. The handset packs a 4,500mAh battery.
