The iQOO Neo 9 Pro launched in India today and is the brand’s latest offering in the mid-range segment, with a launch price of Rs 35,999. The smartphone features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, a mainstay in a lot of 2023 flagships, and makes some big claims when it comes to performance. Today, we will be comparing the iQOO Neo 9 Pro with another performance powerhouse in the segment, the OnePlus 12R, to find out what differentiates both smartphones.
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iQOO Neo 9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: specs at a glance
| Smartphone | iQOO Neo 9 Pro | OnePlus 12R |
| Display | 6.78-inch 144Hz 1.5K AMOLED display | 6.78-inch 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED display |
| Processor and Graphics | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with Adreno 740 GPU | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with Adreno 740 GPU |
| RAM and Storage | Up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage | Up to 16GB RAM and 256GB storage |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP+8MP | 50MP+8MP+2MP |
| Front Camera | 16MP | 16MP |
| Battery | 5,160mAh battery with 120W charging | 5,500mAh battery with 100W charging |
IQOO Neo 9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: price
iQOO Neo 9 Pro | ONEPLUS 12R |
8GB+128GB: Rs 35,999 | 8GB+256GB: 39,999 |
8GB+256GB: Rs 37,999 | 12GB+256GB: 45,999 |
12GB+256GB: Rs 39,999 |
iQOO Neo9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: design
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro comes in a new design that differs a lot from its predecessor, the Neo 7 Pro. Gone is the boxy camera deco, replaced with two large camera cutouts, and the rear back is now made of simple plastic with a satin-like finish for the Conqueror Black variant. This finish helps minimise fingerprints and smudges. The Fiery-Red variant, on the other hand, comes with a vegan leather finish that is quite eye-catching. The black variant is thinner at 7.99mm, while the Fiery-Red measures 8.34mm in thickness. The device, unfortunately, does not come with a headphone jack. The smartphone features an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance.
In terms of design, the OnePlus 12R closely resembles the 11R, with a few notable changes. The new alert slider is now positioned on the left spine of the smartphone, and the volume buttons are located above the power button on the right spine. The OnePlus 12R comes in two colours, Cool Blue and Iron Grey. The camera module comes with ridges, oozing off a watch-like appearance, and is also shaded blue to seamlessly blend into the overall design. The curved edges make for a comfortable holding experience. The Cool Blue variant, however, does pick up fingerprints rather easily and slides off of surfaces. The device is IP64-rated for water and dust resistance.
iQOO Neo 9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: display
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro features a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,800 x 1,260 pixels (1.5K), an adaptive refresh rate of up to 144Hz, and 3,000nits of peak brightness. It comes with HDR10+ support, which allows the device to stream in HD on OTT platforms. The smartphone features wet touch technology that allows you to use the device with wet hands and maintains the touch experience.
The OnePlus 12R flaunts a similar 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. It’s an LTPO 4.0 panel with 2,780 x 1,264 (FHD+) resolution and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The device comes with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support for an immersive viewing experience and can stream in HD on OTT platforms. The OnePlus 12R also comes with a wet touch display feature that uses the CPU to calibrate the display to maintain touch integrity when using wet fingers.
Takeaways: The iQOO Neo 9 Pro has a higher resolution display panel along with a better refresh rate, which gives it the edge in this comparison. The OnePlus 12R display is nothing to dismiss either, with excellent brightness that makes the colours pop.
iQOO Neo 9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: cameras
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro features a 50MP Sony IMX920 primary camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The device comes with a 16MP front camera for selfies and video calls.
The OnePlus 12R comes with a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary camera, paired with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro camera. At the front, the device comes with a 16 MP selfie camera.
Takeaways: The OnePlus 12R features an additional 2MP macro lens compared to the iQOO Neo9 Pro, however, the latter comes with a better Sony IMX920 primary lens compared to the IMX890 on the OnePlus 12R. On paper, the iQOO Neo 9 Pro should offer better camera performance owing to its primary lens. You can check out our detailed reviews for the camera performance of the iQOO Neo 9 Pro (review) and the OnePlus 12R (review).
iQOO Neo 9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: performance and software
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset powers both smartphones. A key difference between the devices is that the iQOO Neo9 Pro comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, compared to the 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage on the OnePlus 12R.
In terms of software, the iQOO Neo9 Pro comes with FuntouchOS 14 based on Android 14, while the OnePlus 12R comes with OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14.
Takeaways: The iQOO Neo 9 Pro provides a superior storage variant compared to the OnePlus 12R, but in terms of real-life performance, there should be no significant differences between the two. Both devices come with an Android 14-based OS out of the box, so the choice ultimately comes down to the user’s preference for the operating system.
iQOO Neo 9 Pro vs OnePlus 12R: battery and charging
A 5,160mAh battery powers the iQOO Neo9 Pro, while a 5,500mAh battery powers the OnePlus 12R. The iQOO Neo9 Pro comes with 120W charging support, and the OnePlus 12R offers 100W charging support.
Takeaways: In terms of battery, the OnePlus 12R features a higher-rated battery, while the iQOO Neo 9 Pro offers faster charging speeds. We expect that the real-life battery performance for both smartphones will be comparable, with the OnePlus 12R having a slight edge. The charging speeds should not differ significantly, as the Neo7 Pro’s 120W charging took just under 30 minutes to go from 0 to 100 percent, while the OnePlus 12R takes roughly the same amount of time to achieve a full charge.
