March has been packed with smartphone launches, with major players such as Samsung, iQOO , Realme, Vivo, and POCO unveiling new smartphones. iQOO recently launched the Neo 9 Pro in February and quickly followed it up with the iQOO Z9 5G, which was unveiled just a few days ago at a starting price of Rs 19,999. Today, we’ll be comparing the iQOO Z9 with another similarly-priced smartphone, the Lava Blaze Curve 5G (review), to find out which device offers superior performance.
| Smartphone | iQOO Z9 | Lava Blaze Curve |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 | MediaTek Dimensity 7050 |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G610 MC4 | Arm Mali-G68 MC4 |
| RAM | Up to 8GB RAM | Up to 8GB RAM |
The table above gives you a quick look at the core specs. Next up is an analysis of how the two phones stack up in terms of pure performance, based on benchmark tests and gaming.
Table of Contents
Geekbench
The first test on the list is the Geekbench 6 benchmark. The iQOO Z9 narrowly edges out a victory against the Lava Blaze Curve by achieving a single-core test score of 1190 and a multi-core test score of 2681 points. Comparatively, the Lava Blaze Curve records a single-core test score of 1103 and a multi-core test score of 2628 points. The disparity in the scores is not very significant, which is commendable given the Lava Blaze Curve’s comparatively less powerful processor.
| iQOO Z9 | Lava Blaze Curve |
| Single-core score: 1190 | Single-core score: 1104 |
| Multi-core score: 2681 | Multi-core score: 2628 |
Winner: iQOO Z9
AnTuTu
In AnTuTu benchmark scores, the iQOO Z9 emerges as the clear winner, keeping a substantial lead with a score of 7,28,534 compared to the 5,75,509 of the Lava Blaze Curve. The CPU and GPU tests particularly contribute to the majority of the difference between the aggregated scores, highlighting how the iQOO Z9 possesses a significantly more powerful CPU and GPU.
| iQOO Z9 | Lava Blaze Curve |
| AnTuTu score: 7,28,534 | AnTuTu score: 5,75,509 |
Winner: iQOO Z9
CPU throttle
For the CPU throttle test, we set both smartphones to operate at 50 threads for 30 minutes each, and the results were impressive, to say the least. The iQOO Z9 showcased an excellent 92 percent peak performance output under stress, while the Lava Blaze Curve was also quite impressive, with a peak performance output of 89 percent. Once again, the iQOO Z9 emerges victorious in this round, albeit with a slight margin.
| iQOO Z9 | Lava Blaze Curve |
| Peak performance output: 92 percent | Peak performance output: 89 percent |
Winner: iQOO Z9
Gaming test
Coming to the final test on the list, we assessed the gameplay performance of both smartphones. We played BGMI for approximately 30 minutes on each device, setting both to HDR resolution and Ultra frame rate settings. The gaming performance on both devices was comparable, with both managing to run the game smoothly without any noticeable frame drops or stutters.
The Lava Blaze Curve also showcases better thermal management compared to the iQOO Z9, with a temperature increase of 4.9 degrees Celsius, as opposed to the iQOO Z9’s temperature increase of 7.4 degrees Celsius.
Winner: Lava Blaze Curve 5G
Verdict
The iQOO Z9 emerges as the winner in the performance comparison. It beats the Lava Blaze Curve 5G in all benchmarking tests, with the sole exception of gaming performance, where the Blaze Curve wins due to its superior thermal management. Here are some factors to keep in mind if you’re looking to purchase either of the two smartphones:- The iQOO Z9 is the easy choice if your main priority is the raw performance a smartphone offers, it’s one of the best-performing smartphones under Rs 20,000.
- The Lava Blaze Curve is also an impressive device and offers a comparable performance output to the iQOO Z9.
- In addition, the Lava Blaze Curve comes with a near-stock Android-like UI, that is free from any bloatware, unlike the iQOO Z9.
