Review Summary
Expert Rating
The iQOO Z9 Lite is the company’s third Z-series smartphone in India, positioned below the Z9x which earned a reputation as an ‘affordable powerhouse’ in our review. Can the more budget-friendly iQOO Z9 Lite live up to a similar reputation? Let’s find out in this review.
The iQOO Z9 Lite is priced in India at Rs 10,999 for the 4GB RAM variant, while its 6GB RAM option is available at Rs 11,499. This review is based on the 6GB RAM variant.
Table of Contents
Verdict
The iQOO Z9 Lite is a solid choice for budget-conscious buyers on Amazon. Its IP64-rated durability, decent performance, bright display, and good battery life are notable strengths. However, the smartphone’s cameras and charging capabilities may leave you unsatisfied.
Design and display
The iQOO Z9 Lite is fashioned out of plastic, but its Aqua Green colour variant looks plush with its gradient back that also features brush strokes, visible when the light hits the surface. The handset also comes in the Mocha Brown colour variant. Both have these shiny elongated camera module, which houses a couple of sensors, while the rest of the body has a matte finish to wave off the fingerprints and smudges. The iQOO branding is etched on the bottom half of the phone’s back panel.
| iQOO Z9 Lite | Realme Narzo N65 | Redmi 13 | |
| Thickness | 8.4mm | 7.89mm | 8.3mm |
| Weight | 185 grams | 190 grams | 205 grams |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP54 | IP53 |
Moving on, the iQOO Z9 Lite boasts an IP64 water and dust resistance certification, making it more durable than most of its competitors. Weighing 185 grams and featuring flat edges, the handset is comfortable to hold for extended periods. In terms of I/O, the phone includes a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The fingerprint scanner is conveniently mounted on the right spine atop the power button and works seamlessly, unlocking the device quickly.
The iQOO Z9 Lite features a 6.72-inch LCD panel with a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera, HD+ resolution, and a 90Hz refresh rate. The display offers a peak brightness of 840 nits, which may not be ideal for direct sunlight but performs well indoors. While the contrast ratio and viewing angles are average, the colours are vibrant and bright. The handset would have benefited from slimmer bezels, which are chunky – similar to other smartphones within the segment. Moreover, unlike its elder sibling iQOO Z9x, the Z9 Lite boasts a single speaker that is moderately loud but not crisp.
| iQOO Z9 Lite | Realme Narzo N65 | Redmi 13 | |
| Display size | 6.56-inch LCD | 6.77-inch LCD | 6.67-inch LCD |
| Peak brightness | 840 nits | 625 nits | 550 nits |
Cameras
In the optics department, the iQOO Z9 Lite features the same camera setup as the iQOO Z9x. The smartphone boasts a 50MP Sony primary sensor paired with a 2MP bokeh lens. For selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP front camera. The handset performs well in well-lit environments, with no noticeable focus or shutter lag issues. While the images are decent for the price, they do exhibit slightly muddy colours and lack fine details. Read on to discover how the smartphone’s cameras compare to its competitors, the Realme Narzo N65 and Redmi 13.
Daylight
The iQOO Z9 Lite’s image quality in daylight is underwhelming compared to the Realme Narzo N65 and Redmi 13. While the iQOO produces images with vibrant colours that may be visually appealing, it fails to capture finer details. In this regard, both the Realme and Redmi smartphones perform better, with the Narzo N65 offering a superior dynamic range.
Selfie
The iQOO Z9 Lite captures pleasing selfies from its front camera; however, it smooths out the facial details and the skin tones are also not quite accurate. The Redmi 13 offers selfies with near-accurate skin tones; but if detailing is what you are after, the Realme Narzo N65 might be a better fit.
Low light (night mode)
In low light, the Redmi 13 convincingly outperforms the iQOO Z9 Lite with superior detailing and colour accuracy, despite some colour bleeding issues. Even with its night mode, the iQOO smartphone struggles to reduce graininess and enhance image details.
Performance and software
In terms of performance, the iQOO Z9 Lite is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, a chipset commonly found in other budget devices. It delivers competent, though not outstanding, performance for daily use and benchmark tests. The handset scores 4,01,756 on AnTuTu, 734 in the single-core and 1,968 in the multi-core tests on Geekbench, placing it in line with most competitors. Its sibling, the iQOO Z9x continues to be the highest benchmarked phone with 5,52,168 on AnTuTu and 2,735 on multi-core Geekbench tests among the devices under Rs 15,000 we’ve tested so far.
Being a budget device, the iQOO Z9 Lite has limited gaming capabilities. While the handset is capable of running graphically demanding titles such as BGMI, Real Racing 3, and Call of Duty, it supports medium to low graphics settings. The experience isn’t enjoyable, but it offers decent thermal management. After 90 minutes of gaming, the phone’s temperature increased by roughly 10.7 degrees in total. Furthermore, the phone handled basic usage like a breeze without stuttering or lags. The phone comes with 128GB storage onboard, which is user-expandable using a microSD card that can be used in place of a secondary SIM.
Software-wise, the iQOO Z9 Lite boots FunTouch OS layered atop Android 14 out of the box. The experience is smooth and the UI is well-optimised with no awkward app crash or freeze issues. However, the app drawer looks a bit bloated with a total of 52 apps pre-installed, including seven third-party ones. These third-party apps include popular ones like PhonePe, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, Netflix, and Snapchat. Furthermore, they are removable if not required.
| Pre-installed apps | OS updates | |
| iQOO Z9 Lite | 52 | 2 years major + 3 years security |
| Realme Narzo N65 | 53 | 2 years major + 3 years security |
| Redmi 13 | 60 | 2 years major + 4 years security |
The smartphone also offers several features such as small windows, a smart sidebar, and a split screen to improve productivity, along with an ultra game mode to boost gaming performance and a slew of customisation options. As for Z9 Lite’s software updates, it is gauranteed to receive 2 years of major OS and 3 years of security updates, which is standard at this price point.
Battery and charging
A standard 5,000mAh battery powers the iQOO Z9 Lite, allowing it to rank among the top smartphones in its segment for battery life. The handset achieves an impressive score of 16 hours and 36 minutes on the PCMark battery test. On our YouTube video streaming, BGMI, Call of Duty, and Real Racing tests, the handset battery dropped by 17 percent on aggregate. This suggests that the iQOO Z9 Lite offers strong battery optimisation, comfortably lasting at least a day between charges even with moderately heavy usage.
However, when it comes to charging, the handset may disappoint. The handset supports 15W charging, which is relatively slow. It took about 1 hour and 46 minutes to recharge from 20 to 100 percent in our lab test.
| Phone | Charging time (20-100 percent) |
| iQOO Z9 | 106 minutes |
| Realme Narzo N65 | 149 minutes |
| Redmi 13 | 86 minutes |
Final verdict
This brings us to the end of the iQOO Z9 Lite review and the question — should you buy it? The handset performs pretty much the same as other smartphones within the segment. There isn’t much that stands out for the device, except for its IP rating. If you need a phone that can handle rain and occasional water splashes, the iQOO Z9 Lite offers solid protection at a competitive price.
For others, going with the iQOO smartphone depends on your preference. Camera enthusiasts might find better alternatives in the Realme Narzo N65 (review) and Redmi 13 (review). The Redmi 13, priced slightly higher at Rs 13,999, provides faster charging, and as observed in our comparison, better camera performance than the Z9 Lite’s more advanced sibling, the iQOO Z9x (review), as well.
The iQOO Z9 Lite excels in providing dependable performance and strong battery life, making it a solid choice under Rs 12,000 for everyday tasks.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Reasons to buy
- IP64 water and dust resistance certification adds durability.
- Handles basic tasks and moderate gaming well without significant heating.
- The battery is well-optimised for daily use.
Reasons to not buy
- The camera performance is average compared to competitors.
- 15W charging takes roughly two hours to fully charge the device.
Tested by – Aaditya Pandey
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Rs. 10,499.00
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Go To Store
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