iQOO and POCO are emerging as formidable players in India’s most competitive sub-Rs 25,000 segment. Earlier in February, POCO introduced the performance-focused POCO X6 (review) powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC. Now, iQOO has introduced its direct rival, the iQOO Z9, powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7200 SoC. How do the two devices fare against each other? Here’s a performance comparison of iQOO Z9 and POCO X6.
Table of Contents
Specifications
| Smartphone | iQOO Z9 | POCO X6 |
| SoC | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 |
| GPU | Mali-G610 MC4 | Adreno 710 |
| Memory | Up to 8GB RAM | Up to 12GB RAM |
Geekbench
Before we start the comparison, do note that we’re using the top variant of the iQOO Z9 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (Rs 21,999). The POCO X6 we’re testing includes 512GB storage and 12GB RAM, priced at Rs 22,999.
In the Geekbench single-core test, the iQOO Z9 performed slightly better than the POCO X6, while the latter achieved a higher score in the multi-core test. The results indicate that the iQOO Z9 is likley to handle tasks such as basic web browsing and launching apps relatively better, whereas the POCO X6 should exhibit better performance while gaming or video editing… at least on paper.
AnTuTu
Notably, AnTuTu, which also evaluates graphics and memory performance, highlights iQOO Z9’s superiority. The iQOO smartphone achieved a score of over seven lakhs, which is very good considering the price.
The iQOO Z9 also consumed less battery than the POCO X6 during the AnTuTu test. Both smartphones’ internal temperature increased by roughly five degrees.
CPU Throttle
Similarly, the iQOO Z9 with Dimensity 7200 SoC shows high stability over POCO X6 in its peak performance.
We adjusted the CPU Throttle test by increasing threads to 50 and duration to 30 minutes.
Gaming
So far, benchmarks indicate the iQOO Z9 is ahead of POCO X6 in performance. Does this apply to real life as well? To test the two phones’ gaming capabilities, we played BGMI for 30 minutes.
Both phones support HDR graphics at 60fps, and the gaming experience was more or less similar. However, I did notice occasional mistouches on the POCO X6, although this could be attributed to my sweaty thumbs. After 30 minutes of gameplay, the IQOO Z9 demonstrated better thermal management and battery optimisation. It consumed approximately six percent of the battery, with the temperature rising by seven percent. In contrast, the POCO X6 experienced a drop in battery level by eight percent, with the temperature increasing by 10 percent.
Verdict
Based on our benchmarks and gaming test, the iQOO Z9 with the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC was more powerful than the Snapdragon 7s gen 2 SoC-powered POCO X6. In some areas, the two smartphones exhibited similar performance, however the new iQOO phone was more power efficient.
If you’re planning to buy either of the two smartphones, you may also want to keep things in mind:
- The POCO X6 introduces the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection in the segment. Its AMOLED display also offers 1.5K resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate.
- The iQOO Z9’s display offers full-HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It is protected by Dragontrail Star 2 Plus glass.
- The POCO X6 also provides the option for 512GB of storage, available for an additional Rs 1,000 compared to the top variant of the iQOO Z9. Additionally, both phones feature primary cameras equipped with OIS.
