iQOO Neo 10 256GB

Unlike most rivals in the segment, iQOO takes a safe and modest approach with its camera setup. The iQOO Neo 10 features dedicated wide and ultra-wide cameras, but skips a telephoto lens, a norm in smartphones priced above Rs 25,000. To compensate, iQOO labels its 50MP main sensor as a "portrait camera." It's paired with an 8MP "wide" lens. On the front, there's a 32MP selfie camera capable of recording videos at 4K 60fps.The camera performance is consistent with iQOO's typical output - a blend of its in-house 'NICE' image algorithm and Vivo's colour science. Photos generally feature natural tones with minimal noise across various lighting conditions, and both wide and ultra-wide shots produce fairly consistent results.However, detail retention can be a mixed bag. The software sometimes softens parts of the image to suppress noise, which can result in a slight loss of sharpness. Portrait shots, while visually appealing, can occasionally fall short of accurate skin tones.Overall, the proprietary colour tuning does a good job of delivering social media-ready photos. I also appreciate the 4K 60fps video recording on both the front and rear cameras, though stabilisation could use some improvement.I also compared Neo 10's camera performance against the Vivo V50 and Realme GT 7. Here's a detailed analysis:DaylightIn daylight, iQOO's image appears close to natural, though it boosts the greens for a more dramatic effect. The Realme GT 7 produces a similar photo, but the green areas are less pronounced. Both smartphones capture comparable background details.The Vivo V50's image is visibly brighter and equally picturesque, with detail levels on par. However, iQOO's shot may appear more aesthetically pleasing due to its colour tuning.Ultra-wideThe iQOO Neo 10 does a good job of maintaining colour consistency with its primary camera, though the level of detail is average. Realme's ultra-wide image shows slightly different colour science but preserves more fine details.Vivo's ultra-wide shot stands out with the best overall detail and colour balance. However, like the other two, it struggles with corner distortion.PortraitAs noted earlier, iQOO tends to boost skin tones, which is clearly visible in its portrait output. Realme takes a more natural approach, and it also does a better job of retaining facial details.Once again, Vivo delivers the most balanced output in terms of colour accuracy, edge detection, and facial detail. Its adjustable aperture adds depth to the background blur, making the bokeh richer than the competition.SelfieiQOO's selfie appears brighter, while Realme sticks to a more natural tone.Vivo offers a more thoughtful default focal length, capturing a wider background without compromising the subject's placement. It also provides better colours and finer details.Low light (Night Mode)In a low-light indoor shot, iQOO handles brightness decently, but again over-emphasises green spots. Realme's image is the closest to reality and shows minimal shakiness.Vivo's photo is comparable to Realme's in clarity but introduces a yellowish tint across the frame, which might not appeal to everyone.

As mentioned, performance remains a core focus across iQOO devices, and the Neo 10 is no exception. It is the first smartphone in India to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC, the successor to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 that powers the Neo 10R. The Neo 10 is available in multiple storage configurations, with the top-end variant offering 16GB LPDDR5x Ultra RAM and 512GB UFS 4.1 storage (Rs 40,999), a first in this price segment. However, due to system files and pre-installed apps, users have about 470GB of usable storage, which is still ample for storing thousands of photos, notes, apps, and other media.When it comes to raw power, the iQOO Neo 10 is easily among the most powerful smartphones under Rs 40,000. It topped our AnTuTu and Geekbench (single and multi-core) tests, and gaming performance was consistently smooth. In our 90-minute gaming test, which included titles such as BGMI, Call of Duty Mobile, and Real Racing 3, the Neo 10 ranked among the top three performers. Based on lab results, Realme GT 7T and Vivo V50 (review) narrowly outperformed it in BGMI average FPS under HDR graphics and Ultra FPS settings (39.1 and 39.2, respectively). The Neo 10 clocked an average of 37.3 FPS after 30 minutes of continuous playtime.For everyday tasks, the iQOO Neo 10 handled animations, app switching, and multitasking effortlessly. However, the Funtouch OS might seem a little tricky for those unfamiliar with this Android skin. iQOO deserves credit for reducing third-party pre-installed apps to just four. However, its Android skin is far from the cleanest; instead, we get over 50 pre-installed system tools.Users can also access certain AI features, primarily related to the camera.

iQOO is going big on batteries this year - quite literally!The latest iQOO Neo 10 includes a massive 7,000mAh battery, made more compact using silicon carbide technology, which helps reduce size without compromising capacity. What's equally impressive is that despite the large battery, iQOO continues to offer 120W fast charging support with the charger included in the box.With all settings maxed out, the iQOO Neo 10 easily lasted a day during my review. With moderate use, which included a few hours of social media and reading, about an hour of calls, and some light camera activity, I was able to stretch the battery life to around 1.5 days.Charging is the most impressive part. With the bundled charger, the phone went from 20 to 100 percent in under 30 minutes.