iQOO Z9 Lite 6GB RAM

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.DaylightThe 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.SelfieThe 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.

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 appsOS updatesiQOO Z9 Lite522 years major + 3 years securityRealme Narzo N65532 years major + 3 years securityRedmi 13602 years major + 4 years security

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.PhoneCharging time (20-100 percent)iQOO Z9106 minutesRealme Narzo N65149 minutesRedmi 1386 minutes