Review Summary
Expert Rating
The iQOO Z11 is the latest phone to join the brand’s Z series, as iQOO expands its mid-range lineup with a new model. The smartphone brings a curved display with curved edges, a striking horizontal camera bar, the new MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo chipset, and more.
iQOO has launched the Z11 at a starting price of Rs 34,999, which is considerably higher than its predecessor, the iQOO Z10, which debuted at Rs 21,999. Given the ongoing price hikes in the smartphone market, however, the increase isn’t entirely surprising. But what upgrades does the iQOO Z11 bring to the table, and how well does it fit into this increasingly competitive price segment? Let’s find out in our detailed review.
Table of Contents
Verdict
The iQOO Z11 is a well-rounded mid-ranger with a vibrant curved display, dependable performance, long battery life, and capable cameras. While rivals like the Motorola Edge 70 and OnePlus Nord CE6 offer advantages in certain areas, the Z11 remains a solid choice for those seeking a balanced overall package.
Design, display: stylish and durable
The iQOO Z11 stands out with its curved design and edges, which not only give it a premium look but also feel refreshing at a time when most smartphones have adopted flat designs. The Celestial Blue variant has a classy finish, with a subtle glimmer that seems to change as you look at the phone from different angles. The smartphone is also available in an Aurora Green colour option.
Up front, the iQOO Z11 features a large 6.8-inch 3D curved AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, 2,000 nits of HBM brightness, and a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. The display is bright and vibrant, and remains clearly visible even when used outdoors. The curved screen adds to the immersive viewing experience, particularly when watching content, while accidental touches were not an issue during gaming.
Performance: reliable daily driver
The handset will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo, making it the first phone in India to launch with this chipset. It’s a generation ahead of most phones in the same segment using a MediaTek chipset, like the Vivo S2 (MTD 7360 Turbo) and Tecno Camon 50 Ultra (MTD 7400 Ultimate). The handset also packs LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage and a 3800 mm2 vapour chamber for heat dissipation. Speaking of which, the iQOO Z11 registers an average of 4.4 Celcius temperature increase after playing games for 30 minutes.
The smartphone also scores a respectable 10,99,769 on the AnTuTu benchmark, which is on par with other similarly specced phones like the OnePlus Nord CE6 and the Infinix Note 60 Pro. However, there’s the Motorola Edge 70, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, which has scored 14,02,932 on AnTuTu, and it’s also priced lower at Rs 34,999.
When it comes to everyday usage, the iQOO Z11 doesn’t disappoint. The handset handles typical tasks such as browsing social media, streaming TV shows and movies, and gaming with ease, making it a reliable companion for day-to-day use.
We also tested the phone with popular titles including COD Mobile, BGMI, and Honor of Kings. In COD Mobile, the iQOO Z11 averaged 37.5fps, which is lower than the 57–59fps typically seen on comparable devices. This is mainly because the game supports only up to the High graphics setting on the phone. In BGMI, the device maintained a consistent 39.6fps, with smooth and stable gameplay. Honor of Kings was equally pleasant to play, with no noticeable lag or stuttering during our testing.
Overall, the iQOO Z11 delivers dependable performance and is more than capable of handling everyday tasks and popular games with ease.
Cameras: consistent results
The iQOO Z11 features a dual-camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. For selfies and video calls, there is a 32MP front-facing camera. This combination is fairly standard for smartphones in this price segment. While the lack of a telephoto lens may be a limitation for some users, phones offering one typically require a higher budget.
For casual photography, however, the iQOO Z11’s camera setup should be more than adequate. The primary camera captures good levels of detail and delivers pleasing colours, making it well suited for everyday shots and social media.
To see how the iQOO Z11 fares against the competition, we tested its cameras against the OnePlus Nord CE6 across a range of shooting scenarios.
Daylight
In daylight photography, the iQOO Z11 has an edge over the OnePlus Nord CE6 when it comes to detail, with images appearing noticeably sharper. The Z11 also delivers more accurate colours and better realism, particularly when capturing the building and sky, although it tends to add a touch of contrast. However, the Nord CE6 does a better job with dynamic range and exposure.
Portrait
Neither phone has a dedicated telephoto lens, so both rely on their primary cameras for portrait shots. The iQOO Z11 does a better job with skin tones and colours, capturing the outfit and skin tones more accurately. The handset also delivers better detail and clarity, although there is a slight amount of skin smoothing. Thankfully, it isn’t excessive or distracting. In terms of edge detection and bokeh, both phones are fairly matched, though neither delivers particularly impressive results.
Selfies
Selfies tell a slightly different story, even though both phones feature a 32MP front camera. This time, the OnePlus Nord CE6 does a better job with skin tones and colour accuracy, while the iQOO Z11 edges ahead in terms of detail and clarity. A similar trend is seen in dynamic range and exposure, with the Z11 retaining more detail in the background than the Nord CE6.
Low-light
In low-light shots, the iQOO Z11 offers better control over light flares and exposure. The handset also produces less noise and does a better job of retaining details despite the challenging lighting conditions. In terms of colour accuracy and realism, the Z11 again has an edge, while the OnePlus Nord CE6 tends to add a bit too much contrast.
Night mode
With Night mode enabled, the OnePlus Nord CE6 manages to improve its handling of light flares and exposure. The OnePlus smartphone even reduces noise and improves detail, but the iQOO Z11 still maintains an edge in these areas. The Nord CE6 also delivers slightly better colour accuracy with Night mode enabled, although the Z11 continues to produce more natural and realistic colours overall.
Overall, the iQOO Z11 offers the more consistent camera experience, particularly with detail, clarity, low-light performance, and colour reproduction. The Nord CE6 has its strengths in dynamic range, exposure, and selfies, but the Z11 comes out ahead for photography.
Battery life: dependable for everyday use
The iQOO Z11 packs a sizeable 7,050mAh battery, which is more than enough for both casual and power users. The phone can comfortably last a full day and more with a mix of gaming, social media, calls, and other everyday tasks. Standby performance is equally impressive, with minimal battery drain. On the PCMark battery test, the iQOO Z11 lasted an impressive 16 hours and 12 minutes, outperforming several phones with similarly sized batteries. This indicates that the phone is well optimised to deliver strong endurance even under varied workloads.
Gaming does consume slightly more power than on some competing devices. The battery dropped by 7 percent after 30 minutes of COD Mobile and 6 percent after the same duration of BGMI. While this is marginally higher than the roughly 5 percent drop typically seen in this segment, the difference is unlikely to have a significant impact on real-world usage.
The iQOO Z11 also supports bypass charging, allowing users to game while plugged in without relying heavily on the battery and helping keep heat under control. As for charging speeds, the phone takes a little over an hour to charge from 20 to 100 percent, which is fairly quick considering its large battery capacity.
Software: Smooth with useful AI features
The iQOO Z11 runs OriginOS 6, based on Android 16, out of the box. It is promised three years of Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates, which is fairly standard for the segment. OriginOS 6 offers a smooth experience with plenty of features and customisation options to explore, including wallpapers, Origin Island, fingerprint animations, and more. iQOO has also introduced several AI-powered tools, such as AI Creation for summarising and reworking text for different purposes, AI Transcript Assist for tasks such as interviews, and AI Captions.
The phone also features Shake and Share, which enables quick transfers of photos and 4K videos between compatible devices. In terms of bloatware, the iQOO Z11 comes with 51 pre-installed apps. While this is a fairly moderate number for a heavily customised Android interface, most of these apps can be uninstalled if you prefer a cleaner software experience.
OriginOS 6 officially made its debut in India only last year, so there is still some room for refinement. That said, the overall experience on the iQOO Z11 remains smooth, responsive, and interactive.
Final Verdict
The iQOO Z11 is a well-rounded mid-range smartphone that gets most things right. Its tall, vibrant curved-edge display makes for an immersive viewing experience, while the dependable chipset and long-lasting battery easily handle everyday usage. The camera setup also delivers consistent results, making it suitable for social media and casual photography.
There are strong alternatives, such as the Motorola Edge 70, which offers a faster chipset and a better ultra-wide camera, and the OnePlus Nord CE6, offering a larger battery. However, the iQOO Z11 remains a compelling option if you’re looking for a balanced mid-range smartphone.
Editor’s rating: 8.2/10
Reasons to buy
- The smartphone’s tall and vibrant display with a curved design makes it a good choice for multimedia.
- The Z11’s 7,050mAh battery can last more than a day depending on your usage.
- The dual-camera setup with a 32MP front camera is reliable in delivering consistent results across different lighting scenarios.
- The Z11 can handle regular to moderate tasks, as well as popular titles like BGMI and COD Mobile.
Reasons to skip
- The Z11 comes in four memory variants, and the prices go really high, even touching the Rs 50,000 mark.
- The phone’s rear panel easily catches fingerprint smudges.
