India now has access to iQOO 9T after it was introduced a few weeks ago. AndroidHeadlines had the chance to evaluate the fantastic iQOO 9 Pro earlier in 2022. What differences do the more recent smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chip see between it and the previous iQOO flagships?
With a starting price of $625, the iQOO 9T is priced considerably less than the iQOO 9 Pro at launch. Let’s take the iQOO 9T out of the box and examine all the modifications that iQOO did in order to reduce the MSRP by over $275 when compared to the iQOO 9 Pro.
THE UNBOXING EXPERIENCE FOR THE IQ00 9T IS THE SAME AS FOR EARLIER VERSIONS.
Therefore, the box’s appearance and the way its contents are wrapped remain unchanged. Opening the package reveals the paperwork inside and a postcard of a BMW race vehicle. The iQOO 9T device is placed next, and behind it are the SIM tool, 120W fast-charging brick, and bulky USB-C charging cable. This is the first indication of cost-cutting.
Advertisement The phone does have a film screen protector that was applied at the factory, which is good in my opinion. Therefore, everything else still compares favorably to the iQOO 9 Pro, with the exception of the clear TPU case.
A LOWER BASE PRICE IS OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF INTERESTING HARDWARE DESIGN CHOICES.
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The iQOO 9T first resembles the iQOO Legend 7 or iQOO 9 Pro quite a bit. However, Vivo/iQOO has made a number of adjustments with the 9T. The display’s flatness (cost-cutting measure number 2) and lack of curvature at the long edges are the first discernible changes. The texture on the back surface is also not as good as it was in earlier iterations.
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Yes, the back is still composed of glass, and it has a matte texture that discourages fingerprints and smudges. But I really liked the carbon fiber texture of the earlier gadgets. You should anticipate being a little let down if you are upgrading from the Legend 7. Another minor complaint: I like the minimalist style of the back covers of the previous flagships. I personally don’t find this mixture of the BMW stripe back cover concept with the black camera island to be very appealing. Additionally, the camera island glass readily attracts dust and fingerprints.
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Advertisement This gadget really feels like a large smartphone for one-handed use because it lacks a curved screen and has less obvious curves on the back cover. Additionally, it weighs a little bit more than the iQOO 9 Pro. Additionally, there is no official IP rating; if you’re keeping score, this is cost-cutting measure number three.
THE MAJORITY OF DESIGN IS ITERATIVE, AND THAT’S A GOOD THING Let’s focus on the positive aspects that remain, like as the textured blue power button, the Gorilla Glass 5 display protection, and the superb fit and finish. Oh, and happily, the iQOO 9T still has a fantastic haptic motor inside. Although the optical fingerprint scanner underneath the display is quick and reliable, I don’t like where it is physically located. If it had been positioned a little higher, it would have been nice.
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1 Regarding the arrangement of the speaker grille, USB-C charging connector, power and volume controls, and the dual-SIM tray slot, the rest of the gadget appears to be pretty familiar. There is still an IR blaster on the top rail for individuals who want to use their smartphone as a remote control for viewing TV.
HUGE advertisement QUITE GOOD 6.78 120HZ FLAT AMOLED DISPLAY
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The 6.78-inch flat AMOLED display of the iQOO 9T is available. When compared to the iQOO 9 Pro, there are a few significant modifications here. The screen’s pixel density decreases from 518 to 388 ppi, and while it has a 120Hz AMOLED display, it is not LTPO2 like the previous model. These are the first three differences.
The display’s bezels are minimal, with the exception of a slightly prominent bottom chin. I personally would have preferred iQOO to use the Oppo Reno 8 Pro’s display for this product.
Advertisement Despite having a lower-quality display than the 9 Pro, I want the readers to know that it still has a fantastic contrast ratio and is fairly colorful and vivid. However, I also believe that here is where the most of the cost savings are found.
Overall, the flat display (better for streaming and gaming), HDR10 and 10-bit color compatibility, and advertised peak brightness of 1500 nits will satisfy the majority of consumers.
The performance of the IQOO 9T is undoubtedly flagship-grade.
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Advertisement The iQOO 9T’s performance is great thanks to its cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen1 processor. The most recent Qualcomm model combined with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM yields excellent Geekbench 5 single-core and multi-core results.
For some reason, though, the single-core score (1281) is lower than that of the Realme GT2 Explorer Master, which uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and scored 1331. However, the iQOO 9T’s multi-core score of 4102 is on par with the Realme device’s multi-core score of 3915. On the other hand, the raw benchmark results are unquestionably better than the iQOO 9 Pro, which was released at the beginning of 2022.
Genshin Impact can be used without any problems on a daily basis when set to the default settings. Even if you increase the settings to 60 frames per second, there are no hiccups. Additionally, there is a specific game mode where you may switch to Monster mode if you want to go all out. Despite having superb thermal management, the phone does start to become a little too warm after around 30 minutes of hard gaming. You should be able to play for close to an hour without the phone overheating if you leave it in Balanced mode with a regular frame rate.
Advertisement Software experience with IQOO 9T is quick and fluid.
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Our review unit came with the most recent August 2022 security update and FunTouch OS12, which is based on Android 12. Regarding the general software experience, not many modifications appear to have been made.
A slide to the left displays the Google Discover feed, and the home screen resembles the vanilla Android interface very closely. The rest of the software functionality is very similar to that of my Pixel 5. The fast and full settings menus, which have a different look and feel but are still loaded with customization possibilities, are where the primary differences can be found.
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3 Particularly, the Display and brightness, Dynamic effects, Ultra Game Mode, and Shortcuts and accessibility settings options have a lot of handy functions. In the Sound settings menu, where we shall talk more about the audio options, I also enjoy the audio options.
Old issues like the Hot Apps and Hot Games folders, a sizable amount of bloatware, some of which you won’t be able to remove, and the absurdly high number of times you have to accept the terms before using an app still exist. With the exception of these minor complaints, the majority of which you may experience during setup, the phone performs daily chores without any problems.
Long-term software support is nevertheless a subject of lingering uncertainty. In contrast to Oppo, Realme, and Vivo handsets, iQOO devices have not received as many upgrades. This exact sentiment is shared by many other reviews, therefore I am not alone in this regard. Therefore, I believe that those who are thinking about purchasing this gadget should bear it in mind and compare similar devices from Oppo or OnePlus.
The software has excellent customization options, and the audio quality is adequate.
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Most of the time, the iQOO 9T’s dual speaker arrangement sounds fairly well. If you accidentally cover the bottom speaker grille, you can still hear what is going on thanks to the upper speaker’s adequate output. Given the device’s pricing, the audio output is generally loud and clear.
As usual, wireless earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2. I utilized a pair of Vivo in-ear USB-C earbuds for my review as well. I thought the sound quality coming from the USB-C connector wasn’t the best at first. Be aware that the iQOO 9T’s retail packaging does not contain a dongle.
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8 But after a little while in the Sound settings, I was able to create a unique listening sound profile. The wired earphones’ sound quality significantly improved when this profile was put up. To enhance your overall iQOO 9T audio experience, I highly advise you to go through this extra setup in the first few of days.
DUE TO THE NEWER, MORE EFFICIENT PROCESSOR, IQOO 9T HAS ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE.
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The battery capacity is one area in which iQOO did not cut corners. The iQOO 9T is powered by a 4,700 mAh battery. A 120W rapid charging brick is also included in the package. The quoted charging speeds have been verified on Realme devices that come with the USA charging brick, therefore even though I wasn’t able to test the Euro brick here in the USA, I can attest for them.
Excellent standby battery drain is made possible by the newer, more energy-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. An hour of prolonged gaming or watching YouTube or Netflix drains the battery by around 15%, which equates to 5–6 hours of standby time or a full day of use. You should be virtually fully charged again after around 20 minutes on the charger, which will ease any concern about battery life. The key cost-saving measure in the charging area is that the 9T does not support wireless charging as compared to the iQOO 9 Pro.
For those keeping score, move four’s cost-cutting outcome is the absence of wireless and reverse charging capabilities. Although you still get lightning-fast wired charging, I believe it is fair. Additionally, there is a sizable price reduction compared to the 9 Pro, and the battery life is outstanding overall.
The IQOO 9T cameras perform admirably.
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The iQOO 9T still has three cameras on the rear. Featuring a 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor, the primary camera. A 12MP telephoto camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera are also included. An outdated ultrawide angle and a telephoto lens with reduced capabilities are the results of this area’s cost-cutting decision. Yes, the gimbal OIS has also been removed. The iQOO 9T is fortunate to still have the unique V1 image processing processor.
The photos are generally vivid and sharp (processed using the V1 chip). Noise is typically not too awful in daytime, and contrast, brightness, and white balance are all fairly acceptable. Sharing these images on social media or through messaging services won’t cause you any hesitation.
You can operate the app more precisely in Pro mode. The 50MP main sensor is utilized to its full potential in the portrait mode, which performs admirably. Check out some of the examples on our Flickr Gallery.
In daylight, the main and ultrawide cameras’ video quality is quite good. For an Android smartphone, the audio capturing is quite impressive. The device’s 16MP selfie camera is likely its weakest component. The selfies have little substance and character, but occasionally they generate images you’d like to post on social media.
IQOO 9T RECOMMENDS
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Compared to the iQOO 9 Pro, the adjustments made to the iQOO 9T please me. The iQOO 9T has outstanding performance, long battery life, fluent software, a wonderful display, and cameras with reasonable capabilities. You can expect a flagship-level experience for $625.
Sure, you lose up wireless charging and official IP ratings, as well as a slightly less satisfying design/ergonomics experience. Then there is the argument that there is a limited supply and no assurance of future software updates. The iQOO 9T is a fantastic option, though, provided you live in a region where it is offered.
