The iQOO 9T is the new champion smartphone under 50K

When Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, which offers Qualcomm’s most powerful performance without any thermal problems, it seemed that companies that generally focus on raw performance, such as iQOO and OnePlus, would take a bite. iQoo is launching the iQOO 9T in India, whereas OnePlus has the OnePlus 10T. This phone combines the greatest features of the iQOO 9-series with the polish and performance of the new 8+ Gen 1. But should you buy it, and is it the greatest phone under Rs 50,000 right now? Find out in this review.

Specifications

Table

Design

A decent phone refresh does not destroy or modify the excellent parts of the original, and the designers at iQOO fully grasped the task while developing the 9T. While the more subdued Alpha black colour is very attractive, the Legend White we have here, like the iQOO 9 Pro, is a show stopper. This design is both distinctive and striking, with the trademark BMW stripes and a huge camera island similar to the OnePlus 8T CyberPunk Edition.

It doesn’t stop there; unlike the similarly-specced OnePlus 10T, the iQOO 9T also has a metal frame and a glass sandwich design. I appreciate it when a low-cost phone does not skimp on key features, and the iQOO 9T does not fail in this regard.

Display

The iQOO 9T has a fantastic display. If you’re a gamer or a lover of bigger displays in general, the 9T has you covered not just with plenty of real estate between the bezels, but also with vibrant colours and a decent contrast ratio. Unfortunately, this 120Hz display isn’t an LTPO 2.0 panel like the iQOO 9 Pro, which would allow the phone to switch between 1Hz and 120Hz. However, you still have a panel that can lock at 60Hz or 120Hz, as well as a smart switch mode that dynamically flips between those two numbers.

Performance

The iQOO 9T is one of a small number of Android phones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. In fact, with the exception of the new ROG Phone series, the gadget is just the country’s second phone to be powered by the chipset. For those unfamiliar, the updated SoC is a slightly overclocked version of the original 8 Gen 1 CPU, with the platform’s super Cortex X2 core clocked at 3.2GHz rather than 3GHz.

Surprisingly, the iQOO 9T is essentially designed to outperform the majority of phones on the market right now. You already know the specifications, but even in everyday use, the phone breezes through chores and can run almost every programme or game available for Android devices without a hitch. I tried heavy titles such as BGMI (pre-ban), Genshin Impact, and GRID Autosport on the iQOO 9T and all games operate well at maximum graphics settings.

Cameras

The cameras of the iQOO 9T are rather nice. It manages to punch beyond its weight for a phone that focuses on performance and games. A telephoto lens is far more useful than a 2MP macro/depth sensor in this situation. The primary camera captures sharp photographs in daylight with accurate colour reproduction and images that do not appear over-processed. The performance at night and in low or indoor illumination isn’t great, but it’s also not horrible. I was still able to get shots with good quality and minimal noise.

The ultrawide camera matches the image quality of the primary sensor remarkably well. Photos taken with both cameras do not appear to be much different. However, in low light, the ultrawide camera will struggle to match the quality of the primary sensor. The front camera’s performance was rather acceptable, with adequate details and somewhat realistic skin tones.

The iQOO 9T can also capture films at 4K 60fps on the rear (1080p 60fps with Ultra stabilisation enabled) and 1080p 30fps on the front. If you wish to record with the ultrawide camera as well, you’ll have to settle for 1080p 30fps footage, and you won’t be able to switch to the ultrawide camera mid-movie if you start filming at 1080p 60fps or 4K 30/60fps. A dual-view option is also available, allowing you to record from both the front and back cameras at the same time.

Battery Life and Charging

With moderate to heavy use, the iQOO 9T’s 4,700mAh battery may easily last an entire day. If you plan on playing a lot of games on this phone, don’t expect it to last more than a day, especially if you play at maximum graphics or with the speakers blaring noise. However, the 120W fast charging compensates, and you can charge the phone rapidly. I fully drained the phone’s battery, and a short 10-minute charge put it back up to 40% battery life, which isn’t awful at all. It’s worth noting that there’s no wireless charging here.

Verdict

With no compromises in design and build quality, powerful internals, and excellent cameras, it’s difficult to believe the iQOO 9T is a value-flagship rather than a full-fledged flagship. While the phone’s performance is on line with comparable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 smartphones, the 9T has an advantage over phones like the OnePlus 10T owing to a well-rounded camera arrangement and a stronger, more premium metal frame construction, not to mention its stunning appearance. For gamers and heavy users, this is perhaps the finest phone around Rs 50,000 right now.

Warranty Plan