IQOO 3: Impressive but don’t expect to be blown away

Vendors in the 30-40k segment have a new rival in Vivo’s newly-created sub brand IQOO. Their first phone, the IQOO 3, is based on the same principle as OnePlus phones, with premium designs, multiple cameras etc. In the case of IQOO 3 the feature that sets it apart is 5G support. However, 5G support doesn’t exist from telcos in India yet.

The other highlight that you can actually take advantage of is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset inside. Benchmarking tool Antutu puts it ahead of the OnePlus 7T and Asus ROG Phone II in CPU and graphics performance. Overall performance is becoming of a premium smartphone — apps, including camera, open instantly and graphic intensive games load fast and run smoothly. The 6.44-inch Super AMOLED screen looks vivid with good outdoor visibility. However, it has lower refresh rate (60Hz) compared to OnePlus 7T’s 90Hz screen. This is a bit of let down for gaming enthusiasts.