Bridging the gap between affordability and flagship performance, the premium mid-range segment is a hotly contested space, with the likes of the Nothing Phone 2, the OnePlus 12R, and the Oppo Reno 11 Pro. After the success of the iQOO 12, iQOO’s Neo 9 Pro is the newest kid on the sub-INR 40,000 block and should be high on your list if gaming and performance matter above all else.
It's not going to turn heads, at least not in the black satin-like finish variant that I had in for review; that’s reserved for the red-and-white vegan leather colourway, which may just be too loud for some tastes, though I quite like the look, not to mention the slim 7.99 mm profile.
Around the front is a 6.78-inch, 144 Hz, 1.5K resolution (2400x1260 pixel) AMOLED screen, a big upgrade from the regular full HD+ displays one sees in this segment, and the flat screen has great touch response for gaming as well. It’s not the brightest screen around, but it manages some degree of sunlight legibility outdoors. The IP54 rating is par for the course.
Speaking of, it’s what’s inside that makes the Neo 9 Pro such a formidable gaming machine—the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that powered most of the early 2023 flagships, along with a dedicated Q1 performance chip that kicks in for better graphics performance. Coupled with 12 GB of fast LPDDR5X memory and 256 GB of UFS4.0 storage on the INR 38,999 model I tested, the phone flew through everyday tasks and heavy games alike.
Whether it’s Fortnite or Genshin Impact on high settings, or Asphalt and COD Mobile, the phone takes it on like a champ without any sign of throttling even after an hour of gameplay. Running on Funtouch OS on Android 14, there’s a bunch of bloatware (preinstalled apps and notification spam) that you have to contend with, at least in the beginning.
Equipped with a 5,160 mAh battery, the Neo 9 Pro goes past the seven-hour screen time mark, which is impressive, but not as impressive as the 120 W charging with the bundled charger, which takes the phone from empty to full in under 30 minutes.
You may recall that iQOO turned a corner with the iQOO 12’s camera performance, and the Neo 9 Pro doesn’t fare badly either. The primary 50 MP camera with OIS captures a great deal of detail, albeit with a distinct tint, and portrait shots exhibit a rich bokeh effect. Overall, stick to the primary camera, and you won’t be disappointed, even in night mode. The 8 MP ultrawide is average at best, as is the 16 MP selfie shooter.
So, should you buy the Neo 9 Pro? It checks most boxes and one-ups the OnePlus 12R in a few departments as well, but one wishes the brand took the bloatware situation a bit more seriously.
Rating: 8/10
Price: INR 36,999 (8/256GB) onwards
