iQOO 13 review

Competition

Indonesia, India and Thailand are IQOO's key markets and the iQOO 13 launches at 9,999,000 Indonesian Rupiah (around $630) today. At this price point, it has few competitors. There aren't many Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered devices out there, and even fewer are offered outside of China. Smartphones running Dimensity 9400 are few and far between, too, at least for now. But the iQOO 13 stands out with a competitive price tag.

The Realme GT 7 Pro (IDR 10,800,000 or $680) is a well-matched competitor, but the iQOO 13 edges it out with a more affordable price (not really the case in India, where te iQOO 13 is cheaper), a better camera system and slightly longer battery life. The Realme's screen is brighter and offers roughly the same fast charging experience. It all boils down to whether the camera performance is important to you and which OS you like better - Realme UI or Funtouch OS.

The Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro duo is another Snapdragon 8 Elite solution, but this is more of a gaming-centric offer. Both devices are very powerful but also quite a bit more expensive than the iQOO 13.

Realme GT 7 Pro • Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro • vivo X200 • Oppo Find X8

The OnePlus 13 is only available in China right now, but once it steps outside of the country, it will be a sensible alternative to the iQOO 13 with the potential to offer a better camera experience. The telephoto camera has a longer, 3x zoom.

Two more Dimensity 9400 alternatives, albeit more expensive, are the Oppo Find X8 (IDR 13,999,000 or $880) and the vivo X200 (IDR 11,375,000 or $720). The two have slower charging, and the Find X8's display isn't as bright as the iQOO's, but the extra few dozen bucks will give you a considerably better camera experience. And besides, the Dimensity 9400 SoC seems very competitive against the Snapdragon 8 Elite, so most users won't feel any difference.

Verdict

The iQOO 13 is a very competent all-rounder. It features an extremely powerful chipset, a good display, nice-sounding and loud stereo speakers, and a full set of cameras. All of this is wrapped in a premium and good-looking chassis. We are particularly impressed by the sustained performance. The handset handles high loads for long periods of time, suggesting it will do great in long gaming sessions too.

Fast charging and excellent battery life are also standout features. And although a fairly potent camera system, which performs well during the day, it leaves much to be desired from the 2x zoom and ultrawide cameras at night. This is where the competition delivers.

Pros

• Nice build, upgraded ingress protection to IP68/IP69.
• Exceptional battery life in all scenarios, fast charging.
• Most powerful chip on the market right now, excellent sustained performance.
• Loud and nice-sounding stereo speakers.
• Competent camera setup during the day.
• IR blaster, ultrasonic fingerprint reader, 360-degree NFC.
• 4 major Android upgrades and 5 years of security updates.

Cons

• Unimpressive nighttime performance from the secondary cameras.
• The zoom camera is only 2x.
• No eSIM support.