vivo iQOO 3 5G review

Competition

At a base price of INR39,000 for a 4G-only 8G/128GB version in India or CNY3600 for a 5G-capable 6GB/128GB option in China (both almost precisely equal to €465, for a general idea), the iQOO 3 is priced quite sensibly it seems. However, it's not easy to pinpoint its exact competitors.

It's clearly not an all-out 'gaming' phone quite in the same way that the ROG Phone II is, or the nubia Red Magic 5G, or the Black Shark 3. But let's entertain the assumption it is and see how they compare.

The ROG Phone II matches or outdoes the iQOO's battery life, has a bigger display that is also high refresh rate (120Hz), and some of the greatest stereo speakers you can get on a phone. For all the goodness that brings, it's using last year's hardware and is still more expensive than the vivo we have here. Perhaps the iQOO 3 5G makes a bit more sense in terms of bang for the buck, even if it's missing the vast ROG accessory ecosystem and high-refresh-rate gaming.

The nubia's 144Hz panel wowed the display fanatics at the office, so if you're that type, the iQOO 3 won't do anything for you in this head-to-head. The nubia scores points for its speakers too, but can't get anywhere near the iQOO's battery life, plus it delivers an underwhelming camera performance next to the iQOO not that bad results. The iQOO matches the nubia's performance for the most part, but the nubia does squeeze more out of the Snapdragon 865 with its built-in fan on. Judging by the nearly identical prices in China, the iQOO loses out to the Red Magic 5G if you're all about the ultimate performance and HRR display.

Again, basing our thoughts on the numbers in China, the Black Shark 3 (non-Pro) fits in the iQOO 3 price bracket. We haven't seen the Shark, but it promises a higher refresh rate display (the 90-hertz 'medium' option), higher-res main cam (but no telephoto) and more battery with faster charging (though not on the base model). It's missing that one particular key 'gaming' touch that the iQOO has in the shoulder triggers, so in this particular bout, the vivo emerges victorious in our book. Now, the Black Shark 3 Pro - that's a different beast.

Asus ROG Phone II ZS660KL • ZTE nubia Red Magic 5G • Xiaomi Black Shark 3

In the realm of 'regular' (read 'non-gaming') smartphones, the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom comes to mind as the top alternative to the iQOO 3 5G, though market availability may get in the way. In any case, the Redmi's pop-up selfie cam makes for a notchless display, while the rear camera configuration is overall superior to the iQOO's. The iQOO does have the triggers going for it.

A compelling option from iQOO's sister brand Realme is the X50 Pro - this one we already reviewed as well. It outdoes the iQOO in several small ways that add up - a 90Hz display, dual selfie camera with an extra ultra-wide, higher-res main cam, stereo speakers, a bit faster charging. The iQOO counters with a headphone jack, the extra controls, higher-res ultra-wide on the back, and faster storage. Some weird segmentation going on and you need to pick your priorities.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro Zoom • Realme X50 Pro 5G

Verdict

Why do we have to label things and put them in categories? Why does the vivo iQOO 3 5G have to be a 'gaming' phone? Can't it just be an almost-flagship with some extra shoulder buttons? It can, and it is.

It's got one of the brightest displays altogether, not just for its price. It can also keep it lit for a crazy long time on a single charge, and even after it uses up all the juice, it's a matter of minutes to get it back up and running. The iQOO 3 5G has also got the reigning performance champ of a chipset inside and vivo's managed to design the internals so that it delivers that performance long-term without much throttling.

Perhaps the one area where it doesn't live up to the flagship standard is the camera - it's not bad, but average setups can be found on much cheaper phones. Okay, minus the autofocusing ultra-wide which is the standout module here in our experience.

So in the end, if you want a well-rounded high-performance handset at a reasonable price and you're okay with trading off a bit of camera prowess in return for a cautious gaming bias - the iQOO 3 5G will fit like a glove.

Pros

• High-quality build, shoulder buttons are a boon for gaming.
• Super bright AMOLED display, can be accurate too.
• Top-class battery life, fast charging.
• iQOO UI is a feature-rich custom Android overlay, yet more conventional than vivo's own interpretations.
• Stable performance under sustained load.
• Autofocusing ultra wide angle cam is great overall, doubles as one of the best close-up shooters on the market.

Cons

• A high refresh rate would have made the display properly outstanding.
• Single speaker only, not very good either.
• Unimpressive main camera output overall, generally mediocre low-light photos.
• No dust and water resistance.
• Video stabilization only available in 1080p/30fps.