iQOO Neo 6 5G (Dark Nova, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage) | Only Snapdragon 870 in The Segment | 50% Charge in Just 12 Mins | 90 FPS Gaming Support*

I have been using a budget phone realme 3 since 2019 (dynamic black, 3GB/64GB). It served me well, but it was time for an upgrade. I was looking for a midrange model this time that would have almost everything I wanted within my budget. Did I get one? Let’s dig into it!THE GOOD# Price. After discounts, I got a phone with practically all the features I wanted.# IQOO is basically from Vivo, an internationally recognized brand. Hopefully, I don’t have to worry about software updates for at least 3 years. IQOO is already doing good as I have received 3 security updates so far for the Android 12 that came out of the box. I will keep an eye on the security updates and OS upgrades as it will make me decide whether to go for Vivo/IQOO for my next phone.# Dual 5G SIM support, which is futuristic. With 4G, the call quality has been superb so far.# E4 AMOLED 120 Hz 1300 nits (peak) 1080x2400 pixels display with 6000000:1 contrast ratio, 360 Hz touch sampling rate and HDR10+ (Netflix HDR supported). A huge upgrade from my previous phone. The photos, OTT movies look too good. Easier to read contents like messages, emails or documents.# 64 MP main cam with OIS. OIS was a must-have feature for me since I could be taking a lot of low-light photos.# 4700 mAh battery with 80W FlashCharge Technology; 50% in 12 min, 100% in 32 min. Works as claimed. The battery life has been satisfactory.# SD 870 CPU. Not one of the flagship processors today, but highly capable, and fantastic at this price. Inclusion of 12 GB RAM has made this phone a buttery-smooth one for running apps (Android is quite a RAM dependent OS unlike iOS). Up to 4 GB of phone storage can be used for extended RAM. Currently, I have 100+ apps installed (mostly productivity apps, but no gaming apps). The cascade cooling system seems to be working.# 256 GB ROM with UFS 3.1. Since phones nowadays tend to ditch a dedicated microSDXC slot, and this phone is no exception, I did not want the 128 GB variant. A fast, large internal ROM is better than an external card as the latter loads the apps, files slower.# The in-display fingerprint reader works well.# The stereo speakers are reasonably good.# Infrared port (IR blaster). I have not tried using it as a remote, but a must try.# USB-C port with USB-C to USB-A data cable that connects to the phone charger. Some of us prefer a USB-C to USB-C data cable instead as it is more friendly to the modern devices, but I can see why IQOO decided to provide a USB-C to USB-A. Most laptops still come with USB-A ports (even my recent hp 250 G8 laptop from the company I work for does have a USB-C port without power delivery, and two USB-A ports!). My powerbanks don’t have USB-C ports either.# Screenshots, lock screen virtual buttons. Must as using physical buttons frequently for these functions can potentially damage the buttons.THE BAD# Google backup. A FAIL. Since I did not have a USB-C to USB-C cable, I had to choose the Wi-Fi data transfer option from my old phone to this one. Although I selected all the files, Google failed to transfer many files especially the PDFs. Dear Google, this is unacceptable.# Spam handling. My realme 3 lets me block any SMS I want, but this one does not. In my opinion, every modern phone must have a native app that can identify the caller and help block a number or an SMS as needed. I have stopped using a 3rd party app like Truecaller, which has become a truly rogue app.# No 3.5 mm jack (a plus when you don't have a bluetooth earphone, or don't prefer one), but IQOO thankfully included a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter in the box.# The absence of gorilla glass protection is not a good thing, but I do not mind as I barely drop my phone, and the phone came with an already applied tempered glass screen protector, and a transparent back cover. Really appreciated. The plastic body does not bother me; moreover, the dark nova color feels cool. YMMV.# In my realme 3 (and not in my realme C2, which means it is a custom feature from realme for specific OS versions), if I try turning off the daily wakeup alarm, it gives me options like “Turn off on…” (the next day for which the alarm is active), “Do not repeat any more”, or “Cancel”. This is a fabulous feature as it allows me to turn off the alarm for a particular day (say, an upcoming leave or holiday) without turning it off for the following days! Unfortunately, this artificial intelligence is not available in my IQOO Neo 6 5G.Always buy a recently released model if you are going for an Android phone. This will make sure that you get software support for long enough time. Moreover, avoid buying the variant with lowest RAM/ROM. And, fast charging is a necessity as you see that you are hooked up with your phone all the time.I have used this phone for ~ 2 months and will update this review as I keep using it. Till date, I am quite satisfied with IQOO Neo 6 5G (I also liked the Funtouch OS), and recommend it to anybody who has needs like me.

I ordered this phone based on specs it was providing, later I saw flood of negative reviews coming up on Amazon which made me test few of things that was mentioned, if it was true.1. Calls getting disconnected - I had call with my brother last night and we talked for 50 min and call did not disconnect in the middle.2. Heating issue - While in day to day use never faced heating issue but It gets a little hot while charging, I can understand because of massive fast charging which is understandable. Every phone with fast charging heats a little.3. Camera Quality - It has a decent 64 mp Samsung camera module which is justified at price it comes. You can judge the camera based on how well it performs indoor with artificial lighting conditions and this has done good. Attached pic of cake which I clicked indoor only bright light source was candle. It performed well I can say.(To people who complaint about camera - I just cannot expect picture clarity of Apple or Samsung high end devices, i have to set my expectations right for the price we have paid)4. AnTuTu Benchmark Score - While company claim of 740000+ while I tested i got a score of 700000+ . I again cannot complaint here because I don't know what was the testing conditions and criteria that company had followed while testing. 700000+ is pretty decent score I can say5. Phone lag - In two days of testing it has not lagged at all. With multiple background apps running.6. Battery Drain - Revisit few of the settings on your device, like animation, transition effect etc to get most out of your battery. If your batter is set of monstor mode set it to normal or battery saver to make most. Again battery depends of usage of individual and i cannot blame company. While I started to write this review my cell phone was at 100%. Now it's almost 25 min typing till now it's now showing 99%, i have set my screen at full brightness, i fell its decent. Also tested charging speed 0 to 50 in 12.03 min.7. Build quality - It's sturdy and decent plastic is used. I can say at this price point they should have provided glass build but again considering all price benefit you have got while buying this phone no complaint (Card Discount + Exchange Benefit etc) . Still I would take out 1 star here.8. Black colour issue - Did not face any problem with screen leak or black colour. It's AMOLED screen. Black is highlight of AMOLED. In case you were using IPS / FHD panel on your previous phone you will have trouble distinguishing. I have Samsung M51 as secondary device and i see black similar on both.9. BGMI - I played few rounds yesterday and did not face any frame drop or lag.10. Two year warranty - They calaimed to provide two year warranty on this device but during registration it shows only 1 year. I have personally wrote to Iqoo team and Amazon team seeking an answer, with screenshots waiting for answer.BTW majority of phone manufacturers provide 1 year warranty only, even iPhone. Here I would say fight for you justice and seek answer from Iqoo or Amazon Team.11. Video call lag - Did not face any, did multiple video calls yesterday with different people, did not get any complaint from them about my video lag. For all of them my video popped up instantaneous.Overall I would say I had a great buy and can recommend this device to others , for all the folks bombarding negative reviews, I would say first set your expectations right and you will be satisfied. In case even still you are facing problem then you have every right to complaint and get justice.Overall i give this device a 4 star as of now since I am yet to test this device long term like 3 months or 4 months.*Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors if any. Entire review was typed on my phone Iqoo Neo 6.