iQOO Z10R Review: Simply, delightfully steady rather than spectacular

iQOO has been releasing a number of devices in the Indian market in recent times. While most of the brand’s devices come with some ‘killer’ feature, the iQOO Z10R seems a surprisingly ‘normal’ phone. It has been marketed as “The Go-To Smartphone for Young Creators,” mainly based on 4K support on the main as well as selfie cameras (not seen at this price point), but beneath all that hype is a classic mid-segmenter that does almost everything well in an assured manner. But will being simply consistent be enough for the new iQOO phone in the highly competitive mid-segment?

iQOO Z10R Design and appearance: Big and beautiful in Aquamarine blue

The iQOO Z10R is a big, slim phone with definite Vivo V series vibes, and that is not a bad thing. It is tall at 163.29 mm, although it is very slim at 7.39 mm (iQOO claims that it is “India’s thinnest quad curved display phone“) and relatively light for its size at 184 grams. It also comes with a slightly curved (what is now called quad curved) display, which seems flat but curves a little towards the sides without going over them. The sides are shiny and convex, and the back is flat but curves towards the sides. On the top left of the back is a very large vertical pill-like camera unit that protrudes a bit, just as we have seen on the Vivo V50 series. Within it is a dark circle in which two cameras are housed, while a white circular flash lies below it.

Our iQOO Z10R came with an Aquamarine shade, which is a light blue and slightly greenish. It is shiny but comes with a matte finish (so no fingerprints!) and shows diagonal stripes when the light plays on it, inspired by the shimmering nature of the ocean, we are told. It does look good and rather different from the solid colors in the market these days.

The phone also comes in Moonstone, which is a blend of silver and white and looks elegant, but we think the Aquamarine is the one that will catch more attention. The sides and back of the phone are carbonate, but the phone has a very solid feel to it. iQOO claims that it has passed “rigorous environmental tests,” and has received “SGS23 Five-Star Overall Unit Drop Resistance Certification”. It also comes with IP68/69 dust and water resistance (rare at this price), which means it can easily survive even a fall in the water. The display comes with Diamond Shield Glass protection. In all, the iQOO Z10R is an impressively slim phone that can look elegant in Moonstone and eye-catching in Aquamarine.

iQOO Z10R Specs and hardware: Hello, Vivo T4R

Inside that slim frame come specs that seem very familiar. That’s because we recently saw them on the Vivo T4R. The iQOO Z10R comes with a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with 2392 x 1080 (FHD+) resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate, which is reasonably bright (1800 nits local peak brightness, but that applies only to a small area of the display). Powering the phone is the very mid-segment but gaming-friendly MediaTek 7400 processor, paired with three RAM and storage variants: 8 GB/ 128 GB, 8 GB/ 256 GB, 12 GB/ 256 GB. The RAM and storage have not been officially mentioned, but are likely to be LPDDR4X and UFS 2.2, which are not the fastest but very common in this segment (we have been seeing phones priced above Rs 30,000 with UFS 2.2!). We were, however, surprised to see no expandable memory, which remains a staple feature in this zone. Also missing is a 3.5 mm audio jack, which is again very common in the segment.

That prominent camera unit on the back houses a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 sensor with OIS, while on the front, there is a 32-cmegapixel selfie sensor, both of which are impressive at this price point. The presence of the circular aura light flash (generally seen in Vivo’s V series) is also a welcome feature. However, the secondary camera at the back is a largely token 2 megapixel depth sensor. The phone also comes with dual stereo speakers, an optical fingerprint sensor, and an infrared port. It runs on FuntouchOS 15 on top of Android 15, and keeping it going is a large 5700 mAh battery with support for 44W charging, with a 44W charger in the box as well. Yes, those specs are pretty much a carbon copy of the Vivo T4R. But given how good a performer that phone was, we are not complaining.

iQOO Z10R performance: Steady every day performer, rather than a camera or gaming beast

The iQOO Z10R is a classic mid-segment performer. It is a phone that does almost everything well. Its display is vivid and bright, and combined with very good stereo speakers, it is great for viewing films and shows. While the Dimensity 7400 is not a gaming beast, it does deliver a decent experience. We were able to get some good sessions of Call of Duty, Asphalt Racing, and EA Sports FC after tweaking the graphics. Genshin Impact did lag a little now and then, but by and large, you can use the phone for some casual, semi-serious gaming without too many problems. Needless to say, it handles everyday, routine tasks (mail, messaging, social media, browsing) with ease.

You can also get some good photographs and videos from the iQOO Z10R. The Sony IMX882 takes superb shots in good light conditions, and surprisingly, even does a good job for its price in low light. The colors might seem a little on the bright side, but most people will like the results. Portrait photography is particularly good, and you also get a number of shooting options, including Micro Movie mode. Video quality is good too, but we would advise you to shoot videos in daylight for the best results.

The 32-megapixel camera has no autofocus, and some of the shots and videos can sometimes feel a little faded, but it generally does a very good job. The aura light flash is great for snaps taken at close quarters, but its utility gets limited as distance increases – it is a terrific tool for low-light portrait snaps in particular. There are some AI editing tools too, including AI Erase and AI Photo Enhance, and they generally work well. As this phone is water resistant, it even has a special underwater mode, which is special at this price! The cameras on the iQOO Z10R are not as good as the ones on the CMF Phone 2 Pro (we don’t even know if the depth sensor makes a difference), but they deliver consistent and pleasant results.

The iQOO Z10R runs on FuntouchOS on top of Android 15, and while it runs smoothly, it can appear a little crowded and cluttered, thanks to a number of third-party apps (these can be uninstalled, but their presence is irritating). It has some AI tools, including Gemini, Circle to Search, AI Transcript Assist, AI Note Assist, and translation, and while the experience is not as smooth on more expensive devices, it is handy enough.

The phone comes with an assurance of two OS updates and three years of security updates, which is not impressive but should suffice for most users. The fingerprint sensor works smoothly, and the 5700 mAh battery easily got us through a day and a half of normal to heavy usage. The 44W charger in the box charges the phone from nil to full in about 75 minutes, which is on the slow side. Fortunately, half an hour of charging got us close to 50 percent of charge, which often got us through a day of careful use.

In sum, the iQOO Z10R is not a camera phone, or a gaming phone, or a battery beast. It is a bit of them all – a generalist rather than a specialist. Which suits us just fine.

iQOO Z10R Pricing: Competitive rather than killer

The iQOO Z10R is available in the following RAM and storage variants at these prices:

• 8 GB/ 128 GB: Rs 19,499
• 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 21,499
• 12 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 23,499

Perhaps the closest competitor to this is the very similarly specced Vivo T4R, which also starts at around the same price but has minor differences and software and comes with different color variants. It is also mainly available offline. The main headache for the mostly-online iQOO Z10R is likely to be the CMF Phone 2 Pro, which comes with a better set of cameras (including a 50-megapixel telephoto) and a more innovative design, but has a smaller battery, no stereo cameras, and a slower charging speed. Those wanting a bigger battery might consider the Oppo K13, which comes with a massive 7000 mAh battery but has a smaller display and a modest selfie camera. A little more money can get one into the zone of more powerful devices like the Poco X7 Pro and the OnePlus Nord CE 5.

iQOO Z10R review verdict: Solid option for sub-Rs 20,000 crowd

The iQOO Z10R is a solid rather than spectacular phone in its price zone. It might not be super special in anything it does, but it does not have any deal-breakers on board either. The phone pretty much sticks to ticking all mid-segment boxes. It might not have any out-of-the-box innovation like the mods and cameras of the CMF Phone 2 Pro or battery mAh to boast about, but it has rock-solid performance. A good display, good rear and selfie cameras, smooth everyday performance, and good battery life – the iQOO Z10R delivers them all. And while geeks might hem and haw at how “normal” it is, normalcy is actually what so many of us seek, be it in our tech lives, or indeed lives in general.

Buy iQOO Z10R

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