China’s powerhouse of producing gadgets, BBK Electronics, has ventured out to create a new sub-brand in the Indian market, iQOO, adding to their portfolio of gadget brands including Vivo, Oppo, Realme and many more. Straight out the door with a new product, the iQOO (5G) (256GB) (12 GB RAM), and endorsed by India cricket legend Virat Kohli - is exactly what I’m going to be reviewing.

iQOO 3 (5G) (Tornado Black, 256 GB)  (12 GB RAM)

What’s in the box

When arrived, you’re greeted with a futuristic carbon fibre looking - designed box with the iQOO logo boldly printed on the front in an orange font. Underneath, comforting the iQOO logo is the badge ‘5G’, or ‘4G’ if that’s the version you purchase.

As you open the box the futuristic concept takes a simple yet alienated spin as the jagged edges open disclosing the phone within.The first thing to notice was the colour, in tornado black, the phone is slick and mysterious as the light catches the back and highlights a purple tint.

Also housed in the box is:

L-shape Type-C cable

Warranty card and quick start guide

Sim injector tool

Silicone case

55w iQOO flash charge

Headphones

Phone layout

There are some impressive features this phone has to offer and I will go into my favourite ones later on, but starting with how the phone is laid out: At the base of the phone is the sim card slot, the Type-C port to charge the phone and the speaker grill, containing the highly impressive Hi-Res audio & Hi-Fi AK4377A. The one downside of the audio is that the speaker is restricted to just one location - the bottom which may cause issues with muffling the sound.

On the right side of the phone sits the power button and volume buttons. The iQOO 3 was built with the promise to deliver a phone that a gamer would love. On the left, Monster Touch buttons and 4D game vibrations perfect for gaming, giving you feedback and intensifying your experience. At the top of the phone is the headphone jack which is quite uncomfortable to hold if you’re trying to game with headphones plugged in, usually this can be prevented by switching the phone upside down but due to the monster buttons being placed where they are, this isn’t an option.

Display

Every gamer knows that one of the most important things you need is a good screen which is exactly what the iQOO offers. With a 6.44” Polar View display and a 180Hz touch response rate, you’ll be ahead of the gaming when competing with a friend, seeing every detail and responding to the nano-seconds. When originally analysing the screen I thought the front-facing camera, located in the top right corner, would be a problem interfering with the display. I was clearly wrong, a hardly visible punch-hole for the camera is all that stands present which is easily overlooked.

Camera

One of the most impressive features other than the fact it can run games with no issues is the camera set up. Starting with the front camera in the top right corner which has 16 MP so you can video chat with friends or film great memories without having to worry about a blurry feed. The back of the phone features multiple cameras. A 48MP Al Quad Camera, 48MP+ 13MP telephoto-20x digital zoom, perfect to capture those shots in the distance or the 13mp wide-angle +2MP Bokeh for when you’re trying to take pictures of a large group of people or beautiful scenery that can’t quite fit into the frame.

System

Android 10 is the latest and most up to date system used which will come installed onto the phone. It’s easy to use and has an appealing interface. You can log into the phone with your fingerprint, your manual password or even by using facial recognition. Also, if you’re a fan of dark mode like me then head over to the settings and make the change to stop the glares and headaches.

Key specifications

Processor - Snapdragon 865

Storage - 256 GB

RAM - 12 GB

Battery - 4440mAh

Overview

I had a few scepticisms when I first heard this phone was coming to the market, but since having tested out the product I can safely say I was wrong. To say the phone is flawless would be a lie, there are minor issues such as the placement of the headphone jack, but for the most part, this phone is leading the industry of gaming mobile phones. The long-lasting and fast-charging battery with such power-hungry hardware is almost unheard of, but Iku has nailed it. The high-resolution display, monster buttons and 4D vibrations on top of the highly responsive touch screen make gaming with the iQOO special.

Would I recommend this product?

I have no doubts Iku’s iQOO will fulfil your gaming needs in a portable manner. With every challenge they face, they overcome, which is the perfect anecdote to inspire your gaming journey.

iQOO 3 (5G) (Tornado Black, 256 GB)  (12 GB RAM)

Extra ₹2000 discount (4% OFF)

₹46,990

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