The iQOO Neo 10 enters 2025 with a bold promise: flagship-grade power, a gorgeous display, and a massive battery, all packed at a pretty aggressive price. But while the specifications sound like a no-brainer on paper, real-world performance reveals a new chapter. Is this the true mid-range king of 2025? Let’s find out.
iQOO Neo 10 Review: When I first heard that iQOO was planning to launch the Neo 10 in India, I was pretty excited. Not just because it would be a solid performance phone at a great price, but also because it had the potential to be one of the most hyped mid-range smartphones of 2025. The Neo 10, as of now, feels like the natural successor to the super popular iQOO Neo 9 Pro, and, of course, it’s the next entry in the ‘Neo’ series, which always brings something interesting.
Now, iQOO has already made a name for itself in the smartphone market, especially among gamers who want top-tier performance without breaking the bank. But over time, the brand has been trying to strike a balance by focusing not just on raw power, but also on areas like camera and display. And after testing their last three smartphones, I can say with confidence: iQOO is heading in the right direction, making its phones a ‘performance-centric all-rounder’.
But here comes the twist – the iQOO Neo 10. On paper, this phone sounds really good: Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (a slightly toned-down version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite), a massive 7000mAh battery, a 144Hz 1.5K OLED panel, up to 16GB RAM. These specs are very similar to that of the previously launched iQOO Neo 10R.
Is that a problem? Read the full review, and you will know.
Design: Fusion of iQOO 13 and iQOO Neo 10R
Imagine if the iQOO 13 (review) and the iQOO Neo 10R (review) had a baby, you would get the iQOO Neo 10, with more DNA leaning towards the Neo 10R. It comes in two colour options: Inferno Red (which honestly looks more orange than red) and Titanium Chrome (which gives a more premium in-hand feel). The design language here feels very familiar, pretty much what we saw on the Neo 10R. That same Gen-Z energy, racing-inspired back panel, and the whole “I’m here to win tournaments and scroll Instagram” kind of vibe.
On the front, you get a 6.78-inch display with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera and an optical fingerprint scanner that unlocks in milliseconds. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i, and the phone also comes with an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. Though I would still suggest keeping it away from water as much as possible.
In terms of daily usability, the iQOO Neo 10 is a pretty decent device to carry around. Last week, I was testing it alongside the Neo 10R, keeping both phones in one pocket and my iPhone 16 Pro Max in the other, and surprisingly, it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. The iQOO Neo 10 weighs around 206 grams, but thanks to solid weight distribution and a sleek profile (even with that massive 7000mAh battery inside), it doesn’t feel bulky.
But if we’re talking purely aesthetics, I would personally go for the Titanium Chrome variant. This Inferno Orange….sorry, Red, just isn’t my estilo.
iQOO Neo 10’s display looks good, plays even better
The iQOO Neo 10 comes with a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel that supports 10-bit colour, HDR, and a 144Hz refresh rate, though the 144Hz kicks in only on select apps. Visually, yes, the display looks bright and beautiful. But more than just being pretty, this one also produces natural colours.
According to our Calman testing, the iQOO Neo 10 scored a delta E of 1.4, which still puts it in the excellent range. That means its colour accuracy is top-notch, and it also makes it ideal for creators, designers, or anyone who cares about true-to-life visuals.
Now, coming to brightness, in our test lab, we recorded a peak brightness of 3340 nits on Auto mode. That’s straight-up flagship territory. Even in bright outdoor conditions, the display stays super visible. Whether you’re gaming, watching content, or just scrolling, the screen holds up perfectly under sunlight.
And of course, that 144Hz refresh rate makes everything feel smooth. You also get the option to manually select which apps run at 144Hz, and thankfully, the list isn’t limited. You can enable it for almost all your go-to apps.
Performance: At the heart of iQOO Neo 10
Among all the components, if I had high hopes for anything on the Neo 10, it was the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4. This processor is paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (which is the variant I’ve been using). All of my testing has been done with Monster Mode enabled, which essentially pushes the phone to its peak performance levels.
In our benchmarks, the iQOO Neo 10 scored over 1.7 million on AnTuTu. It comfortably places itself in flagship territory and ahead of most phones in its segment as well. Even on Geekbench, the scores were pretty solid. But here’s the interesting part: the iQOO Neo 10R, its cheaper sibling (Rs 26,999), is not far behind. On AnTuTu, it’s only about two lakh points lower, and Geekbench scores were also within a tight margin.
We also ran a stress test: 15 minutes under normal load and 30 minutes under heavy load, and here’s where things got a bit unpredictable. While the phone started strong, we noticed a zig-zag performance pattern after a point. Sudden dips, quick recoveries, and then dips again. It wasn’t gradual throttling; it was erratic, and that’s something gamers will definitely feel, especially in competitive scenarios.
We have already flagged this to the iQOO team, and they’ve assured us that a future OTA update will address it. Fingers crossed!
That said, the overall gaming experience on the Neo 10 is smooth. In our tests, it ran BGMI at over 98% stability. We recorded an average of 102 FPS and a peak of 121 FPS. So yes, gaming is a treat. No major thermal throttling either.
iQOO Neo 10 Camera: What makes it an all-rounder
The iQOO Neo 10 packs a dual camera set-up with a 50-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens. On the front, it has a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.
From the main camera, in daylight, the iQOO Neo 10 produces bright, vivid, and colourful shots. They are a bit saturated, not too much on the natural side. It tries to retain the details in most places but misses out on the sharpness in some places. There’s a yellow hue to the pictures as well. Overall, the pictures are pleasant to look at.
Low-light shots look bright, the phone tries to manage the light well, too, and there aren’t too many light bleeds. However, details are missed as there is some softening in the shots.
Portraits turn out nice, the subject-object separation and the bokeh look nice. The edge detection is decent, but it does miss the spot in some cases. The skin tones look natural mostly, but there’s some smoothening on the face.
iQOO Neo 10 Battery: Great battery, but you need to see this
So, with the iQOO Neo 10, you get a 7000mAh battery, and yes, it supports 120-watt fast charging, and yes, this battery lasts. In our PCMark battery life test, the iQOO Neo 10 clocked in over 22 hours. But again, one interesting bit: In the same test, the iQOO Neo 10R actually lasted a few minutes longer than the Neo 10.
Now, sure, it’s just a few minutes, but what makes it worth noting is that the Neo 10R comes with a smaller battery than the Neo 10.
Still, when you compare the Neo 10 with other smartphones in this segment, it clearly pulls ahead. And once you throw charging speeds into the equation, the Neo 10 outperforms its R sibling by a decent margin. It takes just around 40 minutes to go from 0 to 100%, while the Neo 10R takes about 67 minutes.
So, what’s the bottom line?
Now, you might be thinking, at ₹31,999, the iQOO Neo 10 sounds like a great deal. And honestly, it is. But then, there’s the iQOO Neo 10R. It offers similar camera performance, scores only slightly below the Neo 10 in performance tests, has the same design language, and even edges ahead in battery life. Most importantly, it’s Rs 5,000 cheaper. And for many people, the Neo 10R might be a tempting option for that reason.
But before you make a decision, here’s what that extra Rs 5,000 gets you with the iQOO Neo 10: a more premium in-hand feel (even if it looks the same), a brighter and colour-accurate display, slightly sharper camera output, faster charging, and a newer chipset that delivers top-tier performance.
So if you’re someone who values these small-but-meaningful upgrades, the iQOO Neo 10 stands out as a performance-first all-rounder, and one of the strongest options you can get for ₹31,999 right now.
iQOO Neo 10R Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | March 11, 2025 |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
Follow Us
Mustafa Khan
Mustafa is a young tech journalist who tells it like it is, cutting through buzzwords to deliver straightforward smartphone reviews. He’s the office go-to for insider tips and quick demos, and his video content doesn’t waste anyone’s time. When he’s off the clock, he geeks out over cars, photography, and hunting down the best spot for Indian food. View Full Profile
