We’ve all been there. It’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You’re out, maybe relying on maps to get home, or waiting for an important call. You glance at your phone and see it. The dreaded 5% battery warning. Your portable charger, naturally, is sitting peacefully on your nightstand. It’s a uniquely modern kind of panic, this battery anxiety. But what if a phone just… didn’t do that? What if there was a phone that not only lasts for an outrageously long time, but also performs like a supercar, all without requiring you to sell a kidney?

Well, after spending a good week with the IQOO Neo 10, I think I may have found it. The company markets this as a phone for gamers, and sure, it’s a beast for that. But honestly, I think they’re underselling it. This phone feels like it’s for anyone who is just tired. Tired of lag, tired of stuttering, and most of all, tired of being tethered to a wall socket.

Audio Review

A Performance Punch That Feels Almost Unfair

Let’s get right to it. The engine. The IQOO Neo 10 is the first phone to land in India with the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor. Now, that name might sound like a random collection of letters and numbers, but what it means for you is simple: this thing is fast. Like, absurdly fast.

To try and put it in perspective, this chip scores around 2.1 million on those technical benchmark tests. For context, the previous generation was hitting around 1.4 million. That’s a massive jump. But numbers on a screen don’t tell the whole story. The real story is in how the phone feels to use. Apps don’t just open; they appear instantly. There is absolutely no hesitation when you’re swiping through social media or multitasking. It just works.

What’s really impressive, though, is how it handles that power. I pushed it hard with tests, and it barely got warm. A lot of powerful phones can feel like you’re holding a hot plate after a while, but the IQOO Neo 10 stays remarkably cool. It seems they’ve done a genuinely great job with the cooling system, which is arguably as important as the chip itself. It’s a complete package, with the latest LPDDR5X RAM and super quick UFS 4.1 storage (on the bigger models) ensuring there are no bottlenecks. You’re never left waiting for the phone to catch up to your thoughts.

• The Chip: It’s powered by the brand new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, a first for India.
• The Speed: In simple terms, the graphics power is nearly 50% better than the last generation, leading to an incredibly fluid experience.
• The Cooling: It manages heat exceptionally well, staying cool even when you’re pushing it hard.
• The Memory: It uses the latest LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, so everything from opening apps to saving files is incredibly quick.

The Battery That Simply Refuses to Die

Alright, let’s talk about the main event. The real reason this phone could be a life changer for so many people. It has a colossal 7,000 milliamp-hour battery. And let me be clear, this isn’t just a big number on a spec sheet that looks good in ads. The battery life is, and I don’t say this lightly, absolutely incredible.

I’ve used phones with big batteries before, and often the real world results are a letdown. Not this one. IQOO calls it a “silicon blue volt battery,” which is a fancy way of saying they figured out how to cram a ton of power into a cell without making the phone feel like a literal brick.

Let me give you some real world examples from my testing. On a lazy weekend when I was mostly at home on Wi-Fi, the phone lasted for two days and twenty three hours. That is almost three full days. During that time, the screen was on for nearly ten hours. That’s staggering. But what about a more normal use case? I tested it again, with the first day being entirely on 4G and 5G mobile data while I was out, and the second day being a mix of data and Wi-Fi. Even under those mixed conditions, I got a full two days of use with over 10 hours of screen time before the battery hit 5%. This is the kind of battery life that changes how you use your phone.

• The Size: A truly massive 7,000 mAh battery.
• The Result: This can translate to nearly three days of light use, or a very comfortable two days for even heavy users.
• The Feeling: It completely eliminates that background “battery anxiety,” letting you just use your phone without worry.
• The Tech: It uses a more efficient second generation silicon battery technology to achieve this.

Display, Design, and All the Goodies

A phone with a 7,000 mAh battery must be a thick, heavy slab, right? That’s what I thought. But it weighs just 207 grams. It feels shockingly light and easy to hold. The one, hmm, let’s call it a “compromise,” is the back. It’s made of polycarbonate, which is a type of high quality plastic, not glass. This was almost certainly a deliberate choice to keep the weight down. It might not have that cold, “premium” feel of glass, but I will personally take the lighter weight and added durability every single time. And besides, they give you a nice protective case in the box, which you should probably use anyway.

The screen itself is another highlight. It’s a 1.5K AMOLED panel. In plain English, it’s incredibly sharp, colors look vibrant and punchy, and blacks are truly black. It also gets very bright, making it easy to see even in direct sunlight.

It’s also just really nice to see that IQOO still gives you a charger in the box. And not just any old charger, but a ridiculously fast 120 watt one that can juice up that massive battery in no time. It’s a complete package right out of the box, and that’s becoming a real rarity.

• The Feel: At just 207 grams, it’s surprisingly light for a phone with such a huge battery.
• The Build: It has a polycarbonate back. It may feel less fancy than glass, but it helps keep the weight low.
• The Screen: A beautiful, sharp, and bright 1.5K AMOLED display that’s great for media and general use.
• The Box: It comes with everything you need, including a 120 watt fast charger and a case.

The Cameras: Capable, with a Neat Party Trick

IQOO isn’t trying to pretend this is the world’s greatest camera phone, and that honesty is refreshing. The camera system here is what I would call very capable. It’s perfectly good for your daily snaps, vacation photos, and social media posts. You get a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultra wide on the back, with a 32MP shooter on the front for selfies.

In good light, photos are detailed with pleasant colors. Even indoors, it holds up pretty well. The selfie camera, however, is a bit of a surprise. It does a really good job in tricky lighting, managing to keep the bright sky in the background detailed instead of turning it into a blown out white mess like many other phones do.

But the real party trick, the feature that stands out, is video. This phone can shoot 4K video on both the rear and the front facing cameras. Being able to shoot high quality 4K video of yourself is something you almost never see on phones that aren’t top of the line flagships. It’s a huge bonus for anyone who likes to vlog or just wants their video calls and stories to look extra crisp.

• The Setup: A solid 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide, and a 32MP front camera.
• The Standout: The ability to shoot 4K video with the front facing camera is a fantastic and rare feature in this segment.
• The Quality: While not a flagship camera killer, it takes perfectly good photos for everyday use and excels in video.
• The Smarts: The HDR processing is good, especially for selfies, preventing blown out backgrounds.

Software and the Thoughtful Touches

The phone runs on Funtouch OS 15, which is IQOO’s version of Android 15. The company is promising three major Android upgrades and four years of security updates, which is a very strong commitment to the phone’s longevity.

I’m happy to say that the software experience is quite clean. Gone are the days of annoying “Hot Apps” and “Hot Games” folders cluttering up your screen. There are a few preinstalled apps, but nothing too offensive. It also has all the modern AI features you’d expect, like Circle to Search and an AI tool in the gallery that can magically erase people or objects from your photos. And, thankfully, they’ve finally included NFC for contactless payments, a small but important feature that was often missing before.

Specifications at a Glance

Feature	Specification
Processor	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
Battery	7,000 mAh
Charging	120W Fast Charger (included in box)
Display	1.5K AMOLED Screen
RAM	Up to 16GB LPDDR5X
Storage	128GB (UFS 3.1) / 256GB / 512GB (UFS 4.1)
Rear Camera	50MP Main + 8MP Ultra-wide
Front Camera	32MP
Video Recording	4K on both front and rear cameras
Weight	207g
Software	Funtouch OS 15 (based on Android 15)
Connectivity	Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 7 ready, NFC

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Truly phenomenal battery life	Polycarbonate back might not feel as “premium” as glass
Flagship grade performance for a mid range price	The camera system is good, but not best in class
Incredibly fast 120W charger is included	The base 128GB model has slightly slower storage
Surprisingly lightweight and comfortable to hold
A beautiful, sharp, and fluid display
4K front facing video is a rare and welcome feature
A clean software experience with a good update promise

Summary: So, Who Should Buy This Phone?

It really comes down to this.

You should absolutely buy the IQOO Neo 10 if: You are a power user. If your phone is the central tool for your work, your social life, and your entertainment. If you have ever felt the icy grip of battery anxiety and your number one goal is to have a phone that just lasts. Or, if you want the fastest, smoothest performance you can possibly get without spending a fortune. For its price, this is very likely the most powerful and long lasting phone on the market.

You might want to consider other options if: Your single most important feature in a phone is the camera. If you are a serious photography enthusiast who examines every pixel and needs the absolute best photo quality, there are other phones that specialize more in that area. The camera here is more than good enough for most of us, but it’s not trying to be the best of the best.

The IQOO Neo 10 knows exactly what it wants to be. It’s a champion of performance and a titan of battery life. And in those two areas, it doesn’t just compete; it dominates.

Key Takeaways

• The Battery is Real: That 7,000 mAh battery isn’t a gimmick. It delivers incredible, real world endurance that can easily last two full days for most people.
• Flagship Speed for Less: The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip offers top tier performance that makes the phone feel incredibly fast and responsive.
• Don’t Worry About Weight: Despite the huge battery, the phone is impressively light and comfortable to hold.
• Fast Charging in the Box: You get a super fast 120W charger included, which is a huge value add.
• Great for Video Creators: The ability to shoot 4K video on the selfie camera is a standout feature for vlogging and high quality video calls.
• More Than a Gaming Phone: While it’s great for games, its core strengths—speed and battery—make it a perfect phone for any demanding user.