iQOO phones have been quite successful in the last few years, and the new iQOO 12 series has seriously left an impression on fans. The gaming phone market is vast and fiercely competitive, and making a mark is difficult. However, this smartphone-maker did what others have failed to do: provide a complete package. Other gaming phones have delivered a fantastic performance but lacked innovation in camera, charging, and other areas.
iQOO phones excel in these areas and deliver a great overall experience. This article presents the five best iQOO phones you can buy for gaming in 2024.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
List of the best iQOO phones to buy for gaming
1) iQOO 12 Pro
Price: Around $689
The iQOO 12 Pro is the flagship iQOO phone as of writing and has everything you can imagine. It has the best display with LTPO technology that can save a lot of battery. It has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is the fastest Android chip in the world and delivers the best performance in gaming.
The camera setup is also quite impressive. It has a primary, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera, and they are capable of taking some remarkable pictures. These images tend to have decent detail levels, natural colors, and a high dynamic range.
Pros
- The bezels are narrow due to the curved nature of the display.
- The performance is the best part of the phone.
- It supports fast wireless charging.
Cons
- There's no optical stabilization for the front camera.
2) iQOO 12
Price: Around $551
The iQOO 12 is extremely similar to its bigger brother, the iQOO 12 Pro, but doesn't have all of its charms. It misses out on wireless charging and has inferior dust & water resistance compared to the iQOO 12 Pro. These few compromises allowed iQOO to provide a much cheaper price tag, making it possible for more people to buy this phone.
However, this phone will provide the same design, display, chipset, and camera, so you are essentially getting the same experience. It has enough performance to run PUBG Mobile with 120 FPS.
Pros
- The display is fantastic, and the use of LTPO technology in the display will lead to better battery life.
- It looks fantastic and feels quite premium in hand.
- The wired charging speed is insanely fast.
Cons
- It only has an IP64 dust & splash resistance rating, so you shouldn't dive in the pool with this phone.
3) iQOO Neo 9 Pro
Price: Around $413
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro is for those who want the best performance on a budget. At around the $413 price mark, it is one of the fastest gaming smartphones, and you will have no issue running graphically demanding games at the highest graphical settings.
It also has a great display that is color-accurate, and the viewing experience is absolutely fantastic. It can also get as bright as 3000 nits under direct sunlight, so you will have no issues using this iQOO phone outdoors, even under harsh sunlight.
Pros
- It has a fantastic display that can get quite bright.
- The gaming performance of the phone is quite good.
- It delivers an excellent value for the money.
Cons
- The ultra-wide camera is not good and lacks a lot of details in the pictures it takes.
4) iQOO Neo 7 Pro
Price: Around $358
The iQOO Neo 7 Pro is a year old now, but that actually makes it a better phone. That's because it is available at around $358, which is an all-time low price for a device of this caliber. It has a flagship-level Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. This is not the latest, but it still packs enough performance to run any games at high graphical settings.
To extend this speedy performance, you can buy the 12GB RAM variant. The higher memory capacity will certainly benefit some games or programs. The battery life of this iQOO phone is also quite good and supports super fast charging that can quickly recharge it when needed.
Pros
- It has a great performance for the price it asks for.
- The smartphone can be purchased with up to 12GB of RAM.
- It has a great battery life and high-speed charging.
Cons
- The camera performance is not as good as newer iQOO phones.
5) iQOO Z9
Price: Around $239
The iQOO Z9 is for those who are on an extreme budget since it is available for under $250. It features a large AMOLED display with a high refresh rate, and this type of display panel is usually restricted to more expensive phones.
It comes equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 7200, which is not the best but runs most games decently well. The use of the MediaTek processor is what allowed iQOO to keep the price this low.
Pros
- It has a decently accurate display with an AMOLED panel.
- It has a great battery life that also supports fast charging.
- Its performance is comparable to other phones in the same price bracket.
Cons
- Its secondary camera sensor doesn't have even decent performance.
These are the best iQOO phones that you can buy for gaming. For the best performance, go with the iQOO 12 series since they will provide the best gaming and overall experience. However, if you are on a budget but don't want to compromise on the performance, I recommend the iQOO NEO 9 Pro.