Hey Questers ❤️

After the successful launch of the iQOO 12,we have with us iQOO 13. This is India's 2nd Smartphone to launch with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform. It also brings some other new advancements like a huge 6150 mAh battery“Supercomputing Chip" Q2, a bigger vapour chamber cooling system, a 144 Hz 2K LTPO AMOLED display, an ultrasonic under-screen fingerprint scanner, and more. From the past one week, I have tested this phone as one of my daily driver and now I'll tell you all about it.

Monster Halo 

My favourite part about the iQOO 13 is a new design element located around the camera housing, called as "Monster Halo lighting effect"

The LED light is wrapped around the camera housing, and it is very customisable.

You can use the "Atmospheric Light Effect" feature to activate the light all the time. Aside from the 12 colour presets, you can also choose the light effect and the speed of the effect you choose. If you only want to activate it for some specific tasks instead of turning it on all the time, you can turn on the“Dynamic light” feature to activate the light for these tasks: Playing a song or media files through apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube and more. When you receive a notification or when there is an incoming call or when the phone is charging or the battery is low. This feature gets activated.

Other things to note about the iQOO 13's design: It is iQOO's first phone with IP68 and IP69 durability ratings, which is a nice improvement in water resistance compared to iQOO 12.

The power and volume buttons are positioned perfectly for easy access. However, iQOO has opted to remove the gear-like texture around the camera housing that was present on the iQOO 12. While this design detail added a nice touch previously, its absence makes the area feel smoother to the touch.

Display

While it's expected that a phone in this price range would feature a top-notch display, the iQOO 13 truly stands out—even rivaling flagship models priced at twice its cost.

The iQOO 13 featuers a stunning 6.82-inch AMOLED display with LTPO technology, offering a dynamic refresh rate of up to 144 Hz (ranging from 1-144 Hz). It utilizes a BOE panel with Q10 material, which is more efficient, durable, and minimizes color deviation compared to its predecessor.

One of the most notable upgrades is the resolution, which has been enhanced from 1.5K to 2K—an improvement that's both noticeable and highly appreciated.

Additionally, the display retains its remarkable brightness levels, with a peak brightness of 4500 nits and a high-brightness mode peak of 1800 nits.

Camera

The main camera on the iQOO 13 delivers impressive photos overall, with excellent detail, minimal noise, vibrant and pleasing colors, an ultra-wide dynamic range, and very few artifacts.

Comparing Normal Camera Shots from Main Sensor 

Comparing Both iQOO 13 and iQOO 12, iQOO 13 produces more original colours as compared to 12, due to VIVO VCS True Color Main Camera Algorithim.

The photos it captures are perfect for social media—mass-appealing and ready to share right out of the camera. It also has portraits setings which capture shots in 24,35,50,100 MM

Similar Shots, iQOO 13 Produces Good Results even under Low / Artifical Lighting Condition - In Play Ground.

Some More Shots with IQOO 13 

NIGHT CAMERA PERFORMANCE NEEDS TO BE FIXED WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE, More of the camera is enhancing the image in the dark - Whitish tone.

Reference of the image - 

These Needs to be fixed and Team is also verifiying these issues and Release a fix for this before public release.

The iQOO 13 introduces the Humanistic Street Photography mode, a fan-favorite feature, particularly among vivo X Series users.

This mode is perfect for those who enjoy capturing artistic-style photos. Essentially an enhanced pro mode, it offers various photographic styles to choose from, including Natural, Vivid, Textured, and Black & White. In addition to standard pro mode controls like shutter speed, manual focus, and white balance, it also includes unique watermark styles that are exclusive to this mode.

Upgrade - 32MP Selfie Camera 

Selfie camera is the biggest upgrade in the camera department by far. Selfies are sharp and clear without any excessive sharpening effects applied, so it also looks pleasing.

The selfie camera can now capture 4K Video at 60 fps !

Audio Quality 

Much like the iQOO 12, the iQOO 13 delivers impressive overall audio performance.

Its built-in dual stereo speakers are powerful without sounding distorted or harsh, even at maximum volume. The balance between highs and lows is well-tuned, the bass is distinct without being overwhelming, and the clarity is excellent without being overly sharp.

This quality shines through when playing immersive games, watching movies, or even casually streaming YouTube videos. 

Performance

The iQOO 13 is equipped with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, offering a significant boost in CPU, GPU, and NPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

This powerful chip is complemented by iQOO's self-developed “Supercomputing Chip Q2, which enhances graphics quality while keeping power consumption low.

Additionally, the iQOO 13 features an upgraded cooling system—the 7K Ultra VC Cooling System.This massive 7000 mm² vapor chamber is the largest ever used in an iQOO phone, ensuring optimal performance even under heavy use.

Under my usage , i can assure you the iQOO 13 excels at multitasking, effortlessly running multiple apps or tasks without any lag. It can also keep dozens of apps in memory for extended periods without needing to reload them.

I can say, iQOO 13 is the world's fastest phone i have ever used. 

I also have written about - Gaming Centric Feature ft. iQOO 13. Read here by clicking the link. 

The combination of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, LPDDR5X“Ultra"RAM, and UFS 4.1 storage is truly impressive.

NOTE:

*The 16 GB + 512 GB edition of iQOO 13 features UFS 4.1. The 12 GB + 256 GB edition currently features UFS 4.0 but will receive an OTA upgrade to UFS 4.1. Please upgrade to the latest system version to experience this enhancement.

Battery 

The iQOO 13 packs a 6150 mAh Silicon Carbide (SiC) battery, all while maintaining a slim profile of less than 8.15 mm. Thanks to this advanced battery material, which offers higher density than standard lithium batteries, it delivers greater capacity in a compact size.

This phone seems almost impossible to drain, offering up to 2 days of battery life depending on your usage. And when the battery finally does run low, the included 120W FlashCharge charger can power it from empty to full in just about 30 minutes.

For added convenience, the iQOO 13 also supports PD charging.

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner

Another major upgrade in the iQOO 13 is its under-screen fingerprint scanner, which now uses an ultrasonic variant. This new scanner is faster and more accurate than ever before. I am happy to say, the best ever UltraSonic Finger Print Scanner in IQOO Device after iQOO 9 Pro delivering exceptional speed and accuracy. Best of all, it works seamlessly even when the screen or your finger is wet, ensuring hassle-free unlocking in any situation.

Software 

iQOO 13 is running on Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15 Out of the box, New AI Features such as AI Erase,Photo Enhancer. Live Cutout and Super Documents has been added. AI Call Translation Feature  which is added is super useful and beneficial for user. Read here how to enable. Origin Fingerprint animations have also been added.

*IP68+IP69: This model is not a professional waterproof phone. It is splash, water, and dust resistant under normal use. This product has been tested by a professional organization and is rated as IP68 and IP69.Please refer to actual use.

I hope you have found this review useful, Please share the feedback and if you have any doubts regarding the device comment below !

Buy now here at iQOO E-Store  or Amazon India Sale Starts at 11 December 

Happy Questing

Varun, Community Moderator