As a brand, iQOO is known for churning out some of the fastest, most capable and relatively affordable Android smartphones that specialise in gaming. Its flagship model, the iQOO 11, is currently among the most desirable performance smartphones of the year. If you go further down the price range, however, you’ll notice the Neo series amassing a huge fanbase as well.
For the uninitiated, the iQOO Neo series of smartphones are pure-bred flagship killers! For years, these phones have carried the baton of offering that oh-so-sweet combination of tremendous performance and accessible pricing; a combination that has worked wonders for iQOO. In 2023, the company is putting that baton in the hands of the iQOO Neo 8.
The iQOO Neo 8 recently debuted in China and, similar to the previous generation, it has two variants. There’s the regular Neo 8 running on last year’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, and there’s a spiced-up Neo 8 Pro which gets the more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chip. While iQOO remains mum on the global release date for both these models, we are expecting to see the regular Neo 8 pop up first in most markets.
iQOO Neo 8’s launch price
In China, the iQOO Neo 8 is currently priced at HKD 2,541 (approx.) for the base variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. This can go up to HKD 3,204 (approx.) for the top variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
As for the iQOO Neo 8 Pro, prices start at HKD 3,425 (approx.) for the base variant with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage and can go up to HKD 3,757 (approx.) for the top variant with 512GB storage.
We expect the company to alter the prices for other markets based on the manufacturing requirements.
A quick look at the colour variants
The iQOO Neo 8 and Neo 8 Pro will be available in three colours – Match Point (red), Night Rock (black) and Surf (blue).
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iQOO Neo 8: Lots of toppings on the vanilla version
The iQOO Neo 8 builds upon the previous generation’s iQOO Neo 7, bringing key upgrades to areas that matter to gamers. The Neo 8 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset from last year. This is a highly potent chipset which is capable of delivering reliable performance and great power efficiency. This is paired with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage. The phone boots OriginOS 3 based on Android 13.
For the display, the iQOO Neo 8 gets a 6.78-inch 1260 x 2800-pixel resolution AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 144Hz. You also get an optical fingerprint scanner here.
The camera setup on the back is interesting. The dual sensor setup consists of a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL GN5 sensor for the main camera with OIS assistance and a 2-megapixel depth camera. The lack of an ultrawide or telephoto camera, however, could pose an issue for shutterbugs.
For power, the iQOO Neo 8 relies on a 5,000mAh battery that comes with support for 120W wired charging. This means that the phone can almost last the entire day on a full charge and should be able to recharge its battery in less than 30 minutes. Sadly, there is no support for wireless charging.
iQOO Neo 8 Pro: More for the pros
The iQOO Neo 8 Pro is largely identical to the Neo 8, save for a few changes. The most notable one of them all is the chipset. The Neo 8 Pro uses the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chip, which is currently the fastest processor Android phones can use. The Dimensity 9200+ has performed extremely well on benchmark testing, easily beating phones using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Hence, you can’t go wrong with the iQOO Neo 8 Pro if raw performance is all you seek.
The company is also using faster LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage on the Neo 8 Pro. To keep the thermals within acceptable limits, a massive 5002 square millimetre vapour chamber is also present.
Another aspect of the iQOO Neo 8 Pro that gets an upgrade over the regular Neo 8 is the camera setup. The rear cameras here consist of a 50-megapixel main camera using a Sony IMX866 image sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an undisclosed image sensor.
The rest of the specifications and features are carried over from the standard model. The Neo 8 Pro has the same combination of a 6.78-inch AMOLED display and a 5000mAh battery with support for 120W wired fast charging.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy iQOO)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: The iQOO Neo 8 with 256GB storage will cost approximately around HKD 2,541.
Answer: The iQOO Neo 8 has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, a 5000mAh battery with support for 120W wired fast charging, a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a 50-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual rear camera setup and Android 13 OS.
Answer: The iQOO Neo 8 is the latest model in the Neo series, succeeding the Neo 6 with several improvements.
Answer: Yes, the iQOO Neo 8 supports 5G networks, courtesy of its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip.
