IQOO is part of Vivo and that’s the reason why you see Fun Touch OS on IQOO smartphones. There is nothing wrong to use software from a sub-brand, just look at POCO but IQOO messed up big time with IQOO Z3 5G, especially in the software department.
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The IQOO Z3 5G has tons of bugs that I can’t even mention here but hey, this is a review of IQOO Z3 5G, so I will talk about it in the software section.
So let’s start the review of IQOO Z3 5G and see, why this is not the best smartphone to buy under Rs 20,000 in India.
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That was it, I think you got the answer but still, if you want to buy IQOO Z3 5G then let’s talk a little more about every part of IQOO Z3.
Contents
IQOO Z3 5G Review
IQOO Z3 5G could have been the best Android smartphone under Rs 20,000 in India but because of its software, the same can’t be said. The phone does have fast charging support, 5G connectivity, powerful processor but the software is unstable which big let down and the cameras are also, not that great. Overall, it’s better to skip IQOO Z3 5G and take look at Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
IQOO Z3 5G Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Powerful Snapdragon 768G SoC | Unstable Software |
| Massive 55W Fast Charging | Decent Cameras |
| 120Hz Screen Refresh rate | Old Design |
| Well-Priced | LCD Display |
| No Stereo Speakers | |
| Only two 5G Bands (N77 and N78) | |
| Ads in the UI |
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Display and Build Quality
The IQOO Z3 5G comes with a 6.58-inches LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the front display is protected with Panda Glass.
Under the hood, the phone has Snapdragon 768G SoC which can handle a 120Hz refresh rate without any problem, so there won’t be any kind of problem with the 120Hz refresh rate.
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When you look at IQOO Z3 for the first time, you will say, this is a 2019 smartphone because it water-drop notch. This is an old design in a new smartphone, I can’t comment on the design because it depends on the user, let me know what you think about the water-drop notch in 2021.
Also, IQOO has said that IQOO Z3 5G supports HDR content but when I was watching movies on Prime Video and Netflix I didn’t see the HDR logo and any movies. So it looks like, IQOO needs to enable the HDR via OTA update and we all know, how the update works.
Coming to build, the phone is made out of plastic, it has a plastic back, plastic frame, and Panda glass on the front side. Let me know, have you ever heard of Panda glass.
Overall, build quality is kind of OK and the display is also good. IQOO should have given a 120Hz AMOLED display as we have seen the same thing with Redmi Note 10 Pro Max under 20k.
Cameras
Talking cameras, the IQOO Z3 comes with a 64MP primary sensor + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP macro sensor while there 16MP selfie shooter.
The phone can shoot video at 4k@60fps but it doesn’t have OIS support that means, when you shoot videos at 4k@60/30fps, the footage won’t be useable. So it’s better to use 1080p rather than 4k.
The video quality is good under good lighting but when it comes with low light, it loses out on details. Also, the camera tries to oversaturate the colors and that’s where I feel, IQOO needs to work because most of the users don’t like oversaturated colors.
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The same can be said for image quality too, when it comes to daylight or when you have good lighting, the camera gives you the best images but when the sun does down, the camera tries to overexpose the images and that’s where it gives more noise.
Also, don’t ever use the ultra-wide lens at night, always use a primary sensor, and that 2MP sensor is just added to make-up numbers and that’s it.
For those who love to take a selfie, this might be a good option as you won’t get nature colors with a 16MP selfie shooter. This is Vivo’s sub-brand, so what else do you expect.
This would be my line Camera review for IQOO Z3 5G,
The camera doesn’t have the best image quality, it oversaturates the colors and details is also not that great. The same can be said for the front camera too, In short, considering the price tag, the IQOO Z3 5G had average cameras.
Performance
The IQOO Z3 5G is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G processor and it’s running on Fun touch OS 11-based on Android 11. I have already talked about performance, so let me just add some of the lines from the premium article,
Everyone is different and some people will like Fun touch UI and some won’t and that’s not the problem here. So what’s the problem? IQOO has replaced the Google Chrome browser default page with their own Page and that page has ads.
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Also, by default, IQOO has granted all the permission to the Theme store without asking you and when you disable the theme store permission, IQOO asks for more permission which you have to give otherwise you won’t able to disable the theme store.
Also, some of the functions require permission. So you have to grant permission and give your IP address, Phone details, and more to IQOO and that details will be stored by IQOO for the next three years and of course, IQOO can share all of your details with other companies because you have click on Yes button.
These are the few things I have mentioned here, there are lots of features either don’t work or asks for permission. In short, Fun Touch OS is a mess on IQOO Z3, if you still want to buy the phone then go aahed, at your risk.
Also, the phone only has N77 & N78 5G bands, so it’s not like you’re getting true 5G support. One more thing, 5G network is not available in India and there is no update from the Indian Government or India network provider when 5G will roll out all over India.
Till, the 5G launches in India, I would go with the best 4G Android smartphone rather than a balanced 5G phone.
Talking about speed, you won’t face any problem while playing games or just using a smartphone, Snapdragon 768G SoC will handle almost everything without any problem.
Battery and Audio Quality
![iQOO Z3 vs Nord, Poco X3 Pro, Mi 10i Battery Drain Test | Charging Test | SD768G Gaming Test [Hindi]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uuBk_T-hYh0/hqdefault.jpg "IQOO Z3 5G Review with Pros and Cons - Full of Bloatware")
it has a 4,400 mAh battery with massive 55W fast charging support. Again, let’s not talk about Fun Touch OS, the battery will last for a day and even if it doesn’t, use a 55W charger.
The battery should last for a day but as I said, you can always use a 55W charger.
Coming to audio quality, IQOO Z3 only has a single speaker which is placed on the bottom side. In short, the audio quality is not that great.
I have also used Jio, Vi, and Airtel SIM cards and I haven’t faced any problem yet. SO yes, call quality is good o IQOO Z3.
Conclusion: IQOO Z3 Review
Someone has said, never ever buy a product on future updates and that’s the case with IQOO Z3. The phone has lots of bugs in the UI which can be ignored, the camera quality is also not that great, IQOO has used an old design, it has an LCD display. IQOO has done compromises that you can clearly see on the phone.
Related: Best Smartphones under Rs 15000
From MobileDrop, IQOO Z3 5G is not worth buying a smartphone at a 20k price tag. It could have been the best budget 5G smartphone but because of Fun Touch OS, the same can’t be said.
In short, if you want to buy a smartphone under Rs 20,000, you can take look at Redmi Note 10 Series or if you can go above 20k then there is no better option than RealMe X7 Max 5G.
IQOO Z3 FAQs
Q: How many 5G bands do IQOO Z3 have?
A: N77 and N78
Q: What is screen protection IQOO has used on IQOO Z3?
A: Panda protection
Q: How is the build quality of IQOO Z3?
A: Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back
Q: Does IQOO Z3 has an In-display fingerprint sensor?
A: No because the phone has an LCD display and in-display fingerprint can’t be placed on LCD penal.
Q: Does IQOO Z3 has NFC support?
A: No
Q: Does IQOO Z3 has Stereo Speakers?
A: No
IQOO Z3 5G Full Specification
| Launch Date | June 8, 2021 |
| First Sale | June 8, 2021, at noon via Amazon |
| Display Size | 6.58-inches FHD+ LCD |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution |
| Display Brightness | Unspecified |
| Dimensions | 164 x 75.3 x 8.5 mm |
| Display Protection | Panda |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 120Hz LCD |
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back |
| OS | Fun Touch OS 11.1- Oxygen OS 11 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM768 Snapdragon 768G 5G (7 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 620 |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×2.8 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) |
| Storage | 6GB Ram + 128GB Storage 8GB Ram + 128GB Storage 8GB Ram + 256GB Storage |
| Card Slot | Two SIM Card (No SD Card Slot) |
| Rear Cameras | 64 MP Primary Sensor 8 MP Ultra-Wide 2 MP monochrome sensor |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Front Camera | 16 MP Selfie Shooter |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| 3.5mm Jack | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| Stereo Speakers | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| 5G Support | Yes |
| 5G Bands | N77 and N78 |
| IR Blaster | No |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Side-Mounted |
| Battery | 4,400 mAh (non-removable) |
| Charging Speed | 55W Fast Charging |
| Charging Time | 50% in 19 minutes |
| Colors | Ace Black, Cyber Blue |
| Weight | 185.5 Gram |
| Model Number | – |
| SAR Value | – |
| Price | 6GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 19,999 8GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 20,990 8GB Ram + 256GB storage: Rs 22,990 |
| Available at | Buy@Amazon |
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