iQOO Z5 5G Review: Fully Loaded Mid-Ranger

Making a smartphone that’s successful is an act of balancing good specifications and understanding the requirement of the end-user. If this is done right then the result is a phone that is tagged value for money. The Vivo sub-brand iQOO has come up with several such phones since its inception. Their new smartphone iQOO Z5 5G also comes fully loaded with features that are an upgrade from its predecessor iQOO Z3 5G. But at the same time in order to save some cost the company has cut some corners too. Here in this review, I shall list out all the Pros and Cons of the device and whether is it a good buy or not.

The iQOO z5 5G is priced at Rs. 23,990. for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant while the 12GB RAM with 256GB storage variant costs Rs. 26,990. The device is made available in two colour variants, these are: Arctic Dawn and Mystic Space and the device is available to purchase from Amazon.in and Iqoo.com.

Here are the things you get inside the box of iQOO Z5 5G:

• iQOO Z5 5G Handset
• 44W Charging Adapter
• Type-C charging cable
• SIM Eject Tool
• Transparent Case
• Documentation

Let’s talk about the on-paper specifications of the iQOO Z5 5G at first:

• Display: 6.67-inch, FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels),IPS LCD,120Hz,HDR10, 650 nits, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Panda Glass
• Camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP | 16MP Front Camera
• Battery: Li-Ion 5000 mAh Battery with 44W fast-charging
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G
• RAM & ROM: 8GB/12GB RAM | 128 GB, 256GB
• Dimensions: 164.7 x 76.7 x 8.5 mm
• Weight: 193 grams

iQOO Z5 5G comes with a punch-hole display at the front with the selfie camera situated in the centre and with slim bezels and a protruding camera module at the back. Along with a triple camera setup and an LED the back panel also has a glossy iQOO branding. The logo will shimmer based on the angle of light falling on it. The back is matt finished and also has a subtle glamour when you tilt it in different angles. I have the device in Arctic dawn colour and it looks neat. 

The back has a matt finish so you don’t have to worry about the back panel getting smudgy or smeared but the front isn’t oleophobic. I would have liked to see Gorilla glass protection at this price range in the phone. Instead, the company has decided to opt for Panda Glass which can be considered similar to Gorilla glass 3 in terms of protection.

Also Read: Amazon Great Indian Festival 2021: These iQOO Flagships Receive BIG Discounts

Moving onto the sides, the left side of the phone is left empty and on the right side you have the volume rockers and the power button which also works as a fingerprint scanner. This is quite a trend that I have seen in budget smartphones these days that feature a fingerprint scanner and doubling the power button as a fingerprint scanner. I think we all agree that in budget smartphones instead of an in-display fingerprint scanner a physical fingerprint scanner is a lot better. Thanks to the fingerprint placement the unlock process is very fast and even the facial recognition is fairly fast. The overall fit and finish of the device are way better than I have seen on the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE and Samsung Galaxy M52 5G both of which are much more expensive than this phone. 

The display instead of the AMOLED display iQOO has decided to go with the LCD display. Don’t worry the company still decided to include a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz refresh rate IPS LCD display in the phone. But since it is not an AMOLED display everything might not seem as bright and vibrant as it should be. The phone is bright enough at 650 nits you can use it out and the display will be visible to do almost anything whether it is gaming or taking video calls. 

The company has also decided to include the support of Widevine L1 which means you won’t have any problem while watching high-resolution movies or TV shows at full HD resolution on all the streaming apps. As I mentioned it is an LCD display but the displays not that bad and it features good colour reproduction and doesn’t feel cheap. But still, the company should have provided an AMOLED panel as that’s what all competitor brands are using these days.