iQOO 9T review

Introduction and specs

The iQOO 9 lineup from this year is big. In addition to the vanilla iQOO 9 and the 9 Pro, we have the 9 SE, a vanilla option just for China and now a 9T. The latter seems to be the second refresh of a biannual upgrade scheme, and it's supposed to be a direct successor to the iQOO 9. However, the iQOO 9T has a lot more in common with the Pro model.

Instead of relying on a last-year chipset like its predecessor, the 9T boasts the latest and greatest from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is also a marginal upgrade over the 9 Pro. Additionally, the 9T borrows the competent 50MP main camera with OIS from the Pro version while retaining mostly the same secondary camera setup as the vanilla. One notable upgrade is the aperture of the telephoto camera as the 9T has it impressively large at f/2.0.

Moreover, the 9T is powered by the same 4,700 mAh battery as the 9 Pro and offers 120W fast charging. No wireless or reverse wireless charging capabilities, though.

vivo iQOO 9T specs at a glance:

• Body: 165.0x77.0x8.0mm, 206g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame, glass back; Dust and dripping water resistant.
• Display: 6.78" AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 388ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 730.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 12, Funtouch 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.0, 47mm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚, AF.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 4700mAh; Fast charging 120W, 50% in 8 min, 100% in 19 min (advertised).
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; FM radio; Infrared port; stereo speakers.

Compared to the iQOO 9, the 9T offers a modest upgrade in the display department as well. A bigger 6.78-inch 120Hz OLED panel is now at hand and promises higher peak brightness, protected by Gorilla Glass 5, instead of Panda Glass. Interestingly enough, the 9 Pro offers the same 6.78-inch diagonal but with a higher resolution.

Despite all the similarities, all iQOO 9 phones have different designs, so it's quite easy to tell them apart. An interesting approach, given that most brands go for one, recognizable design language for all phones in the same lineup.

Asking about INR 50,000, the iQOO 9T looks like a pretty solid deal, although recent price cuts of the 9 Pro could make some users think twice before buying. Both devices are too close in terms of pricing and feature sets, and luckily, we have reviewed the 9 Pro and the vanilla 9, so it's going to be an interesting comparison. Follow us onto the next pages to see which one of the iQOO 9s deserves your hard-earned money.

Unboxing the iQOO 9T

No matter which paint job you get, the iQOO 9T comes in a BMW M Motorsport-branded box, which in turn is quite rich in content. At least compared to other retail boxes.

In addition to the 120W-rated charger and USB-C to USB-C cable, there's also a transparent silicone case and a 3.5mm audio to USB-C dongle. A rare find these days, so kudos to iQOO.