iQOO 12 Review
Flagship phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro regularly command prices around Rs. 80,000 (roughly $1,100). Even their baseline or “Plus” models don’t fall much below that threshold. If spending that much still feels steep, you might consider the OnePlus 12 at around Rs. 65,000 ($800) for a near-flagship experience.
However, there’s another contender that offers comparable horsepower for less money: the iQOO 12. Launched late last year, it earned the distinction of being India’s first phone powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. After spending several weeks using it alongside other premium devices, it’s clear this phone merits serious attention. Speed is only one part of the picture, though—design, camera performance, battery endurance, and display quality all play crucial roles. Let’s explore how the iQOO 12 measures up across each of these categories.
Design Highlights
The iQOO 12 strikes a fine balance between durability, ergonomics, and everyday comfort.
- Slim Profile: Despite packing a substantial 5000 mAh battery, it remains one of the thinnest high-performance smartphones available (approximately 8 mm thick).
- Flat Display and Edges: The flat front glass and straight side rails convey a clean, modern aesthetic. Subtle rounding at the corners ensures it never feels sharp when gripping it one-handed.
- Premium Finish: The “Desert Red” variant I tested sports a finely textured matte surface that repels fingerprints and dust, virtually eliminating the need for a case. It adds confidence when holding it—especially during summer sweats.
- Lightweight Build: At just 192 g, it’s noticeably lighter than several flagship peers (for comparison, the OnePlus 12 tips the scales closer to 210 g). That lightness transforms long gaming or video-call sessions into a less taxing experience.
- Solid Protection: The front glass features high-grade damage resistance, and the glass-back model gets the same treatment on the rear panel. On top of that, IP64 certification safeguards against dust ingress and splashes—enough to weather an unexpected drizzle.
- Thoughtful Details: Tactile buttons are positioned for ergonomic reach, and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor doubles as a responsive power button. The slightly recessed dual-SIM tray prevents accidental popping out, while retaining easy removal when switching cards.
Overall, iQOO’s design strikes a premium note without resorting to gimmicks. It feels like a refined, robust tool that’s built for both work and play.
- Display: 6.78″ AMOLED (1.5K)
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Memory: 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage
- OS: …
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Flagship-Level Performance
Beneath its sleek exterior lies a performance powerhouse that delivers consistent speed and responsiveness.
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: As India’s first handset to adopt Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, the iQOO 12 breezes through any task—from heavy multitasking to AI-driven photo processing.
- Dedicated Q1 Super-Computing Chip: This co-processor offloads graphics and AI workloads, ensuring sustained performance under extended gaming or editing sessions.
- Top-Tier Storage and RAM: UFS 4.0 flash storage yields near-instant app launches and file transfers, while 12 GB or 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM allows you to keep dozens of apps and browser tabs open without hiccups.
- Benchmark Scores: In real-world tests, the iQOO 12 consistently lands in the top 5 percent of Android devices, outpacing many competitors in Geekbench and 3DMark runs.
- Gaming Capabilities: It can push titles like Call of Duty Mobile and BGMI up to 90 FPS on high settings, and offers 144 Hz refresh-rate gaming for titles that support it. That level of smoothness is usually reserved for specialist gaming phones.
- Advanced Cooling: A vapor-chamber heatsink spanning over 6,000 mm² dissipates heat evenly, so even during marathon gaming or 4K video editing the chassis never becomes uncomfortably hot. The system dynamically balances clock speeds to maintain cool, sustained performance.
For users who demand both raw power and long-term reliability, the iQOO 12’s hardware and thermal management are standout features at this price point.
Battery Performance and Charging
Long days away from an outlet are handled with confidence, thanks to both battery capacity and blisteringly fast charging.
- All-Day Endurance: In my testing—covering messaging apps, social media, music streaming via Bluetooth, video playback, and occasional camera use—I consistently finished the day with around 10 percent battery remaining if unplugged at 9:30 AM and heavily used until 10 PM.
- 120 W Super-Charge: The inclusive charger refuels the phone from zero to 100 percent in roughly 30 minutes. That’s faster than almost any true flagship on the market, making quick top-ups midday entirely practical.
- Battery Health Management: Software-driven charging algorithms protect long-term battery health by tapering the current once the cell reaches 80 percent and monitoring temperature throughout the cycle.
- Smart Power Profiles: The phone offers customizable power-saving modes—from “Balanced” to “Ultra Endurance”—allowing you to stretch the charge by adjusting refresh rate, background activity, and vibration intensity.
Whether you’re a casual user or a power user, the combination of robust battery capacity and rapid recharge makes the iQOO 12 a reliable companion for busy days.
AMOLED Display and Audio
This section underscores how the screen and speakers work in tandem to elevate media consumption.
- 6.78-Inch LTPO AMOLED Panel: With dynamic refresh rates from 1 Hz up to 144 Hz, it balances fluid motion graphics and efficient power usage.
- Peak Brightness: The display peaks at 3,000 nits—making it one of the brightest Android screens ever. Outdoor visibility remains exceptional, even under direct sunlight.
- Colour and Clarity: Factory-calibrated for wide DCI-P3 coverage, it renders vivid hues without oversaturation. Text remains crisp thanks to a 1,260 × 2,800 pixel (1.5K) resolution (≈460 PPI).
- Thin Bezels: The nearly edge-to-edge layout and four-sided chamfering provide an immersive viewing experience.
- Water-Resistant Touch: Screen responsiveness is unaffected by raindrops or wet fingers—perfect for rainy-day browsing or gameplay.
- Dual Stereo Speakers: Tuned with stereo separation and wide frequency range, the loudspeakers deliver rich mids and clear highs at high volumes without crackling or distortion.
- Audio Extras: Support for aptX HD and LDAC over Bluetooth ensures high-resolution wireless audio. A built-in DAC also drives wired headphones with deep bass and low noise.
The combination of a state-of-the-art display and premium audio hardware makes the iQOO 12 a standout in multimedia performance.
Camera System
To truly earn “flagship” status, a smartphone needs adept imaging capabilities. The iQOO 12’s camera hardware and software work in harmony to deliver consistently strong results.
- Versatile Triple-Lens Array:
• 50 MP primary sensor (1/1.3″, f/1.8 aperture) with OIS
• 50 MP ultra-wide (120° field of view, f/2.2 aperture)
• 64 MP periscope telephoto (3× optical zoom, f/2.6 aperture)
• 16 MP front-facing camera with 4K video support - Low-Light Mastery: The large primary sensor gathers exceptional detail at night. Skies remain noise-free, highlights don’t blow out, and shadow regions show fine texture—even in sub-10 lux conditions.
- Daylight Excellence: Rich, natural greens and balanced skies demonstrate solid dynamic range. HDR mode works subtly, never over-exposed highlights or flattening shadows.
- Portrait Mode: Background separation is generally accurate in bright settings, though edge detection can soften slightly under dim lighting. Skin-tone rendering remains lifelike, avoiding unnatural smoothing.
- Zoom Versatility: Transitioning from 1× to 3× optical zoom to 10× digital still maintains commendable detail and colour consistency—ideal for distant subjects or spontaneous close-ups.
- Selfie Quality: The front camera supplies crisp detail and realistic skin tones, with optional beauty filters that can be dialled down or turned off entirely in settings.
- Video Performance:
• 4K at 60 FPS with electronic stabilization for smooth footage, even while walking.
• Night-mode video captures in low light with negligible focus hunting or noise.
• Accurate colour reproduction and well-controlled highlight roll-off for balanced exposure.
In the Rs. 50,000–Rs. 60,000 segment, no other phone matches the iQOO 12’s all-round imaging prowess—particularly when the lights go down.
Software and Features
Software polish and update commitment are key to long-term satisfaction.
- Android 14 and Funtouch OS 14: Ships with the latest Android version, featuring a clean, near-stock experience with thoughtful iQOO enhancements.
- Update Commitment: Three major OS upgrades (Android 15, 16, and 17) and four years of security patches ensure lasting software support.
- Minimal Bloat: Preinstalled apps are limited to essentials like LinkedIn, Google Pay, and Facebook—each of which you can remove if unwanted.
- Customization Suite:
• Kinetic Wallpapers that animate based on your activity level
• Four Always-On Display themes refreshing at 1 Hz for negligible battery impact
• Dynamic theming driven by your wallpaper or selectable accent colours
• Lock-screen widgets, clock styles, and fonts for personalized flair - Productivity and Gaming Tools:
• Floating windows for true multitasking
• Game Space dashboard offering FPS overlays, performance profiles, and notification blocking
• Smart sidebar with app shortcuts and quick toggles
Animations feel fluid, and the UI logic is intuitive—especially if you’re accustomed to Oppo or OnePlus skins. Overall, Funtouch OS 14 strikes a strong balance between flexibility and ease of use.
Connectivity and Extras
- 5G and Dual-SIM: Full support for Indian 5G bands, dual-nano SIM slots, and dual-standby functionality.
- Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3: Fast, reliable wireless connections with low latency—key for cloud gaming and high-res audio streaming.
- NFC and UWB: Contactless payments, smart-device unlock, and precision device-finding features.
- Infrared Blaster: Control TVs, air conditioners, and other IR-enabled appliances.
- USB-C Port: USB 3.1 Gen 1 bandwidth for PC-link file transfers and wired display output; supports OTG accessories such as game controllers and external storage.
These extras round out the iQOO 12 as a truly comprehensive package.
Pricing and Availability
Available in three colours—Desert Red, Midnight Black, and Arctic Blue—and two memory configurations in India:
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs. 52,999
- 16GB RAM + 512GB storage: Rs. 57,999
HDFC, SBI, and ICICI cardholders can unlock up to Rs. 2,000 instant cashback, effectively reducing the entry-level price to around Rs. 50,999. The phone is available through Amazon and iQOO’s own website.
Final Thought
The iQOO 12 masterfully undercuts traditional flagship pricing without cutting corners. It offers:
- Uncompromising speed and heat management
- All-day battery life with lightning-fast charging
- Bright, high-refresh-rate display and punchy stereo sound
- Versatile camera setup that excels in all lighting scenarios
- Polished software experience with a strong update roadmap
For performance enthusiasts, mobile gamers, and multimedia aficionados alike, the iQOO 12 delivers a rare synergy of hardware prowess, battery endurance, and software finesse at a value that’s hard to beat. Its only real competition comes from other performance-focused models in the sub-Rs. 60,000 segment—but few match its complete feature set. If you want flagship thrills without the flagship bill, the iQOO 12 should be at the top of your list.
