iQOO has announced the launch of iQOO 13 5G in India, as the brand’s most powerful smartphone to date. The device offers a triple rear camera setup, a 6000mAh battery, a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and much more. Here’s everything you need to know about the device, and whether you should consider buying it over the Realme GT 7 Pro.
iQOO 13 5G: India Price, Availability
The 12GB + 256GB model of the iQOO 13 is priced at Rs 54,999, while the 16GB + 512GB model is priced at Rs 59,999. HDFC and ICICI Bank card customers can avail of a discount of Rs 3,000. If not a card discount, non-Vivo/iQOO users can avail of a Rs 3,000 exchange bonus, while former Vivo/iQOO users can avail of a bonus of Rs 5,000. The handset is available in two shades: Nardo Grey and Legend (White).
The handset’s open sale will begin December 11 at 12 PM IST, but it can be pre-booked from December 5 at 12 PM IST on Amazon and 2 PM IST on iQOO’s website. Pre-booking the device gives you extra benefits, such as a 12-month extended warranty and a free pair of iQOO TWS 1e earbuds. For those who pre-book the device, the sale begins a day early, on December 10 at 10 AM IST.
iQOO 13: Specifications
The iQOO 13 sports a 6.82-inch 2K 8T LTPO OLED flat display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits brightness in HBM mode and 4500 nits peak brightness, 2592Hz PWM dimming, and OLED circular polarized light eye protection technology. The display is made by BOE and is tuned for iQOO. The iQOO 13 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC with up to 16GB LPDDR5x Ultra RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage.
For optics, the phone features a triple cam setup on the back, including an OIS-assisted 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX921 primary camera, a 50MP f/2.0 Samsung JN1 ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 50MP f/1.85 Sony IMX816 2x telephoto sensor with OIS. A 32MP f/2.45 sensor handles the selfies and video calls on the device.
The device draws power from a huge 6000mAh battery with 120W fast wired charging. In addition, iQOO 13 has a metal middle frame, a Halo light strip, an IP68 + IP69 rated body, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, NFC, IR blaster, stereo speakers, and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor.
iQOO 13 vs Realme GT 7 Pro
Display
The Realme GT 7 Pro sports a 6.78-inch 1.5K Resolution (2780 x 1264 pixels) Eco2 AMOLED Display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate, DC dimming, Gorilla Glass 7i protection, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 450 ppi, 10-bit colours, and 6500 nits peak brightness.
As mentioned above, the iQOO 13 features a 6.82-inch 2K 8T LTPO OLED flat display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits brightness in HBM mode and 4500 nits peak brightness, 2592Hz PWM dimming, and OLED circular polarized light eye protection technology.
While GT 7 Pro’s display is brighter, that seems to be its only advantage over iQOO’s display. That’s because iQOO 13 5G has a higher resolution panel and a faster 144Hz refresh rate that’ll result in a smoother experience in daily use.
Software & Performance
Both devices get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Processor under the hood, with up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. However, the iQOO 13 5G gets faster LPDDR5x Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. While the difference may not be noticeable in real-world use, because this comparison is solely based on on-paper specs, it still counts.
Software-wise, they both run on Android 15-based software, and whether you want to go for FunTouch OS 15 or Realme UI 6.0 is your personal preference. What we can tell you, though, is that iQOO will offer 4 years of major OS upgrades to iQOO 13 5G, while Realme will offer only 3 years. That’s something to consider if you plan to buy the device for a longer period of time.
Battery & Cameras
As for the optics, the GT 7 Pro has triple cameras on the back, including a 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 f/1.88 primary sensor with OIS, an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 f/2.65 2x telephoto sensor, while the front houses a 16-megapixel f/2.45 selfie camera.
iQOO equipped the iQOO 13 5G with an OIS-assisted 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX921 primary camera, a 50MP f/2.0 Samsung JN1 ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 50MP f/1.85 Sony IMX816 2x telephoto sensor with OIS. A 32MP f/2.45 sensor handles the selfies and video calls on the device.
Compared to Realme, iQOO’s triple camera setup on the back looks like a better choice, thanks to superior sensors. However, we cannot deny that a lot of processing relies on software as well, and to decide which one’s better in that space, we’ll have to use them side-by-side.
As for the batteries, iQOO 13’s 6000mAh cell is larger than Realme GT 7 Pro’s 5800mAh cell. Both have 120W fast-wired charging support, so there’s a tie.
Verdict
Realme GT 7 Pro starts at Rs 59,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model and goes up to Rs 63,999 for the top-end 16GB + 512GB model. On the other hand, iQOO 13’s top-end trim costs the same as Realme’s baseline GT 7 Pro, making it obvious which one’s the better deal.
In other words, price-wise, the iQOO 13 offers more value for money as it costs less than Realme’s handset but offers a better set of specs in most areas. Overall, we’d suggest buyers opt for the iQOO 13 over Realme’s handset unless they prefer Realme UI’s customisation option and other software features or its design.