Update 20/12/2023: Tipster Mukul Sharma posted on X that the iQOO Neo 9 Pro will be coming to India in January 2024. The handset will have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Chipset under the hood instead of Dimensity 9300 found in the China variant. Further, it will have the same design language as its Chinese counterpart.
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iQOO unveiled the Neo 8 series in China back in May of this year and revealed new iQOO Neo 7 series smartphones in India during the year. The Vivo-owned subsidiary now seems to be ready to unveil its next set of devices in the Neo series, which will comprise the iQOO Neo 9 lineup. Have a look at some of the leaks and set your expectations from the smartphones based on them.
iQOO Neo 9 series: Design
Update 29/11/2023: iQOO has officially posted a launch teaser containing the rear design of the iQOO Neo 9, thereby confirming that the leaked design was accurate. The device can be seen with a red-white dual tone panel, along two camera modules.
iQOO Neo 9 series is set to get a refreshed design over its predecessors, according to design sketch of the Neo 9 shared by tipster Digital Chat Station. DCS claims that it will come with a rear glass that would be curved on all four sides. Further, the back panel is divided into two unequal halves which suggests it could have a dual-tone design. The phone will also be thinner than the iQOO Neo 8.
Aside from that, there are two cameras modules on the back which should purportedly house three sensors. The front seems to have thin bezels on all four sides, while the power button and volume rocker can be seen on the right side of the phone. Lastly, the bottom should have the USB-C port, speaker and mic as usual, however, that hasn’t been shown in the sketch.
iQOO Neo 9 series: Specifications
According to the information shared by the tipster, the iQOO Neo 9 series will have upgraded specifications over the Neo 8 and Neo 8 Pro, especially in terms of the processor. DCS says that the Neo 9 would be getting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 while the Neo 9 Pro could get the MediaTek Dimensity 9300. The Neo 8 had the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 while the iQOO Neo 8 Pro had MediaTek Dimensity 9200+.
Aside from that, the iQOO Neo 9 and Neo 9 Pro are expected to feature a 1.5K Resolution screen which could be 6.78-inch in size. Next, the iQOO Neo 9 is said to sport the Sony IMX920 sensor for the main camera, which was introduced in the Vivo X100. Lastly, the smartphones could be backed by a 5000mAh battery with 120W Fast charging support, identical to their predecessors.
As to what all we have about the smartphones, that’s about it for now. It would be interesting to see whether iQOO decides to bring the Neo 9 series in India, considering it skipped the Neo 8 series. Or, it could also launch the Neo 9 series as Neo 8 series smartphones in the country. Whatever the case may be, we’ll have to wait for an official announcement from the brand. As of now, iQOO is preparing to launch India’s first Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powered smartphone, the iQOO 12, on December 12, 2023.