iQOO Z3 5G launched at a starting price of Rs 19,990, but does it beat the competition?

iQOO Z3 5G has been launched in an already competitive mid-budget segment in India. At a starting price of Rs 19,990, the smartphone faces contenders from the likes of Xiaomi, Realme, Poco and Motorola.

Though it promises big on specifications and features, it might not turn out to be the best in every category for its price. Trying to select a device in this budget might then be confusing for some. Here is a comparison of some top smartphones in this category to bring some order to the standings.

All the devices listed here have a starting price of less than Rs 20,000 and boast some of the top specifications in this category. Some outrank the others. Here is a look.

iQOO Z3 5G - Rs 19,990

iQOO now has an impressive presence in the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment. The device is an attempt to bring the company's premium technologies to the budget smartphone segment. These include its extended RAM technology and a five-layer liquid cooling system for heat dissipation.

What stands out for iQOO Z3 5G is its design. It is simply great to look at and is sure to grab the attention of the onlookers. The smartphone also boasts of the title of being the first in the country to come with Snapdragon 768G SoC. Memory options include 6GB RAM and 128GB storage on the base variant. It runs Android 11 based FunTouch OS 11.1.

All this enables an impressive performance on the iQOO Z3 5G. We experienced the device for about a week, and we found it to be well suited for any sort of use. It does, however, have its shortcomings.

The triple-lens camera setup, for instance, is not a top-notch experience for photographers. It uses a 64-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro lens. Though sufficient for straight-up shots and portraits, it tends to lose details in some other instances.

The display also compromises to a 6.58-inch LCD with 2408x1080 pixels resolution. While it is good to binge-watch by itself, it does not match up to some of the other offerings at its price.

Read our full review here

Here are some of the competitors of the iQOO Z3 in the Indian market.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max - Rs 18,999

Gunning for the top contender in this category is the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. The phone promises big on every front, living up to the Redmi Note legacy. It comes with a quad-camera module at the back neatly set up on an attractive back panel. The highlight? It has a 108-megapixel primary lens.

This is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. At the front is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter housed as a punch-hole on a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with 2400x1080 pixels resolution and a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor and runs Android 11 based MIUI 12. Memory offerings include a 6GB RAM on the base variant that is priced below Rs 20,000 and a 64GB internal storage.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is backed by a big 5000 mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The device weighs 192 grams and comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Read our full review here.

Motorola Moto G60 - Rs 17,999

Motorola brought in an impressive contender in this price segment last month. The Moto G60 has been launched as the first Motorola smartphone with a 108-megapixel camera. Other than the primary lens, there is an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens that doubles up as a macro lens, as well as a depth sensor. At the front, there is an equally impressive 32-megapixel selfie shooter.

This punch-hole selfie camera is housed in a 6.8-inch LCD display that comes with a 2460x1080 pixels resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor and 6GB RAM along with 128GB of storage.

The smartphone draws its juice from a massive 6,000mAh battery. As a result, it is also bulky, weighing a hefty 225 grams and spanning 9.8mm in thickness. The phone has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

You can check out our complete review for the Motorola Moto G60 here.

Read our full review here

Poco X3 Pro - Rs 18,999

While others claim big on the camera, there is no beating the Poco X3 Pro in terms of performance. That is because the smartphone employs a Snapdragon 860 SoC, an altogether different series of Qualcomm chipsets that supersede the Snapdragon 700 series used in all other smartphones in this category.

The base variant offers 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. It has a 6.67-inch display with 2400x1080 pixels resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The device runs Android 11 based MIUI 12 for Poco.

Poco X3 Pro is backed by a solid 5000 mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The battery makes the phone heavy, as it weighs a considerable 215 grams on the scale. It measures 9.4 mm in thickness.

Poco X3 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup at the back that includes a 48-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, it comes with a 20-megapixel lens in a punch-hole form on top.

Read our full review here

Realme Narzo 30 Pro - Rs 15,999

This one makes it to the list because of its most pocket-friendly price tag and competitive specifications. Realme Narzo 30 Pro sports a 6.5-inch full-HD+ LCD with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top.

It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC that enables the phone to have 5G connectivity at the lowest price point in the market right now. It runs Android 10 based Realme UI, missing out on the latest Android. Memory on offer includes 6GB RAM and 64GB storage for the base variant.

For optics, Narzo 30 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup with 48-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The device weighs around 194 grams and sports a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

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