Most manufacturers are beginning to roll out their flagships earlier this yr; the Find X8 Pro is now obtainable globally, the Vivo X200 is ready to make its debut shortly, and different telephones aren’t far behind. Vivo sub-brand iQOO can also be getting in on the motion, launching the iQOO 13 a month early.
The iQOO 13 retains an analogous design as its predecessor, but it surely comes with an even bigger 6.82-inch panel — the identical measurement because the OnePlus 13, by the way — and also you get all-new cameras on the again alongside the most recent Qualcomm {hardware}, and an enormous 6,150mAh battery with silicon-carbon tech.
Clearly, iQOO is making a behavior out of delivering vital upgrades on a yearly foundation, and whereas I used the iQOO 12 extensively all through the course of 2024, the iQOO 13 is significantly higher in key areas. Thankfully, what hasn’t modified is the model’s value-focused positioning — the iQOO 13 is probably the most reasonably priced cellphone powered by Qualcomm’s new silicon, and that alone makes it worthy of consideration.
iQOO 13: Pricing and availability
The iQOO 13 was unveiled in China on October 30, and the cellphone made its international debut on November 28. It is now obtainable in Indonesia, and will likely be making its strategy to India on December 3. The international variant is offered in 12GB/256GB and 16GB/512GB editions, and each fashions function LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage.
I’ll have particulars of Indian pricing shortly, however in Indonesia, the iQOO 13 prices 9,999,000 IDR ($630) for the 12GB/256GB model, and 11,999,000 IDR ($757) for the 16GB/512GB version.
iQOO 13: Design
The iQOO 13 is nearly indistinguishable to its predecessor by way of the design. Both telephones share the identical general aesthetic, and also you even get the identical digital camera island, albeit with a number of minor variations. The greatest change on the again is that the LED flash module now sits throughout the digital camera island, making a cleaner general look.
Other than that, the iQOO branding and the model’s tagline — Fascination Meets Innovation — alongside the BMW M livery is now positioned on the left. Outside of those two adjustments, the design is an identical. The digital camera island is marginally larger on the iQOO 13, however you will solely discover that should you’re utilizing it alongside the iQOO 12.
I do not thoughts that iQOO retained the identical design this time; the iQOO 13 appears simply as elegant as its predecessor, and the white coloration variant (it is known as Legend) is putting. While the cellphone nonetheless has flat sides, it has refined bevels the place it meets the again, and that makes utilizing the cellphone way more snug. It’s a small factor, however you simply discover the distinction when switching between the iQOO 12 and 13.
The sides are made out of aluminum, and the shiny coat is not to my liking. Thankfully, the glass again has a matte texture that feels nice, and it would not choose up smudges. The cellphone itself is a smidgen wider than the iQOO 12, and that is as a result of it has a bigger 6.82-inch panel. Considering the rise in measurement, it is good to see iQOO retaining related dimensions.
But probably the most spectacular achievement is that the cellphone is 0.4mm thinner whereas nonetheless that includes an enormous 6,150mAh battery — 1,150mAh greater than the iQOO 12. It is 10g heavier, and when you discover the added heft, it is not unwieldy, and it is nonetheless 8g lighter than the Pixel 9 Pro XL whereas supplying you with a a lot larger battery.
The energy and quantity buttons are on the appropriate, and also you get the USB-C port and SIM card tray on the backside. The iQOO 13 has stereo sound, and also you get a devoted channel up high that makes a substantial distinction. The IR blaster can also be situated on the high, and it holds up simply in addition to different Vivo and iQOO telephones I used.
Interestingly, iQOO went with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor this time round, and in contrast to the module on Samsung telephones, it’s truly usable and quick. It’s utilizing a Goodix sensor — like Vivo telephones — and I did not see any points with authentication. Notably, it’s positioned excellent to entry one-handed, not like a number of gadgets I examined this yr (taking a look at you, Find X8 Pro).
Another space the place the iQOO 13 has a substantial benefit is ingress safety; the system has IP68/IP69 mud and water resistance as customary, and that is on par with one of the best Android telephones. On the entire, the iQOO 13 is among the better-looking gadgets round, and whereas you do not get a brand-new design, the system remains to be trendy.
iQOO 13: Display
Although the design itself hasn’t modified, an space the place the iQOO 13 has a substantial improve is the display. You now get an even bigger 6.82-inch AMOLED panel, and the refresh charge is elevated to 144Hz, however that is in choose use instances — more often than not, it is right down to the usual 120Hz. The panel is noticeably brighter than final yr — going as much as 1800 nits in HBM mode — and whereas it would not fairly match the Pixel 9 Pro XL on this regard, there are zero points utilizing it underneath harsh daylight.
What’s nice about this era is that the bezels are even thinner, and that’s simply noticeable when viewing the iQOO 13 subsequent to its predecessor. The razor-thin bezels make gaming and streaming content material that rather more immersive, and on that be aware, I did not see any points with HDR content material in Netflix or YouTube.
There’s stereo sound as properly, and it will get loud and detailed sufficient that I did not see any points in common use. Color vibrancy is first rate out of the field, though the hues on my unit tended to skew just a little cooler. Thankfully, you get the flexibility to manually alter coloration heat, and swap to Bright or Professional modes. You even get the flexibility to dynamically alter colours based mostly on ambient mild.
The panel has QHD decision this time (3168 x 1440), and the elevated pixel density makes a distinction in day by day use — you get two further strains of textual content whereas shopping. Another trait I like is the suite of eye safety options iQOO is rolling out with this era; the iQOO 13 has 2592Hz PWM dimming in any respect brightness ranges, making it an awesome alternative should you’re delicate to DC dimming. It additionally has one thing known as anti-fatigue brightness adjustment, which principally tweaks brightness ranges over time to scale back pressure.
There’s additionally a round polarized tech, which claims to scale back dry eyes and fatigue by lowering the glare coming from the panel. As is the case with all telephones on this class, you get LTPO as customary, and the panel is ready to go right down to 1Hz when viewing photos or in always-on mode. On that topic, you get always-on kinds much like most Vivo telephones working Funtouch OS, however there are a number of distinctive to iQOO.
iQOO 13: Performance and battery
Obviously, an enormous promoting level of the iQOO 13 is that it comes with the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. Although most telephones powered by the silicon value upwards of $1,000, the iQOO 13 has the excellence of being probably the most reasonably priced of the lot, coming in on the equal of $630.
Without burying the lede an excessive amount of, what I can let you know proper now could be that the iQOO 13 is a efficiency beast. It blazes by means of day by day use instances with out breaking a sweat, and it handles demanding video games simply as properly. I did not see any points with overheating, and whereas the cellphone is on the conservative aspect with thermals, it would not throttle wherever as early as its predecessor.
| Category | OPPO Find X8 Pro | iQOO 13 |
|---|---|---|
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Overall) | 16435 | 16043 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Web Browsing) | 19410 | 16307 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Video Editing) | 6834 | 6899 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Writing) | 14464 | 20445 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Photo Editing) | 31693 | 39044 |
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 2747 | 2954 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 8404 | 6650 |
| Geekbench AI (Quantized Score) | 1946 | 3915 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme (rating) | 6176 | 4514 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme (FPS) | 36.985 | 27.025 |
| 3DMark Solar Bay (rating) | 9308 | 7287 |
| 3DMark Solar Bay (FPS) | 35.395 | 27.695 |
The iQOO 13 scored considerably larger than the Dimensity 9400-based Find X8 Pro in Geekbench 6’s single and multi-core exams, and it was twice as quick in Geekbench AI. While it would not fairly measure up in 3DMark exams, it managed a greater stability rating of 75.9% within the demanding Steel Nomad Light stress take a look at, and did not transcend 42 levels Celsius.
While most video games are nonetheless locked to 60fps, there are choose titles that go as much as 90fps and past. Interestingly, iQOO makes use of a customized Q2 chip to upscale video games and increase framerates, and it does an awesome job on this regard. What I like probably the most is that it reduces jitter by sustaining a gradual framerate, with the function much like what NVIDIA and AMD provide with G-Sync and FreeSync.
I’m utilizing the 16GB/512GB mannequin of the iQOO 13, and I did not run into any points with the storage or reminiscence. Multitasking is dealt with effortlessly, and the software program is secure and optimized to benefit from the silicon. You get all the suite of AptX codecs, and there is Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and dual-band Global Positioning System.
The vibration motor has been overhauled, and it delivers significantly better suggestions this time round. You can alter the depth of the suggestions, and whereas the Find X8 Pro and Vivo X100 Ultra nonetheless have an edge on this space, there’s a noticeable distinction over the iQOO 12.
The iQOO 13 comes with an enormous 6,150mAh battery, though the Indian variant has a barely smaller 6,000mAh battery. The elevated battery measurement together with the effectivity beneficial properties of Qualcomm’s newest silicon means you get an enormous uptick in battery life, and I received not less than two days of use between costs. Even with heavy use, I did not should cost the iQOO 13 throughout the two-day window; it is among the finest gadgets I used on this regard.
The improve in battery measurement is attributed to the swap to a silicon-carbon anode. Going this route permits manufacturers to extend battery density, and that is why most Chinese-branded telephones in 2025 have heady beneficial properties on this space. The limitation is that there is a single cell, however because the iQOO 13 makes use of Vivo’s 120W charging tech, it takes simply 34 minutes to completely cost the system.
It went as much as the 50% mark in simply 14 minutes, taking one other 20 minutes to get the remainder of the way in which. Honestly, should you want two-day battery life and one of the best charging tech at present obtainable, the iQOO 13 is difficult to beat.
iQOO 13: Cameras
The iQOO 13 will get a trio of 50MP cameras on the again, together with a 50MP Sony IMX921 with 1/1.56-inch sensor and OIS, 50MP Samsung JN1 wide-angle lens with autofocus, and a 50MP Sony IMX816 telephoto with 2x optical zoom and OIS. If that sounds acquainted, it is as a result of the cameras are an identical to the Vivo V40 Pro — and the V30 Pro. The entrance digital camera is completely different, and it is utilizing a 32MP module.
The digital camera interface itself is an identical to final yr; you get the taking pictures modes in a grid on the backside, and you’ll simply swap between the varied lenses. The cellphone has a Humanistic road mode that enhances the distinction and provides a heavy vignette to the photographs, leading to photos that look very completely different to what you get from the common modes.
When it involves movies, all of the lenses on the again can shoot 4K60, and that is good to see. There’s first rate stabilization, and whereas the resultant footage is not fairly on the identical degree as different flagships I used, it’s higher than the iQOO 12.
Image 1 of 13
The iQOO 13 takes implausible photographs in daylight situations, producing photographs with nice dynamic vary and coloration accuracy. Just just like the V40 Pro, foliage would not have one of the best definition, however exterior of that, I haven’t got any points with the digital camera as such. The cellphone does simply as properly in low-light photographs, and whereas you do not get fairly the identical coloration vibrancy because the Vivo X100 Ultra, X100 Pro, Find X8 Pro, or different flagships, it delivers usable photographs.
The wide-angle lens additionally does an awesome job in its personal proper, as does the 2x lens. Obviously, having a 3x zoom lens could be perfect, however you miss out on that, and whereas I received usable photographs at as much as 5x, it is not the identical as having a devoted optical zoom lens with a higher zoom issue. The auxiliary lenses do not fairly measure up at low-light, and that is the place you see the largest distinction to the likes of the X100 Pro.
Ultimately, the iQOO 13 posts a robust exhibiting, and whereas I put the cellphone one tier under different flagships, it does a significantly better job than its predecessor, and it is among the finest on this class. Yes, you will get higher photographs out of the Vivo X100 Pro or the Find X8 Pro, however you will additionally must shell out way more money.
iQOO 13: Software
There is not a lot to speak about on the software program entrance. The iQOO 13 runs Vivo’s Funtouch OS 15 based mostly on Android 15 out of the field, and whereas it’s technically new, the UI is visually unchanged to final yr. You get the identical notification pane, related styling all through, and the identical customizability.
That mentioned, the interface is fluid, and notably, it would not really feel fairly as iOS-esque as ColorOS 15, and that is an ironic turnaround contemplating the software program’s roots. Anyway, what it’s essential know is that the styling is not cumbersome, and also you get helpful extras, together with floating home windows, a sensible sidebar, and simple multitasking.
Interestingly, there’s an RGB LED ring across the rear digital camera island dubbed Monster Halo, and it may be used for something from notification and name alerts to battery notifications, and an atmospheric mode that cycles lighting results. Look, I’m all-in on RGB lighting, however I did not use this function as a lot because it entails placing the cellphone face-down on a desk, and I do not do this. But I’ll should admit that it is rather cool, and you’ll customise colours and results by going into the settings — it is known as Dynamic mild.
The solely annoyance I bumped into is that Funtouch remains to be a bit aggressive with reminiscence administration, so you will want to enter the settings to disable optimization to get well timed push notifications. Outside of that, I did not see many issues. As is the case with each cellphone, you get a collection of AI-enabled options, and these largely contain picture enhancing — much like Magic Eraser on the Pixels.
There’s excellent news on the replace aspect of issues as properly, with iQOO guaranteeing 4 Android OS updates alongside 5 years of safety updates to the iQOO 13. That’s one platform replace greater than what the iQOO 12 will choose up, and it is good to see iQOO matching Vivo on this regard. The cellphone picked up two software program updates with stability tweaks and the most recent safety replace, and it is good to see iQOO’s telephones getting the identical degree of consideration as their Vivo siblings.
iQOO 13: The competitors
The 2025 launch cycle is about to warmth up, and the iQOO 13 goes up towards the OnePlus 13. That system additionally has an enormous battery and 6.82-inch AMOLED panel, and it ought to take higher photographs. It comes right down to what it prices in international locations like India, however it’s unlikely to ship the identical worth because the iQOO 13.
Although the X100 Pro is significantly extra expensive, it has the most effective digital camera packages of the yr. If that is a key consideration, I’d advocate getting the X100 Pro as a substitute; in any other case, the iQOO 13 is the higher cut price by a protracted shot.
iQOO 13: Should you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You want the most recent Qualcomm {hardware}
- You want one of the best battery life
- You desire a cellphone for gaming
- You want an enormous AMOLED panel that is eye-friendly
- You need good cameras
You should not purchase this if:
- You want one of the best telephoto lenses
- You need one of the best low-light photographs
Ultimately, the iQOO 13 reinforces the truth that you need not spend north of $1,000 to get flagship-tier high quality. The cellphone has the most recent Qualcomm {hardware}, a high-quality AMOLED show with helpful options, fluid software program, and it’ll choose up long-term software program updates.
The cellphone does a superb job at gaming, and it is not exhausting to see why — iQOO is clearly focusing on a youthful viewers with the system, and the distinctive additions permit you get secure framerates with out worrying about overheating. On that be aware, the battery life is one of the best of any system I used this yr, and you will solely must cost the cellphone each two days on common.
There are first rate upgrades with the cameras as properly, and whereas the iQOO 13 would not fairly measure as much as the Find X8 Pro or Vivo X100 Ultra, it’s significantly better than its predecessor on this regard, and that is an achievement in and of itself. Overall, should you want one of the best {hardware} however do not wish to shell out fairly as a lot money, the iQOO 13 is your best option.
