iQOO Z9 Lite review

It is in this context that iQOO’s latest offering—the Z9 Lite—one of the most affordable 5G phones in the country, gains importance. After testing the device for over two weeks, here are my thoughts on this budget-friendly 5G smartphone:

A familiar-looking smartphone that packs a lot of nostalgia

The phone has a compact feel and is light in weight. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The iQOO Z9 Lite reminded me of smartphones from early 2020 for several reasons, such as the water-drop notch on the display, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. For anyone who recently bought a phone worth over Rs 20,000, the iQOO Z9 Lite might appear slightly dated. However, for those who have been using a budget phone from early 2020 or before, the iQOO Z9 Lite will feel very familiar with improved performance.

The fingerprint sensor, which doubles as a power button, is snappy and easy to access. The phone has a hybrid SIM slot, which can accept two nano SIM cards or one SIM and a microSD card. A separate microSD card slot would have been more beneficial.

The phone has a plastic build, which is expected from a device in this class. This, however, makes the phone rugged and almost impossible to break the back panel. Despite being a budget phone, it is IP64-rated, offering water and dust resistance.

Decent display that’s fast but lacks sharpness

Screen resolution is a downside of the Z9 Lite. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

When I held the phone, I was pleasantly surprised by how light it felt, even with its significantly large battery. The 6.59-inch HD+ resolution display is adequate for light gaming, video streaming, and scrolling through social media. Thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate, everything on the phone feels smooth and fluid. However, users switching from a phone with an OLED display might find the colours and contrast slightly lacking.

The display is complemented by a single speaker. Even at full volume, the speaker isn’t particularly loud, but it does have a 150 per cent mode that amplifies the audio. Unlike most phones with the primary speaker at the bottom, this one places it at the top, creating the illusion of having two speakers when it actually has just one mono speaker.

The iQOO Z9 Lite is Widevine L1 certified, allowing it to stream HD content on OTT platforms like Prime Video and Netflix. It can also stream YouTube videos at up to 2K resolution without any lag or stutter. However, it does lack HDR playback.

Decent cameras, but could have been better

The 50 MP main camera can take decent pictures. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The iQOO Z9 Lite features a dual-camera setup on the back, comprising a 50 MP primary sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor, with an additional 8 MP selfie camera on the front. In daylight conditions, these cameras capture decent shots. However, in low light and artificial lighting, images tend to appear soft, noisy, and lacking in detail, consistent with other phones in this price range.

Both the main and selfie cameras support video recording up to 1080p. Due to the absence of optical stabilisation, videos may appear somewhat shaky unless held very steady.

Here are some camera samples fro

m the iQOO Z9 Lite for your assessment:

iQOO Z9 Lite camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
iQOO Z9 Lite camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
iQOO Z9 Lite camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
iQOO Z9 Lite camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Plenty of power for everyday tasks

The 5G chip offers decent performance. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The iQOO Z9 Lite is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset paired with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, offering robust performance for a budget phone. The 720p resolution screen ensures smooth operation, and during my testing, I did not encounter any lag or stutter.

Thanks to this setup, the phone handles light gaming well, including games like COD: Mobile at lower graphics settings. On AnTuTu, the iQOO Z9 Lite scored 390,000 points, slightly below the company’s claimed 410,000. Surprisingly, I did not experience any overheating issues, even during extended gaming sessions with COD: Mobile.

The device runs on Android 14-based FunTouchOS 14 and comes with a few pre-installed apps, although not as many as seen on the Oppo Reno 12 Pro that I reviewed recently. Overall, it manages tasks such as video streaming, social media usage, and light gaming without any noticeable problems.

How does it perform on a 5G network?

The phone offers decent 5G performance. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

I conducted all my testing of the iQOO Z9 Lite on the Jio network. During testing, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 5G download speeds were better than those on the more expensive iQOO Z9x (review) that I recently tested. However, it’s still not on par with what you’d get from a mid-range or flagship phone.

Interestingly, I even managed to get 5G reception inside my room. However, the phone seems to lack Voice over New Radio (VoNR) support.

The Wi-Fi performance exceeded my expectations, delivering slightly higher download speeds than my internet service provider (ISP) advertised. Downloading games and apps from the Google Play Store was smooth and hassle-free. The phone supports Bluetooth 5.2 and both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks.

Good battery life with moderate charging speed

The battery can last all day. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The iQOO Z9 Lite features a decent-sized 5,000 mAh battery that, with conservative use, easily lasts all day. However, it takes slightly over two hours to fully charge the phone, making it one of the slower charging models from iQOO. Despite this, the phone remains cool during charging.

Verdict: A solid budget phone with 5G capability

An excellent entry-level smartphone with 5G connectivity. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The iQOO Z9 Lite is clearly targeted at budget-conscious consumers, with 5G connectivity being a standout feature. It supports both SA (standalone) and NSA (non-standalone) 5G networks and is compatible with Jio and Airtel 5G networks. If you’re in the market for an affordable smartphone that can take advantage of unlimited 5G data plans from Jio and Airtel or need a reliable hotspot device, the iQOO Z9 Lite is a great choice.