iQOO 15: The Ultimate Monster Smartphone Experience

In an era where form often overshadows function in technology, exemplified by increasingly thin and foldable smartphones, the iQOO 15 emerges as a breath of fresh air.

With the tagline “monster inside” prominently displayed in its promotional materials, along with it etched onto the back of certain models, this smartphone boasts the most potent Android processor currently available. Having adopted it as a primary device for the last fortnight, it is important to share the strengths, highlights, and areas that need refinement, especially since it starts at ₹72,999. Does it indeed live up to the “monster inside” promise? Let’s explore.

Design & Build

The iQOO 15 presents an attractive design. It plays it safe in all the right contexts, with a comfortable grip suitable for prolonged use, whether scrolling through social media or gaming into the night.

This smartphone features an aluminium frame with a glass back that has a satin finish, providing a pleasant tactile experience. The device feels robust and durable, equipped with IP68 & 69 certifications, ensuring that spills and even high-pressure water jets are not a concern. The prominent camera bump contains the “monster halo”, an LED that alerts users about incoming messages, calls, and battery status when the phone is idle. Overall, it features a reliable build that inspires confidence for use without a case.

Performance: Monstrous Indeed

At the heart of the iQOO 15 is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, enabling gaming at the highest settings. During extensive use, including intense sessions of Call of Duty Mobile and exploring the captivating storyline of Genshin Impact while occasionally scrolling through Instagram, the device performed seamlessly with no observed stutters or lags.

The gaming prowess of the brand is clearly evident here, as this smartphone handles all games effortlessly, even those requiring ray-tracing capabilities. A dedicated Supercomputing chip Q3 enhances performance when necessary, while a designated Q-Chip zone allows users to maximise resolution and frame rates to “extreme”, albeit at the loss of ray-tracing. This significant customisability and graphic control distinguish the iQOO 15 as a leading Android gaming smartphone.

Frame rates remain stable, and graphics appear exquisite, while the ray-tracing capabilities, although not comparable to a PC, are satisfactory for a screen of this size.

Additionally, the device remains cool during usage, attributed to iQOO’s high-end vapour cooling chamber, cited as the largest in India at 8000mm². An AnTuTu score exceeding 4 million was claimed by iQOO, and upon testing, it yielded approximately 3.9 million, a commendable result nonetheless.

Display: It’s a Samsung?!

The display is a 6.85-inch 144Hz LTPO AMOLED, crafted by Samsung, delivering stunning visuals. It showcases sharp, vibrant colours in 2K resolution.

With a peak brightness of 6000 nits and 2600 nits of global brightness, content visibility in direct sunlight poses no issue. Gamers benefit from its high refresh rate, along with adjustable touch sampling rates, enhancing control during gameplay, even with wet fingers, courtesy of its “wet finger control” feature.

Battery: Another Big Win

Housing a 7000 mAh battery, the iQOO 15 effortlessly lasts around one and a half days under diverse usages, including calls, photography, gaming, and social media engagement. Standby times are also impressive; for instance, the battery remained at 58% after being left untouched from 10 AM until 9 PM.

Included in the box is a 100W flash charger, along with 40W wireless charging options, ensuring users experience no battery anxiety or dependence on power banks.

Camera: A Hand-Me-Down?

The camera system on the iQOO 15 captures impressive images, a detail that should not be surprising given its roots in vivo optics, though lacking the ZEISS branding.

Boasting a 50+50+50 MP triple camera setup, the performance with portraits, landscapes, and night photography is exceptional. This configuration comprises a Sony IMX 921 sensor with OIS, a Sony IMX882 3X Telephoto Periscope camera, and an Ultra-Wide Angle camera.

For selfies, users will find a 32MP front camera capable of recording 4K at 60fps. The rear configuration supports 8K at 30fps, promising a satisfactory photography experience for users.

Software and AI

The smartphone runs on Origin OS 6 (based on Android 16) right out of the box. The user interface is fluid and responsive, featuring extensive lock screen customisation options. AI functionalities integrated include AI-generated seasonal photo effects, AI erase, AI retouch, and AI reflection removal, supplemented by standard Google Gemini features.

With promises of 5 years of OS updates and 7 years of security patches, users receive unexpected but highly welcomed longevity.

What’s Not to Like?

The speakers on this device are fairly average, delivering substantial volume but lacking depth. Sounds can become shrill and hollow at high volumes, suffering from a general absence of clarity and bass.

Nevertheless, this is largely the sole complaint regarding the smartphone.

Verdict

The iQOO 15 stands as a formidable flagship smartphone that adopts a no-compromise approach. It features an outstanding display, an extraordinarily powerful processor, a long-lasting battery, and cameras capable of competing with the best smartphones available.

This model reflects iQOO’s commitment to fulfilling tech enthusiasts’ dreams for an ideal device.

Pricing begins at ₹72,999 for the base 12/256 GB edition, reaching ₹79,999 for the top-tier 16/512 GB version.