iQOO 12 hands-on review: First impression

The new iQOO 12 5G is available in two options-- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 16GB RAM + 512GB storage-- with prices starting at Rs 52,999.

Emerging smartphone brand iQOO on Tuesday (December 12) launched the new premium 5G phone iQOO 12 series in India.

iQOO 12 is the first smartphone with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to launch in India.

The new Qualcomm chipset promises faster and better performance compared to its predecessor. Also, the device features a new design and upgraded camera hardware.

I spent a few hours with the iQOO 12. Here are my initial thoughts on the latest premium Android phone.

Design and display

The new iQOO 12 flaunts a refreshing design language and has a lot of improvements over the previous iteration. The latter comes with a cool colour scheme, particularly the special BMW Legend series. It has the trademark black-red-blue colourway strip running from top to bottom and the rest features a snowy white colour.

The new generation model retains the stain-less white-hued back cover but is really smooth and glossy compared to iQOO 11, which had a textured faux leather cover. The company has used porcelain enamel glass on the iQOO 12's rear side.

The uniquely designed camera module on the iQOO 12 is very refreshing. It makes the device stand out among its competitors.

Also, the aluminum around the display is flat. It looks premium and the flat design offers a really good grip for the fingers to hold onto the device firmly.

The new iQOO 12 5G series.

Also, the new model comes with an IP64 rating, a first for any iQOO phone. It is fully protected against dust and for liquids, it can sustain water splashes from all directions. It may not survive if it drops into a water body like a swimming pool or water tub.

On the front, it sports a 6.78-inch full HD+ (1260x2800p)E7 AMOLED screen, supports 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, peak brightness up to 3000 nits, and has a pixel density of 453ppi (pixels per inch).

The display quality looks promising, as the multimedia content appears bright and rich. Even the black is noticeably darker. Also, I had no issues reading articles under the sunlight.

The new iQOO 12 5G series.

It also supports an on-screen fingerprint sensor. So far, it has worked fine.

Processor configuration

The new iQOO 12 houses Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm's latest and most powerful chipset to date. It promises 25 per cent increase in CPU performance and 20 per cent better GPU performance too.

Our review unit comes with 512GB storage and 16GB RAM. Also, the Extended RAM is turned on by default to 16GB. In total, the device has 32GB of physical memory. For obvious reasons, the phone has been smooth in terms of loading apps and operating the camera.

The company also offers 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option too.

Add to that, iQOO 12 also supports gesture control with gyroscopes, acceleration sensors, and other IC characteristics promise to offer more control and deliver a better gaming experience through Ultra Game Mode. The device supports six motion control options (left-hand lifting, right-hand lifting, left-leaning, right-leaning, horizontal forward pressing, and horizontal backward pressing).

Actions that cannot be done by using two fingers or even four fingers previously can now be performed through this motion control feature.

Also, to ensure the device remains cool and stable when playing games for long hours, the company has incorporated 6010 mm2 vapour cooling chamber, which 40 per cent bigger than seen in the predecessor.

The new iQOO 12 5G series.

The device runs on Android 14-based Funtouch OS 14. There are no bloatware apps as such and also, with 512GB storage (460GB available), consumers don't need to worry about the lack of microSD card support.

Even with a base storage of 256GB, it is more than enough to capture photos and videos, be able to install hundreds of apps.

It houses a massive 5,000mAh battery and comes with a 120W charger.

The new iQOO 12 5G series comes with triple camera module.

Photography hardware

It houses triple camera module--main 50 MP (1/1.28-inch, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation, 2.4 μm sensitivity) + 64 MP 3X Periscope Telephoto Camera (f/2.57, 3X optical zoom | 100x hybrid zoom, OIS) + 50 MP ultra wide-angle camera (1/2.76-inch sensor, 15 mm, 150-degree (119.4-degree after distortion correction) field of view) with LED flash on the back.

iQOO 12 5G's camera's sample photo.

The iQOO 12 takes pretty good photos in the daylight. In the photos, the colour of the subject looks a bit brighter, but in a good way to appear pretty. Also, most importantly, the minute details are captured well and appear clear on the image, worth sharing on social media platforms.

iQOO 12 5G's camera's sample photo.

On the front, it houses a 12MP (f/2.5) wide camera. It takes decent photos in the sunlight but needs to be assessed in other conditions.

It supports 3X optical zoom and 100X hybrid digital Zoom. It promises to capture really good photos in the night too.

iQOO 12 5G's camera's sample photo.

It supports Astrophotography. Compared to what we see in the Google Pixel or the Samsung phones, which require a tripod or assistance for stable photography, the Astro mode photos on iQOO 12 can be captured while held in hands for just 10 seconds.

iQOO 12 5G series.

The new iQOO 12 is available in 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 16GB RAM + 512GB storage for Rs 52,999 and Rs 57,999 in India.

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