iQOO Z9s Series: The launch of the iQOO Z9s series is another big leap for vivo’s sub-brand in its mission to bring performance-oriented smartphones at competitive price points.
Released in mid-2025, this range follows the iQOO trend of offering flagship features to lower price points.
Design and Build Quality
Its Z9s series boats a modern, slim design with a glass back panel that includes a faint light-reflecting pattern.
With a thickness of 7.9mm and 190g of weight, these are devices that make a good compromise between heft and being very easy to handle.
The series continues to offer the premium aesthetics iQOO has established for itself with attention to details in the camera-module design and frame-build quality.
Display Excellence
AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates are available on both the models in the series, though the Pro model gets a curved edge panel.
The base Z9s settles for a 6.67-inch display, but Pro stretches that to 6.78 inches.
These screens can get as bright as 1800 nits and are HDR10+ certified, so you’ll see rich, saturated colors and excellent sunlight readibility. The in-screen fingerprint sensor is super convenient to use and it’s exactly where you’d expect it.
Performance Powerhouse
The Z9s series is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC, that provides assertive performance capable of handling both gaming and everyday tasks.
Packing up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, these phones are built for multitasking. The integrate special vapor chamber with reduced impedance ensures the lower temperature and maximum performance.
Camera Capabilities
Photography is one of the highlights with a 50MP Sony IMX866 main sensor that’s optically stabilized.
The ultrawide lens snaps wide shots at 8MP and the Pro has another 2x portrait lens. Low-light is significantly better than on previous models, and night mode shots are sharp and well balanced.
Battery Life and Charging
The standard model’s battery capacity is 5000mAh, while the Pro’s is slightly larger at 5500mAh, and both can power through a day of usage with a 11 heavy!!
The 80W fast charging means the device goes from 0% to 50% in just about 18 minutes – one of the most common gripes from power users on other devices.
Software Experience
Powered by FuntouchOS14 over Android 15, the devices have a smooth, responsive interface with useful additions such as support for more widgets and better privacy controls. iQOO has promised three generations of OS updates and four generations of security patches.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Excellent value for the money
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Great battery life coupled with an incredibly quick charging time
Effective OIS for main camera
Long term, regularly updated and clean software experience
Cons:
Ultrawide camera could use more resolution
No official IP water-resistance rating
No wireless charging
Some bloatware remains despite a cleaner interface
Not much depth to sound from sole bottom-firing speaker
Value Proposition
iQOO Z9s Series:
The iQOO Z9s series is competing to capture the attention of those who are conscious about performance and doesn’t want to spend too much in the flagship category.
These devices are an intelligent compromise, living or dying by their choices to skimp on the display, charging, and main camera in the name of value.
For gaming fans in particular, the combination of the fast, low power processor, responsive display and efficient cooling layout means that the Z9s series is the hot ticket for the hot mid-range smartphone market of 2025.