IQOO 11 5G has just been launched with a selling price of RM3,499. Being the first to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, at the same time positioning it as a smartphone with interesting benchmark specifications. What can we say, this smartphone impressed us in almost everything. These include a premium design, a smooth performing processing chip, good battery life and a fast charging system. But not everything is positive, on the contrary there are also things that we are not happy about this smartphone. To know more, let us share in this full review article for two weeks of use.
Specifications And Design
IQOO 11 5G
6.78″ screen (1440 x 3200 pixels) (~518 ppi)
AMOLED E6 2K (1440 x 3200 pixels), 144Hz
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (4 nm)
1×3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 chip
2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715
2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710
3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 740 Graphics Chip
RAM 16GB RAM LPDDR5
Internal Storage 256 UFS 4.0 (No Micro SD)
Primary Camera 50MP, f/1.9, 23mm, OIS (Wide Angle)
13MP, f/2.5, 50mm (Telephoto), PDAF, 2X Optical Zoom
8MP, f/2.2, 16mm (Ultra-wide)
Selfie Camera 16MP, f/2.5, (wide)
5,000 mAh battery
120W fast charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scanning System Fingerprint scanner on the side & face
Sale Price RM3499 (16GB/256GB)
In our hands now is the iQOO 11 Legend Edition. Looks expensive and premium because it was made in collaboration with BMW M Motorsport. Here, the back panel of the smartphone is entirely made of fiberglass covered with vegan leather and coated with a scratch-resistant finish. Then if you look more closely, the leather finish used is also textured.
The combination of all these, not only makes this phone durable and looks beautiful in the hand. The reason is that the iQOO 11 5G does not feel slippery at all and does not easily get dirty with fingerprints. But at the same time, the smartphone really feels very comfortable to hold. The overall weight is also balanced, it's easy to say it feels quite solid. The use of one hand also does not create a burdensome or uncomfortable feeling.
We also don't deny, the overall white color selection makes this phone look neater. Then, this color combination becomes more unique when there is a three-color stripe design which is red, blue and black inspired by BMW Motorrad colors. However, as unique and premium as it is, unfortunately this phone does not pass any waterproof and dustproof standards. For a flagship phone that doesn't have waterproof and dustproof capabilities it's a bit disappointing for us.
Again we say, this is an important feature. Especially with the current unpredictable weather that sometimes rains non-stop. So with this feature, it can indirectly be used as additional protection. Usually, however, manufacturers remove one of these important features for cost-cutting reasons. Apparently, iQOO is no exception.
Next, this beautiful smartphone is matched with a sturdy frame. The thickness is also imperceptible due to the rounded sides. The power button and audio adjustment are placed on the right side. The dual-SIM tray is placed below but there is no microSD card support. Then there's also a USB-C port and a speaker on the same side.
In terms of audio, the iQOO 11 supports stereo speakers. The audio output can be said to be loud but unbalanced. The reason is that the audio on the bottom sounds louder than the speakers on top. Not only that, the top side houses an infrared transmitter which is hard to find on a modern phone today.
IQOO 11 5G has a flat front panel with small holes with a large screen ratio. The screen is punch-holed for the selfie camera. In addition, the bezels on the sides, chin and forehead are quite thin but not balanced. This is because if you notice that the chin looks a little thicker than the other side. The front screen is a 6.78-inch E6 AMOLED with 2K resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate. As can be expected from a panel of the AMOLED type, the screen certainly has good colors, contrast and viewing angles.
But HD content cannot be streamed on Netflix because this smartphone is only equipped with Widevine L3 authentication. The refresh rate of 144Hz is not only good when playing first. But, the greatness continues with a fairly smooth smartphone navigation experience. iQOO 11 also has an additional ISP V2 chip for increased frame rates in mobile games.
Usage Experience
So far, the IQ00 11 5G is the first phone with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is the most powerful chip offered by Qualcomm for Android devices to date. When combined with 16GB RAM LPDDR5 memory, 256GB UFS 4.0 internal storage, then this space can be further expanded with virtual RAM up to 8GB.
So, it's no surprise when we say the iQOO 11's performance is impressive. All the overheating issues that were said to happen to smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 before, didn't happen this time. We tested several first with the highest graphics settings and this smartphone was able to work very smoothly. The graphics are also beautiful, and when it comes to the temperature, long game sessions are only lukewarm.
What is a little disappointing is the fat application problem. iQOO 11 uses FunTouch OS 13 based on Android 13. The overall interface looks simple. Can be customized according to needs but options are quite limited.
Returning to the fat application earlier, most of them are already installed. But the good thing here is that these applications can be removed manually. We also want to touch on the ongoing issue of advertising. There are only suggested apps, most of which we don't think we need. Advertisements can't be turned off either as given on Xiaomi on MIUI. The usage experience feels like a cheap device because of these two issues.
Bench mark
iQOO 11 is the first device equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in Malaysia. The new chip was announced at the beginning of last November. We compare this chip device with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 on Redmagic 7S Pro and Apple A16 Bionic on iPhone 14 Pro Max. From the score below it can be seen that the A16 Bionic has an advantage in CPU performance but lags behind in GPU performance. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 manages to narrow the performance gap with the best iPhone chips this year.
Geekbench 5
iQOO 11 5G – 1457/4702
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 1875/5469
Redmagic 7S Pro– 1727/4713
Antutu 3D
iQOO 11 5G – 1,248,937
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 974,941
Redmi 7S Pro – 789,647
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
iQOO 11 5G – 3763
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 3373
Redmi 7S Pro: 2719
Camera Quality
Move on the camera. iQOO 11 uses a 50MP main camera (Isocell GN5) with OIS, a 13MP telephoto camera capable of 2x optical zoom and an 8MP ultra-wide. The selfie camera is 16MP. Supported video recording formats up to 8K/30FPS. The video stabilization feature is also here with two setting options, either standard that can be used up to 4K/60FPS recording. Then, Ultra is limited to 1080P/60FPS only. Back to earlier 8K footage, no stabilization features are supported. If you are the type who likes cinematic recordings. Near here there is a feature called Film that can be tried.
The iQOO 11's camera capabilities are at a satisfactory level depending on the situation, this includes light. Overall, pictures taken using the main camera look bright. The built-in camera mode support provided here also simplifies the process of taking pictures at the right settings. But the resulting colors and details are inconsistent. There are times when there are sufficient conditions for example such as a situation with sufficient lighting then, the produced picture does look satisfactory.
Otherwise, the picture will be less attractive with pale colors. Details are missing and it looks a bit soft. Another disadvantage of wide-angle lenses. The picture is not sharp enough, the colors are more lifeless, when compared to the main camera. But the story is different with the ability of the night. Which, overall, is very good. The picture is not only bright, but quite lively.
Ultra-wide lens
Ultra-wide lens
Ultra-wide lens
Battery Endurance
Last but not least is the battery with a capacity of 5000mAh. Almost a week of use, what can we say the battery life is very good. No problem to use all day. One thing we also need to share is that in the battery settings there are three modes that can be selected either, Power Saving, Balanced or Monster. All three offer different usage experiences, for example continuous use of Monster mode shortens battery life more compared to Balanced mode.
We tried it with several activities such as taking pictures, scrolling through Instagram, using Google Maps, playing apps and replying to emails. When we used it continuously with the full Monster mode option, the battery lasted up to 9 hours with a SOT of over 5 hours. Casual use can last up to 13 hours with a SOT of over 10 hours with settings between Balanced and Monster modes that are changed periodically.
What's In The Box
Here's what you get with every device purchase in Malaysia.
1x IQOO 11 5G
1x Translucent silicone frame.
1x 120W three-pin charger.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x SIM Pin.
1x Manual.
1x additional dongle.
1X BWM M Motorsport Exclusive Card.
Conclusion
As a conclusion. Like we said earlier. The iQOO 11 impresses in a huge number of ways. Although we don't like the constant bloatware and ad problems. With a selling price of RM3,499, it is an affordable device. Overall performance is satisfactory, battery life is also good. If you want to compare it with some existing competitors that were generated with previous generation chips.
There are some that are sold at a higher price. So the offer on iQOO 11 is interesting but those who are interested in buying need to be aware of the issue of DRM support only Widevine L3, no waterproof capability and the operating system is full of fat applications.
Pros:
Premium design is comfortable in the hand.
The most powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor to date.
A camera system with built-in modes is interesting.
Battery capacity & fast charging system 120W.
The combination of memory and storage is sufficient.
Affordable price for the specifications offered.
Cons:
No micro SD.
No 3.5mm audio jack.
No water and dust.
Fat app & persistent ads.