The entry-level smartphone segment has been an exciting and competitive space in the smartphone industry. It’s good to see brands consistently pushing the envelope, delivering refined upgrades in design, display, camera, connectivity and features, compared to the devices launched a few years back. Amid an ongoing wave of smartphone launches, iQOO has thrown its hat in the ring with the Z10x, a budget 5G device aimed at users who demand more without breaking the bank.
The iQOO Z10x is claimed to be a reasonable upgrade over the Z9x (review), owing to battery improvements, an optimised Dimensity 7300 chipset and UFS 3.1 storage. iQOO also claims to offer better cameras and software than its predecessor. Now, the question arises: is the iQOO Z10x a viable contender in 2025’s highly competitive sub-15K segment, or is it just another low-cost phone riding the 5G wave? Let’s find out!
iQOO Z10x Review: Design
We tested the Ultramarine colour variant, which has a matte-glitter finish and a glossy camera island, giving the phone a subtle premium look. The IP64 rating and claimed military-grade durability add significant durability points, which is a rarity at this price.
On the front, the iQOO Z10x comes with slightly thick bezels along with a centrally aligned punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. While the bezels are noticeable, it’s acceptable given the sub-Rs 15,000 pricing.
The phone’s symmetrical camera layout and clean design give it a balanced and modern appearance, making it visually appealing.
iQOO Z10x Review: Display
The iQOO Z10x has a 6.72-inch Full HD+ LCD display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. Despite the lack of an OLED panel, the display feels good and has bright colours, but you won’t get the same levels of black as on an OLED screen. The touch response is quick and adequate for gaming and general use, viewing angles and contrast are typical of LCDs, but the Z10x’s display is just fine.
In our Calman display test, the display recorded an average DeltaE of 1.7, which again is a decent number meaning that you can expect accurate colours when watching videos or movies across OTT apps. We also recorded 904 brightness in auto mode, which means you won’t face any problems in bright summer days.
iQOO Z10x Review: Performance & Software
The iQOO Z10x comes powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC (2.5GHz peak clock speed), putting up some solid numbers. On AnTuTu, the device scored 688,475, outperforming rivals like Vivo T4x and CMF Phone 1 by a very small margin.
Geekbench results also turned out to be positive with 1,028 for single core and 2,816 for multi core, giving it yet another lead. Coming to the CPU throttling test, we noticed 91% stability, which is really good and means that it can handle intense workloads very easily.
Notably, the inclusion of UFS 3.1 storage which is missing on the Z10, is a welcome upgrade for faster app load times and smoother multitasking.
The iQOO Z10x ships with FunTouchOS 15 and brings a host of AI features including AI Eraser, screen translation and more. However, the experience is diminished by the bloatware and consistent spam notifications. Good thing here is, the device gets 2 years of Android updates and 3 years of security patches.
iQOO Z10x Review: Battery
The iQOO Z10x packs a 6,500 mAh battery, which is a significant 500 mAh upgrade from its predecessor while retaining the 44W fast charging. In real-world usage, including social media browsing, video playback, and casual gaming, it delivered impressive battery life.
In the PCMark battery life test, it clocked an outstanding 28 hours and 7 minutes at 50% brightness. This means you can expect a solid two-day usage on a single charge on average use. However, the charging speed, while respectable, is slightly behind the curve, taking about 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge from 0 to 100%.
iQOO Z10x Review: Camera
The iQOO Z10x has a 50MP main rear camera along with a 2MP depth sensor and an 8MP selfie upfront. Our testing shows that daylight shots are acceptable with fair detail and close to accurate colours, but portraits struggle with edge detection and tend to over process images as they become unnaturally bright and contrasty.
The low-light performance is surprisingly decent, capturing passable detail and exposure. Selfies are also usable. However, we expected a better camera, which is quite a sought-after feature in this particular segment. Check out the camera samples below.
iQOO Z10x Review: Verdict
If you’re searching for a well-rounded device under Rs 15,000 with a focus on performance, battery life, and looks, this device should be on your list. The Z10x is an excellent and affordable option for daily use, thanks to its 6,500 mAh battery, Dimensity 7300 chipset, and UFS 3.1 storage.
Despite not featuring an OLED screen, the 120Hz LCD display has respectable brightness and colour accuracy, and it does not drain the battery too quickly. Although its camera setup is decent, it is not the best in its class, and bloatware detracts from the software experience. Still, the iQOO Z10x is a dependable low-cost 5G device that offers more than its price.
iQOO Z10X Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | 11 Apr, 2025 |
| Market Status: | Upcoming |
Key Specifications
Storage
128 GB
-
Battery capacity (mAh)
6500
-
Rear Camera Megapixel
50 + 2
-
Screen size (in inches)
6.72
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
