vivo iQOO Neo9 Pro (China) Review: A Promising Flagship Killer

The vivo iQOO Neo9 Pro was recently launched in China as the company’s latest premium gaming smartphone. On paper, it looks like an excellent option for those seeking flagship-level performance without the flagship price tag.

Design and Display

The iQOO Neo9 Pro sports a striking design with thin bezels and a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display. The screen has an FHD+ resolution of 1260 x 2800 and an impressive 144Hz refresh rate. This gives content an incredibly smooth feel. It also gets very bright, maxing out at 1100 nits for excellent outdoor visibility.

With a slim 8.3mm profile and weighing in at just 196g, Vivo has managed to keep the Neo9 Pro lightweight despite its big screen. It’s available in Black, Blue, and Red color options.

Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, the Neo9 Pro is powered by MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9300 chipset built on an efficient 4nm process. This is paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of fast UFS 4.0 storage.

On benchmarks, the Dimensity 9300 delivers top-tier performance to rival Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Gen 2 platform. In day-to-day use, apps are snappy and responsive while graphics-intensive games run smoothly at high settings.

Cameras

For photography, Vivo has equipped the Neo9 Pro with a dual camera setup featuring two 50MP sensors – a primary wide cam and an ultra-wide. On our brief test, photos showed plenty of detail with accurate colors even in low light. 4K video recording is also supported.

Selfies are handled by a 16MP front camera which captures nice images.

Battery Life and Charging

A 5160mAh battery cell keeps the lights on, which Vivo claims will easily last over a day of normal usage. However, the real star of the show is the included 120W fast charger. It can refill the battery from 1-50% in just over 10 minutes, achieving a full charge in under 30 minutes.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing starts at around 380 EUR for the base 12GB/256GB model. Stepping up to 16GB RAM bumps the cost to around 420 EUR. While the Neo9 Pro is only available in China for now, it shows enormous promise as an affordable flagship contender once released internationally.

Overall, the vivo iQOO Neo9 Pro packs flagship-killing specs and features like super fast charging into an attractive premium package. With no major red flags standing out, it earns our recommendation for those on the hunt for powerful Android performance without the flagship price tag.