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iQoo 9 smartphone announcement shows its one to watch for 2022

Vivo spin-off iQoo has announced its latest flagship smartphone series, the iQoo 9, and we we reckon it’s one to to watch for 2022.

As you can see from the images (via GSMArena), the iQoo 9 and the iQoo 9 Pro certainly look the part, with a choice of several eye-catching finishes. The BMW M-striped variants are a particular stand-out.

Both phones give you a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, but the Pro has curved edges, a QHD resolution, and a variable refresh rate courtesy of LTPO 2.0 technology. The plain model, for its part, has a flat screen and an FHD+ resolution.

Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor powers both phones, so we’re looking at flagship performance.

They also give you the same 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN5 main camera sensor, which is one of Samsung’s latest and greatest components. Things differ when it comes to the back-up cameras, with the iQoo 9 going for a 13MP ultra-wide and a 12MP 2x telephoto. The iQoo 9 Pro gives you a superior 50MP 150-degree ultra-wide and a 16MP 2.5x telephoto.

You get 4,700mAh batteries all-round, together with rapid 120W charging. The Pro model also gives up 50W wireless charging and and 10W reverse wireless charging.

Another shared stand-out spec is an entry model that supplies 256GB of internal storage, with a further 512GB option if you want to splash a little extra cash.

Talking of cash, these phones really aren’t all that expensive for what they offer. The iQoo 9 starts from CNY 3,999 (about £465), while the iQoo 9 Pro starts from (roughly £580). Both go on sale in China later this month.

While the new phone series is a China-only affair at this early point, there’s a very good chance they’ll make their way to a more global market at some point in the year. The brand has indicated its intention to test the waters in new markets, and it made its iQoo 7 and iQoo 7 Legend available to us for review last year. We were suitably impressed.

If and when iQoo brings its latest flagship phones west, they could well be an excellent option for anyone looking for top-end performance and a sleek design at a surprisingly reasonable price.

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