iQOO 13: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Flagship

Explore the iQOO 13 with its powerful features, stunning display, and impressive performance in our detailed flagship review.

Riya Singh November 30, 2024

0 165 4 minutes read

iQOO 13 is a budget-friendly smartphone with powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. It’s one of most affordable phones with this latest technology.

Launched in China and now available in other markets, it has 6.82-inch LTPO OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The phone also features three 50MP cameras, a large 6,000mAh battery (or 6,150mAh in some regions), 120W fast charging and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

Key Features:

Body: 163.4 x 76.7 x 8.0mm, 207g, Glass front and back, aluminum frame, IP68/IP69 water/dust resistance, RGB LED light
Display: 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) with Adreno 830 GPU
Memory: 256GB to 1TB storage, 12GB to 16GB RAM
OS: Android 15, Funtouch 15 (International) or OriginOS 5 (China)
Cameras: 50MP main, 50MP telephoto (2x zoom), 50MP ultra-wide, 32MP front camera
Battery: 6,150mAh with 120W fast charging (100% in 30 minutes)
Connectivity: 5G, Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, Infrared
Other: Ultrasonic fingerprint reader, stereo speakers

iQOO 13 is a great option for anyone looking for a powerful, well-rounded phone at affordable price. It has flagship features and a solid build but is only available in certain regions, mainly in Asia.

iQOO 13 Specification

Category	Details
Network	🌐 GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Launch	📅 Announced: Oct 30, 2024; Released: Nov 8, 2024
Dimensions	📏 163.4 x 76.7 x 8 mm; ⚖️ Weight: 207g or 213g
Build	🏗️ Glass front, aluminum frame, glass or fiber back
SIM	📱 Dual SIM, IP68/IP69 water-resistant
Display	📺 6.82 inches, AMOLED, 144Hz, 1440×3168 pixels
OS & Chipset	📱 Android 15, Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm), 8/16GB RAM
Storage	💾 256GB/512GB/1TB, UFS 4.0 or UFS 4.1
Main Camera	📸 Triple: 50 MP (wide), 50 MP (telephoto), 50 MP (ultrawide)
Selfie Camera	🤳 32 MP (wide), 4K video
Sound	🔊 Stereo speakers, Hi-Res audio, no 3.5mm jack
Battery	🔋 6150 mAh (or 6000 mAh in India), 120W fast charging
Other Features	📡 NFC, IR port, USB-C, Fingerprint sensor
Colors	🎨 Black, Silver, White, Green
Price	💵 $590.19

iQOO 13 Design and Handling

iQOO 13 looks similar to its predecessor with only small changes in camera layout. It now has IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance, upgrade from iQOO 12.

Phone has a glass front and back with an aluminum frame. Back has a smooth, matte finish while sides are glossy and flat. It comes in three colors: Alpha (black), Nardo Grey and Legend (white with BMW M branding).

Phone is a bit slippery, with the smooth back and glossy sides. Back doesn’t attract fingerprints but sides do.

RGB LED camera bump lights up when you turn on phone or charge it, and shows notifications for calls and messages. IR blaster is placed in camera bump instead of the top.

Phone also has 360-degree NFC, so you don’t have to hold it in a specific way for payments.

Finally, ultrasonic fingerprint reader is faster and more reliable than old one and it’s easy to reach.

iQOO 13 Display, Battery life, Charging speed, Speakers

iQOO 13 has a 6.82-inch OLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate and 1,440 x 3,168px resolution. It shows bright and clear visuals even in direct sunlight. Screen also reduces reflections, making it easier to use outdoors.

There are three refresh rate options: Auto, High (up to 144Hz) and Standard (60Hz).

iQOO 13 comes with a 6,150mAh battery (or 6,000mAh in some regions). It lasts long for calls, browsing, video streaming and gaming. The phone’s efficient chip helps extend battery life.

Phone supports 120W fast charging, fully charging in around 30 minutes. You can turn off fast charging to protect battery. Chinese version also has a Bypass Charging feature for gamers, stopping charging while playing.

iQOO 13 has stereo speakers that produce loud, rich sound. Speakers offer good bass but can ring a little at maximum volume. It’s one of the loudest phones available.

iQOO 13 Software and performance

iQOO 13 runs on Funtouch 15 with Android 15. It has some small updates like Live Transcribe feature and AI Erase for editing photos. Overall, it’s very similar to previous version. Phone will get 4 major Android updates and 5 years of security patches.

iQOO 13 uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which makes it very fast. It also has Supercomputing Q2 chip to improve gaming. In benchmarks, the phone scores well but its GPU performs slightly worse due to high screen resolution.

Phone handles stress well, maintaining about 80% of its CPU performance during a 1-hour test. However, GPU stability drops to 50% in certain tests.

iQOO 13 Camera

iQOO 13 has three main cameras and a 32MP front camera for selfies.

Main Camera: 50MP, takes clear, bright photos.
Ultra-Wide Camera: 50MP, good for wide shots, but not as sharp.
Telephoto Camera: 50MP, zooms in well for clear photos.
Front Camera: 32MP, takes good selfies.

Daylight Photos: Main camera takes bright and colorful pictures. Photos indoors are clear, but details like trees could be sharper.

2x Zoom Camera: The 2x zoom camera takes good photos with decent detail, even indoors.

4x Crop Zoom: 4x zoom is a cropped image from the 2x zoom, so it’s not as sharp.

Ultrawide Camera: ultrawide camera works well but photos aren’t as sharp as the main camera. It controls lens distortion well.

Selfies: 32MP front camera takes good selfies, though the colors could be a little brighter.

Low-Light Photos: main camera does well in low light, with bright and clear photos. 2x zoom camera struggles a bit in low light. 4x crop zoom is blurry and lacks detail in the dark.

iQOO 13 Pros and Cons

🟩Pros	🟥Cons
💪 Strong build, IP68/IP69 protection	🌙 Poor nighttime performance from secondary cameras
🔋 Long battery life, fast charging	📷 2x zoom camera only
⚡ Powerful chip, good performance	🟥
🔊 Loud, clear stereo speakers	🟥
📸 Good camera for daytime	🟥
🔑 IR blaster, fingerprint reader, 360-degree NFC	🟥
🔄 4 Android updates, 5 years of security updates	🟥

Conclusion

iQOO 13 is a great all-around phone. It has a strong processor, a good display, loud stereo speakers and a full set of cameras. Design is premium and looks good. We are especially impressed with its consistent performance, handling heavy tasks and long gaming sessions well.

It also charges quickly and has excellent battery life. Camera system works well during day but 2x zoom and ultrawide cameras don’t perform as well at night compared to some competitors.