iQoo, as a brand, has often surprised us with its pricing. The new iQoo Neo 3 does that again, by not only claiming the title for the most affordable Snapdragon 865-powered phone, but also sporting a smooth 144Hz display.
The iQoo Neo 3 is very similar to the flagship iQoo 3 that made its global debut in India in February. The similarities extend to the internal specifications, design and the cameras as well. Interestingly, it manages to add a 144Hz display to the mix (the iQoo 3 was only 60Hz) and still has a lower starting price.
iQoo Neo 3 specifications
As with all gaming phones this season, speed and performance are likely to be the strong points of the iQoo Neo 3. It has the Snapdragon 865 at its heart, along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
It opts for a familiar glass sandwich design with a big display on the front, and the cameras situated along the corner. This time, there’s a 48MP f/1.79 primary camera, followed by an 8MP ultrawide lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The front camera, which resides in a tiny punch-hole, has a 16MP resolution. That display is a 6.57-inch LCD panel with an FHD+ resolution along with HDR10 capabilities. Staying true to its gaming positioning, the display on iQoo Neo 3 has a refresh rate of 144Hz.
Owing to the LCD nature of the panel, the fingerprint scanner is now embedded in the power button on the side. The headphone jack is still around, and the earpiece doubles as the second loudspeaker. The battery is rated at 4,500mAh and supports 44W Super FlashCharge over USB Type-C. We also get the new iQoo UI built atop Android 10.
iQoo Neo 3 price
| Configuration | Price (CNY) | Indian equivalent (INR) |
| 6GB + 128GB | 2,698 | 29,000 |
| 8GB + 128GB | 2.998 | 32,000 |
| 12GB + 128GB | 3,298 | 35,500 |
| 12GB + 265GB | 3,398 | 36,500 |
Current availability is limited to China, where the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at CNY 2,698 (~Rs 29,000), CNY 2,998 (~Rs 32,000) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, CNY 3,298 (~Rs 35,500) for the 12GB RAM variant, and CNY 3,398 (~Rs 36,500) for the top-of-the-line 12GB + 256GB model. Colour options include black and blue. Sales will begin on April 29.
There is no word on Indian availability, but with the iQoo 3 already getting a price drop, we’re hopeful for the iQoo Neo 3 to make its way to India.
