iQOO 13 review: Qualcomm landed here first
US customers cannot current buy this phone running the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Elite processor, but I had a chance to try it for a couple of weeks.
Hyperdrive Hits
4/5 Medals of Yavin: Highly recommended for people who want to take great photos and game on a phone that is built to last
Superb performance, great build quality
High quality 50MP cameras
Lots of bloatware, mostly removable
Not available in the US
We have several choices when it comes to buying smartphones in the US, but there are also many other options available to those in other countries. Qualcomm recently announced its newest Snapdragon processor and the iQOO (pronounced “eye coo”) 13 is the first phone to sport this newest chip and it is clear that good things are coming in 2025.
iQOO phones are made in China and I understand that it is a brand with Vivo as the parent company. The iQOO 13 is stunning and the company sent me the Legend color one with the BMW Motorsport partner branding on the back. The lovely matte white back panel feels fantastic in the hand and the edges are elegantly designed.
This phone is optimized for media, gaming, and photography so that is what I spent most of my time doing with the phone. It does support all T-Mobile LTE bands, but only one 5G band so my connectivity was a bit limited when it comes to the fastest networks here in the US.
Rating:
As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the iQOO 13 four (4) Medals of Yavin. If it was available in the US and I had pricing then it might warrant a five rating, but I would also have to see some of the bloatware removed. That said, the phone is well built, durable, has the highest level of specifications, and was a joy to use.
The Good and the Bad
It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product so here is my summary of the phone.
Pros
Most powerful Qualcomm processor available today
Stunning build quality, fit, and finish
Gorgeous 2K, 144 Hz display with minimal bezels
Ample RAM and storage
Large 6,150 mAh battery
Cool rear LED light functionality
High quality 50 MP triple rear camera
Cons
Too many extra apps, utilities, and games installed as bloatware
Not available in the US
Walk Around the Hardware
I understood going into this review that the iQOO 13 was not going to be available at launch in the US, but I wanted the opportunity to test out the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor since my experiences show that Qualcomm performs the best for cellular connectivity and has been reliable for me for many years.
The first thing I noticed was the rock solid feel and lovely matte white back with the BMW branded stripes. That also then led me to look at the back and see the unique Monster Halo lighting effect around the rear camera module. You can customize this LED lighting using the Dynamic light utility for music, calls, messages, gaming, and charging with up to 72 different lighting options. The lights can have effects such as pulse, breathing, heartbeat, flowing light, and other custom patterns.
When the phone first arrived, I could not find a setting anywhere to customize enable this rear light, but a software update arrived a couple of days after arrival and was then used to customize the lighting for music, messaging, and charging. It can be useful if you charge your phone via cable with the display down and it’s a slick thing to show people while you jam out to classic rock.
The power and volume buttons are on the upper right side with the IR blaster on top and the USB-C port on the bottom. The front-facing camera is centered at the top of the display as a hole-punch camera and performs well.
The display is gorgeous with minimalist even bezels all around. The under display fingerprint sensor works flawlessly too and nothing lags at all on this phone.
Audio sounds fantastic from the stereo speakers and I couldn’t push it past 50% or it was just too loud for most rooms. It is one of the loudest phone speakers I have ever heard with crystal clear clarity as well. The halo light is lots of fun with music playing and sure to attract attention.
The three 50MP cameras are found in the top left corner and a solid piece of glass covers all three. I love having the cameras protected in this manner that also results in a flat camera surface when you set the phone down.
Software
The iQOO 13 launches with Android 15 and Funtouch 15 with the 1 November 2024 Android security update (just appeared two days ago). The home screen experience is fairly stock, but the Control Panel is clearly different, there are several more settings than found on a Pixel phone, and there are plenty of bloatware apps and folders. An iQOO Store and other apps are installed by default too.
Tons of home screen widgets and layout settings are also available. In typical Android fashion, you can personalize the phones for you and your optimal usage.
Along with the three 50MP cameras, the iQOO 13 includes advanced camera software with a plethora of shooting modes. These include long exposure, superman, astrophotography, tilt-shift (a cool effect seen in OnePlus phones), fisheye, and more. With solid camera hardware and this software, your ability to get creative and spend a lot of time shooting with this phone is readily available.
There is also a Humanista Street Photography mode available when you swipe up from the bottom of the camera software. This is similar to a Pro mode experience with mm focal length options and diverse color modes.
AI Erase, AI Photo Enhance, Gemini Assistant, Circle to Search, Translate, and more are all also found on the phone so it brings the best of Google Android to your hand.
Specifications
Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Elite
Display: 6.82-inch, 3168 x 1440 pixels, Up to 144Hz refresh rate, LTPO AMOLED with 4,500 nits brightness
Operating system: Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15
RAM: 16GB (12GB option available) LPDDR5X
Internal storage: 512GB (256GB option available) UFS 4.1
Cameras: 50MP main, 50 MP ultra wide angle, and 50 MP telephoto with 4x lossless zoom. 32MP selfie camera
Battery: 6100 mAh with 120W FlashCharge quick charging support
Connectivity: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, IR blaster, extensive cellular bands
Durability: IP68/IP69
Dimensions: 163.37 x 76.71 x 8.13 mm and 213 grams
Colors: Legend (white with BMW branding), Nardo Grey, and Alpha (black)
Bottom Line
I am not a huge console gamer because I just do not have available time to devote to sitting in a room with a TV and gaming set up to hammer through games. I tend to stick with games on my phones and most of the time the games are fairly simple. With the 4D vibration mode, superb display, and processing power of the iQOO 13, I enjoyed Call of Duty and racing with the phone. I was quite accurate with my targeting and enjoyed the experience, which could end up consuming my time.
The cameras performed well and I need to spend more time with the various modes and settings because the hardware clearly can handle advanced photography and I just need to improve my skills and explore these modes.
The bloatware and extra software on the phone was a bit frustrating and if this phone offered a cleaner interface, I may use it as a daily driver even with the limited 5G support here with T-Mobile in the US.
The lovely high quality hardware, responsive processor, ample RAM and ROM, gorgeous display, outstanding cameras, long battery life with the massive 6,000 mAh capacity, advanced gaming functions (audio, touch, and vibration), all make this one of the best Android phones I have ever tested. I would love to see this available in the US with full support for all of our 5G bands.