iQOO Neo Series Poised to Launch a Mid-Range Compact Phone: Shifting the Landscape of the Small-Screen Flagship Market

iQOO Neo Series Poised to Launch a Mid-Range Compact Phone: Shifting the Landscape of the Small-Screen Flagship MarketIn recent months, manufacturers like Xiaomi, vivo, and OPPO have launched several compact flagship phones, such as the Xiaomi 13 and vivo X200 Pro mini. These devices, with their compact straight screens, ultra-thin bodies, and powerful performance, have garnered significant consumer interest

iQOO Neo Series Poised to Launch a Mid-Range Compact Phone: Shifting the Landscape of the Small-Screen Flagship Market

In recent months, manufacturers like Xiaomi, vivo, and OPPO have launched several compact flagship phones, such as the Xiaomi 13 and vivo X200 Pro mini. These devices, with their compact straight screens, ultra-thin bodies, and powerful performance, have garnered significant consumer interest. However, these small-screen flagships typically start at over 4000, leaving a significant gap in the mid-range compact phone market. This void is poised to be filled by the iQOO Neo series.

Digital blogger @Digital Chat Station revealed that more compact phones will be launched next year, including new flagship straight-screen phones and sub-brand products from OPPO and OnePlus. Furthermore, two 8-9 inch tablet computers are expected, featuring the Dimensity 9400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (presumably referring to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1) chipsets respectively. More noteworthy is the blogger's suggestion that vivo's sub-brand, iQOO, plans to introduce a mid-range compact phone under the Neo series.

Previous reports indicated that OPPO plans to share a 6.3-inch compact phone production line with its sub-brands, OnePlus and realme, to reduce costs and lower prices. Industry insiders speculate that iQOO's mid-range compact phone may adopt a similar strategy, entering the market with a more competitive price point.

@Digital Chat Station further revealed that vivo will launch a compact phone with a Dimensity 9 series flagship platform in its mid-range product line next year. This phone will feature a 50MP large-sensor main camera with telephoto capabilities and may utilize the same 6.31-inch 1.5K 800Hz LTPO display and new silicon-oxygen anode battery as the vivo X200 Pro mini.

The vivo X200 Pro mini serves as a reference model, priced at 4699 and above. It features a 6.31-inch OLED 800Hz LTPO straight screen with a 26401216 resolution, supporting a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. It is powered by the Dimensity 9400 processor, houses a 5700mAh battery, and supports 90W wired and 30W wireless fast charging.

Comparing this to the iQOO Neo10 series helps to understand the positioning of this upcoming mid-range compact phone. The iQOO Neo10 series includes standard and Pro versions, starting at 2299. This series offers three color options, boasts a thin 7.99mm body and weighs only 199g, features a "floating window" rear camera design, and industry-first straight-edged indium wire frame with a narrow 1.4mm screen bezel.

The iQOO Neo10 series features a 6.78-inch 1.5K eye-protection straight screen with the latest generation of flagship light-emitting components, F1, improving screen lifespan by 22%, color gamut accuracy by 50%, and reducing blue light harm by 10%. The screen supports a 144Hz refresh rate and 800Hz LTPO adaptive technology, and all models come standard with 3D ultrasonic fingerprint recognition. The iQOO Neo10 Pro version supports 2592Hz full-brightness high-frequency PWM dimming, with SVM <0.4 across the full brightness range, achieving industry-leading low flicker, and also offers DC-like dimming and 4320Hz ultra-high-frequency dimming.

In terms of performance, the iQOO Neo10 series features a self-developed Q2 esports chip, supporting PC-level 1.5K texture upscaling and native 144FPS ultra-frame rate functionality, along with an Ice Dome cooling system. It houses a 6100mAh third-generation silicon-negative electrode blue sea battery and supports 120W ultra-fast flash charging. The iQOO Neo10 standard version uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, while the Pro version utilizes the Dimensity 9400 chip with LPDDR5X Ultra+UFS4.1, achieving an AnTuTu benchmark score exceeding 3.2 million.

In terms of imaging, the iQOO Neo10 standard version has a 16MP front camera and a 50MP + 8MP dual-camera rear setup. The iQOO Neo10 Pro version features a 16MP front camera and a 50MP 1/1.56-inch main camera + 50MP dual-camera rear setup.

In conclusion, iQOO's upcoming compact straight-screen phone will effectively fill a gap in its mid-range product line. Considering iQOO Neo series' consistent cost-effective strategy, and the potential use of similar screen modules and cost-control strategies as the vivo X200 Pro mini, this new phone is expected to offer a pleasant surprise in terms of price. This is definitely worth watching for consumers anticipating a compact phone.