iQOO 13 Is India's Most Affordable Snapdragon 8 Elite Android Phone

iQOO has launched its first Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphone in India, the iQOO 13. The device comes a week after Realme launched India’s first Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphone, GT 7 Pro. Next month, these two devices will get a new competitor, OnePlus 13.

The iQOO 13 has launched as the cheapest Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphone in India and will be available from December 5 on Amazon India. Its predecessor, iQOO 12, was one of the best smartphones available for gaming under INR 60,000.

While the iQOO 13 has a similar BMW Motorsport design to its predecessor, there are some additions that make the former a unique device. It also brings a 144Hz AMOLED display, a large VC cooling system, a large 6,000mAh battery, and more.

In this article, we take a look at its price and how it fares with the Realme GT 7 Pro in India.

iQOO 13 Price in India

The iQOO 13 is the most affordable Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphone in India right now. The phone comes in two storage configurations – 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage priced at INR 54,999, which with a bank discount of INR 3,000 on HDFC and ICICI Bank cards as well as EMI goes down to INR 51,999. The top-tier variant with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is priced at INR 59,999, which is down to INR 56,999 with the bank offers applied.

The phone will be available to purchase on December 5 via Amazon India. iQOO has bundled some offers for those interested in buying the iQOO 13 in its first sale. Those who pre-book the device will get an extended warranty for a period of 12 months and a complementary pair of iQOO TWS 1e earbuds.

iQOO 13 specifications at a glance

Hello 'Halo-Lights'

Unlike other Chinese brands that believe in offering a circular cutout for the camera setup, iQOO has continued its tradition by providing a round-squarish camera cutout on the back. This has given it a unique identity compared to other smartphones in the market.

Continuing its collaboration with BMW Motorsport, iQOO has launched its latest flagship device in two colour options: Legend Edition and Nardo Grey. The former has a special branding of BMW Motorsport and iQOO on the rear panel, whereas the latter consists of iQOO branding only.

The iQOO 13 brings a new feature that makes it different from all its predecessors. The device has RGB LED lighting around its camera module that the brand likes to call ‘Monster Halo’. The lights get synchronised with calls, notifications, music and gaming and glow accordingly. You can also customise it according to your needs.

It is certified to be IP68 and IP69 water-dust resistant which assures no issues when exposed to splashes of water and dust. However, that doesn’t mean you can dip it inside the swimming pool.

The iQOO 13 has a 6.82-inch AMOLED display with LTPO technology and up to 144 Hz refresh rate (1-144 Hz). iQOO finally listened to the feedback of the iQOO 12 and upgraded the 1.5K resolution to 2K resolution in its latest flagship. This screen can go as bright as 4,500 nits and has 2592 Hz PWM dimming for those who are more sensitive to display flickers.

Flagship camera configuration 

The iQOO 13 consists of a triple-rear camera configuration: a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-702 main sensor accompanied by a 50 MP Sony IMX816 sensor for the telephoto and a 50-megapixel ISOCELL JN1 sensor for the ultrawide camera.

It features a 32-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. Both the rear and front cameras can record videos in 4K at 60fps.

Fastest chip inside

The Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC lies at the heart of the iQOO 13 and competes with the recently launched MediaTek Dimensity 9400-powered Oppo Find X8. The chipset is paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage configurations. iQOO has given its biggest vapour chamber of 7,000mm² for liquid cooling while gaming.

The iQOO 13 runs Android 15-based FunTouch OS 15 out of the box and is confirmed to receive four years of Android updates and five years of security updates. The UI brings several AI features like Circle to Search, Cutout, AI Erase and AI Creation to the device.

All these specifications are powered by a beefy 6,000mAh battery that is juiced up by a 120W fast charger.

So, Realme GT 7 Pro or iQOO 13?

Despite being cheaper than the Realme GT 7 Pro, the iQOO 13 offers a Quad HD+ resolution display with a 144Hz refresh rate.

The iQOO has a better camera configuration and a larger battery size. With all the offers included, the iQOO 13 seems to be an appealing option and a better value-for-money deal over the Realme GT 7 Pro.

However, the iQOO 13 has seen a big downgrade in its camera compared to last year’s iQOO 12. Hence, if you are looking for a flagship device with a good camera configuration, we recommend you wait for the OnePlus 13, which is launching in January 2025. It is expected to be priced similarly to the iQOO 13.