iQOO 13 Screen Gap Controversy: Decoding The Issue, Company Response

iQOO entered the Indian smartphone market as a flagship smartphone brand but soon expanded to other price segments. Its number series is still one of the most popular smartphones in India and the iQOO 13 is the latest iteration. 

The iQOO 13 was one of the first smartphones in the country to be powered by the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The phone featured a premium design, high-resolution display and good camera capabilities, positioning it as a direct competitor to other premium smartphones like iPhone 16, Realme GT 7 Pro, and soon, with the upcoming OnePlus 13.

Alongside the powerful chipset, iQOO spent a long duration boasting about the iQOO 13’s display at its launch event. It featured a quad-curved 2K LTPO AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate, 2592Hz PWM dimming and other technical features. iQOO also made several claims about the display’s hardware protection, software optimisation and wet-hand usability. The screen was marketed as durable and reliable, featuring certifications for eye comfort and outdoor visibility from TUV Rheinland. 

However, its users are facing a surprising issue related to the device’s design and display that could be a big quality check loophole. Here’s everything you need to know about.

iQOO 13 screen gap controversy

Several iQOO 13 buyers in India have raised complaints about a screen gap issue on their units. According to the pictures shared by these users on X, there appears to be a visible gap between the display and the frame of the device. Even though the device is IP68 and IP69 rated, users have pointed out that this gap may allow dust and water to accumulate in critical conditions, which could affect the phone's durability and long-term performance.

To prove that there is a visible gap between the display and frame, multiple users posted videos in which they were able to pass a piece of a paper or a one rupee coin through the gap. Several users pointed out that it could be a manufacturing defect or quality control issues or a design flaw from the iOQO team.

We have inserted several tweets below that show the issue that iQOO 13 users are facing with their devices.

Hey @IqooInd, it’s time to stop claiming the gaps in iQOO 13s are 'by design.' If this was intentional, all units of the same model would have it, but they don’t. This clearly points to a manufacturing flaw, not a feature. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/2zsENOJ9Bo

— Nishi (@ncklntro) December 29, 2024

There is a gap between the display and the frame where water can accumulate, and dust is collecting. iQOO India is saying that this is a feature. After complaining, they are saying that iQOO intentionally designed it this way. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/xPGsebNcN2

— nobody (@nobodydoesbtr) December 27, 2024

There are some news that some iQOO 13 units has a gap between frame and display. A couple of people posted about it here. I get some DMs also regarding this 🤔

Then some people told me to check in my iQOO 13 unit also because I have also one 16 GB / 512 GB Variant of iQOO 13. So… pic.twitter.com/gCoWODBSEg

— Anir Chakraborty (@encoword) December 29, 2024

iQOO's response on the screen gap issue

After the controversy came to light, several users tagged iQOO official handles on social media channels and went to service centers, where they were told that it’s not an issue but an optical illusion.

Weird!

iQOO released an official statement on its community forum addressing the issue. In a reply to user’s concern, the company clarified that the iQOO 13 features a four-curved design for its battery cover, contributing to an optical illusion caused by light and shadow. iQOO stated that the perceived gap is not a structural defect but rather a visual effect resulting from the design choice.

Furthermore, the company reassured customers that the phone is equipped with an internal dust and water-resistant sealing structure that ensures protection against environmental elements. iQOO also said that the device underwent rigorous reliability tests and quality inspections before hitting the market. It urged users to trust the product's durability and performance. 

This has led to mixed reactions, with some users accepting the clarification while others continue to demand stricter quality checks.

iQOO, it's time to acknowledge defects

The iQOO 13 undoubtedly stands out as a performance beast because of its flagship on-paper specifications and advanced gaming and AI features. However, the screen gap issue raises legitimate concerns about design execution and quality control. If one is spending INR 60,000 on a smartphone and still getting to see these design flaws, then the brand needs to step up its game. 

iQOO’s response on this seems to be a cover-up for their design flaws since users have already demonstrated how they were able to pass a paper on their device. At the same time,

iQOO should take this feedback seriously and reassess its quality control processes to prevent similar issues in future models. 

This is not something new with smartphones, even one of the best smartphones of 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra had this issue that Samsung acknowledged as a manufacturing unit and fixed it with upcoming units.

If you are planning to purchase an iQOO 13, we recommend you buy it from an offline store. It is important to make sure that you inspect the device physically before making a purchase. If you are buying it from Amazon, then inspect and replace it if you find any of the known defects. 

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