If you haven’t heard of iQOO, then you’re probably not alone, as they are an independent sub-brand of Vivo. iQOO however are not afraid of introducing premium photography features with their best phones, and with the new iQOO 12 are including a photography mode dubbed “Astrography” which to you and me would be Astro photography.
On the iQOO 12, this mode is designed to let you capture the stars, and comes with an AR (augmented reality) mode that can overlay the constellations onto the photo.
The iQOO 12 also comes with a triple camera setup, and with a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it’s target market is as a flagship camera phone, but with a lower price than most Samsung and Apple phones, which could make it one of the best mid-range phones available.
iQOO 12 range. Image: iQOO
Key Features at a glance:
- 50MP main wide-angle, f/1.68, OIS, 23mm equivalent (1/1.3inch sensor)
- 50MP ultra-wide-angle, f/2.0, 15mm equivalent
- 64MP telephoto, f/2.57, 3x/70mm equivalent, OIS
- 16MP selfie camera, f/2.45, 27mm equivalent (video: 1080P only)
- 8K 30p, 4K 60/30p, FullHD 240p
- 6.78inch screen, AMOLED, 144Hz, up to 3000nits brightness
- 5000mAh battery, 120W charging
The iQOO 12 is already available in China, with more market availability expected on the 6th and 12th December. Pricing is around €550 depending on RAM and storage options.
From iQOO (Press Release): New iQOO 12 Boasts Snapdragon® Gen 3 Processor Under the Hood, Pushes the Boundaries of Ultimate Performance and Design
Inspired by BMW M Motorsport, the new iQOO 12 pairs the latest Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 processor from Qualcomm with a customized Supercomputing Chip Q1 to delivering a finely crafted, premium-grade gaming experience that surpasses all expectation
Shenzhen, China, December 6th, 2023 – iQOO, an independent sub-brand of vivo, today announced iQOO 12, an all-new flagship smartphone designed to push the boundaries of design, speed and performance to new heights, giving users an unparalleled mobile gaming experience. Combining the very latest high-performance Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 processor from Qualcomm, plus a customized Supercomputing Chip Q1, iQOO 12 takes inspiration from BMW M Motorsport to deliver an unrivaled and breathtaking flagship gaming experience like no other.
Created to exude superior quality and refinement on every level, iQOO 12 boasts cutting-edge performance with premium build quality and design using the finest materials. It features a high definition 144Hz AMOLED display, a triple rear camera system with Porthole Design and immersive gaming features that redefine the mobile gaming experience.
“The new iQOO 12 flagship smartphone was created for people craving the absolute pinnacle of technology and design. We paired the most powerful processor platform on the market, Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3, with our customized Supercomputing Chip Q1, and an exquisite Porthole exterior design to create a smartphone that exudes exceptional quality both inside and out. Embracing the spirit and adventure of BMW M Motorsport, iQOO 12 surpasses all expectations to deliver the ultimate mobile gaming experience,” said Torres Zhou, Head of iQOO Overseas Market.
Discover the ‘Monster Inside’
As one of the very first smartphones to feature the industry-leading Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, iQOO 12 harnesses the performance advantages of a new processor architecture manufactured using the latest 4nm technology. Coupled with a custom Supercomputing Chip Q1 that further enhances in-game performance, fast memory, and lightning quick flash storage, iQOO stands unopposed in terms of gaming prowess.lu
The latest Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform from Qualcomm features a newly evolved 1+5+2 CPU architecture that combines a prime Cortex-X4 prime core , five Cortex-A720 performance cores, and two additional Cortex-A520 efficiency cores – a balanced octa-core design that combines groundbreaking performance with ruthless power efficiency. Dominant gaming performance is guaranteed by the all new Adreno 750 GPU and gamers can expect ultra smooth and fast app loading and switching thanks to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and 512GB of the latest high-speed, low latency UFS4.0 flash storage, enough capacity to install dozens of the latest mobile games without worrying about space constraints.
Performance and power are nothing without sufficient battery life. iQOO 12 is powered by a Pro-Performance Graphite Battery equivalent to 5000 mAh (TYP) that supports 120W FlashCharge. Graphite battery technology offers significantly improved energy density compared to traditional battery solutions. A feature unique to iQOO 12, users will appreciate having a high performance battery that is 9% larger in capacity compared to the previous generation, without having to compromise on slim design. Power saving features include Battery Saver Mode and 0% Battery Instant Startup.
iQOO 12 Alpha Edition (Image: iQOO)
Visually Enhanced Gaming with Supercomputing Chip Q1
As well as packing the very latest flagship-grade mobile processor, memory, and storage, iQOO debuts Supercomputing Chip Q1, a customized display chip that offers Game Super Resolution, Game Super Frame Rate and Game Display Enhancement – features that radically enhance the mobile gaming experience.
With one touch users can activate Game Super Resolution, boosting image contrast and overall clarity through enhanced edge sharpness of graphical characters. Users can enable Game Super Frame Rate to experience mobile gaming at incredible high frame rates of up to 144 FPS. While many mobile games cap frame rates at 60 FPS or 90 FPS, peaking at 120 FPS, Super Frame Rate uses frame interpolation to provide users with smooth 144 FPS gaming, matching the native 144Hz display refresh rate to reduce tearing and stuttering on even the most demanding games.
When simultaneously enabled, Game Super Resolution and Game Super Frame Rate combine to give gamers a visually optimized game experience like no other. A great example of these enhancements is the ability to play top-tier games like Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, PUBG New State, and League of Legends Mobile at 144 FPS.
Game Display Enhancement optimizes graphics quality by reconstructing images with sharper details, and includes General Filters that enhance gameplay. Filters include dark-scene enhancement which allows gamers to better identify the enemy in dark scenes such as tunnels or night-time battles. Game Super Touch Control gives gamers better accuracy and touch response, preventing unwanted slips and accidental edge touching, while also improving accuracy when perspiration becomes an issue.
Pure Gaming Immersion
Today’s mobile gamers demand a game experience that provides immersive visual, physical and aural interaction during gameplay. iQOO 12 features a high-definition 6.78-inch, 144Hz AMOLED LTPO display with a 1.5K resolution (2800 x 1260), 452 PPI pixel density, an incredible 80,00,000:1 contrast ratio, and HDR10+ support (3,000 nits of local peak brightness). Accurate color reproduction is guaranteed with 105% NTSC color gamut and 100% DCI-P3 accuracy ratings. To further improve the viewing experience iQOO 12 also supports high-frequency 2,160Hz of PWM dimming and low blue light eye protection.
iQOO 12 uses an LTPO AMOLED display that can dynamically switch between high and low refresh rates. This lowers power consumption by reducing refresh rates when a static image is displayed, while allowing refresh rates to be pushed to the maximum to provide the ultimate viewing experience when watching movies or playing games.
To give gamers a physically immersive experience, iQOO 12 packs a Large X-Axis Linear Motor that produces accurate haptic feedback triggers during gameplay. In terms of audio, iQOO 12 uses a Symmetrical Dual Stereo Speaker design that gives gamers directional cues in first-person-shooter games, making gunshots and footsteps more pronounced and clearer during gameplay. During audio playback, users can enjoy incredible instrument separation, with a large 1.2cc speaker chamber providing improved bass frequencies.
To keep things calm during extended gaming sessions, iQOO 12 uses a Four-Zone Cooling System that ensures a comfortable in-hand experience in key contact areas. A 6K Vapor Chamber ensures rapid and effective heat dissipation from the CPU, with heat buildup further reduced with a Low temperature sensitivity design and a specialized Under-Display Graphite Cooling Film that mitigates hot spots.
A Window to the World: Porthole Triple Cameras
iQOO 12 uses a triple rear camera system with Porthole Design inspired by discovery and adventure. The unique design features an Astrography Camera with an ultra large main sensor, complemented with a Periscope Telephoto Camera, and Wide-Angle Camera.
The Astrography Camera is the most powerful iQOO camera ever, boasting a 50MP (f/1.68) 1/1.3-inch large sensor that provides improved color reproduction featuring the latest VCS2.0 biomimetic spectral technology, improving low-light image quality and signal-to-noise ratio, while offering more accurate, true-to-life colors. Four-in-one pixel binning technology offers an effective pixel size of 2.4µm, further improving performance in low-light environments. Video recording includes support for 8K@30 FPS, 4K@30/60 FPS, and 720p,1080p video at up to 240 FPS for stunning slow motion shots. Sharp, crisp photography is assured with both OIS and EIS stabilization support.
Users can employ Ultra-Long Zoom using the Periscope Telephoto Camera which features a 64MP (f/2.57)1/2” sensor, 3X Optical Zoom, and 10X Zoom. An impressive 100X Digital Zoom is achieved using the N.I.C.E. (Neural Image Computational Engine) algorithm, an image processing algorithm used by astronomical telescopes and high-end microscopes. The captured image is re-written from scratch using AI-powered noise cancellation, and detail enhancement algorithms. iQOO 12 also features an Ultra HD Document 3.0 algorithm that combines with the telephoto lens to deliver clear results when capturing screen presentations.
For amazing wide-angle shots users will appreciate having a dedicated Wide-Angle Camera with a 50MP (f/2.0) 1/2.76” sensor, and support for several wide-angle photography modes.
Inspired by BMW M Motorsport: Legend and Alpha
iQOO 12 is available in Legend (white) and Alpha (black) editions. Elegantly designed to inspire a sense of adventure and a passion for speed and performance, iQOO 12 Legend takes inspiration from BMW M Motorsport, the concept of ergonomic perfection is realized with contoured edges and a white Porcelain Enamel Glass composed of countless three-dimensional pyramid nano-optical textures. Adorned with iconic tri-color stripes, the Clous de Paris pattern conveys the racing spirit of BMW M Motorsport, the established style of the iQOO series.
iQOO 12 Alpha focuses on the effects of light and shadow, using a black Fluorite AG glass body that creates a perfect and unique black with a subtle cold glow. At 8.1mm, iQOO 12 is ultra slim and feels light, yet reassuringly classy at only 203.7g. Born for outdoor living, iQOO 12 is IP64 dust and water-splash resistant. Users will also enjoy FuntouchOS 14, which is based on the latest Android 14 operating system.
Availability
iQOO 12 will be released in Malaysia and Thailand on December 6, Indonesia on December 7 and India on December 12. iQOO 12 will be available for purchase in all the mentioned countries around mid-December.
About iQOO
iQOO, a sub-brand of vivo, differentiates itself in performance and Esports experience. iQOO leverages the research, quality assurance and after-sales service expertise of vivo, and follows the brand ethos of I Quest On and On to push boundaries, innovate boldly and share the excitement of exploring future technology. With products offering Esports-standard capabilities, iQOO aims to become the top choice of consumers who are passionate about performance and gaming.
For more information, please visit www.iQOO.com
Related reading:
- Read our iQOO 12 review
- Best camera phones for photography
- Best budget camera phones for photography
- Best camera phones for low-light
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