Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 50MP main sensor, and more

Vivo sub-brand Iqoo this week announced its new flagship pairing in the form of the Iqoo 9 and Iqoo 9 Pro. The affordable flagships bring an attractive design focusing on gaming and charging performance, but one spec, in particular, is worth mentioning.

As spotted by MyDrivers, the Iqoo 9 series starts with 256GB of internal storage as the entry-level option. It’s by no means the first smartphone series to make this the benchmark storage quota, with the Huawei P50 Pocket and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 both offering this as the starting option. However, the Iqoo 9 series is a relatively affordable line offering this larger base storage option.

More smartphone firms should consider discarding 128GB models from their flagship lineups. Notably, the likes of Apple and Samsung are still guilty of this, even with their Pro Max and UItra models.

Iqoo 9 series: What else do you get?

Beyond storage configs, what else does the Iqoo 9 series bring? Well, the standard model packs a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC beneath it. It’s one of the cheapest phones with this chipset currently available. There’s also a 50MP Samsung GN5 primary sensor at the rear, with a 13MP ultrawide and 12MP portrait playing support. For power, a 4,700mAh battery tops up through 120W charging support.

The Pro model is almost identical but does bring some tasteful upgrades. Instead, it switches out the 13MP ultrawide for a 50MP sensor, the 12MP portrait lens for a 16MP telephoto shooter, and trades the flat 6.78-inch display for a higher resolution LTPO curved option.

Both models also include a 16MP selfie shooter mounted in a centered punch hole and run Android 12-based Origin OS.

Pricing and availability

The Iqoo 9 starts at 3,999 yuan (~$628) for the base 8GB/256GB config, jumping to 4,799 yuan (~$753) for the 12GB/512GB alternative. The Pro comes in at 4,999 yuan for its 8GB/256GB option. A range-topping 12GB/512GB model requires 5,999 yuan (~$942).

The devices go on sale in China later this month, but there’s no word on global availability. Colorways include orange, black, and white with BMW Motorsport accents. However, the Pro model drops the middle option.

What do you think of the Iqoo 9 series? Do you feel more smartphone companies should ditch 128GB base storage configs for something larger? Let us know in the poll above.