A gaming-focused phone that has a more minimalist design while still retaining a sense of gaming speed is what impresses me most about the iQOO 12 series. For this standard edition, I think this upgrade is not just a change in appearance, but also a very pleasant surprise in terms of performance.
Different design, same speedy presentation
Appearance is the biggest change in iQOO 12, so let's start with the appearance this time. This time, the lens module has changed from the squareness of the previous generation to the rounded design of the "Miles Porthole", with 8 segments of slightly curved edges, a ring-shaped protruding design that is somewhat similar to a volcanic crater, and surrounded by a circle of FOH decorative rings to further enhance the degree of sophistication.
In terms of colours, iQOO 12 is available in the classic "Track Edition" and "Legend Edition" as well as a new colour scheme called "Ignite". The body of the "Track Edition" in our hands is made of Fluorite AG glass, which has a glittery sand effect when you turn the phone, and is very comfortable to the touch, but the disadvantage is that it is too smooth, so if you are worried about slipping, you are advised to bring a case with you to use the phone.
iQOO 12 or the standard version of the unique metal right-angle frame + straight screen design, body thickness of 8.1mm, weight 203g, hold in the hand is more sense of weight, but in the horizontal screen grip thanks to the curved design of the edge of the back cover, the feel of the game is still quite good.
The screen is equipped with a 6.78-inch 1.5K straight screen, support 144Hz high refresh rate, the maximum brightness of the screen 1400nit, peak brightness up to 3000nit. the most important thing is that the iQOO 12 is finally cancelled the plastic bracket, the black edges have become narrower, and the feeling of the viewer is also more immersive.
New Snapdragon Flagship Core for Stronger Performance
iQOO 12 is equipped with the third-generation Snapdragon 8 mobile platform, using TSMC's 4nm process, the new 1+5+2 architecture brings faster processing speeds, the Cortex-X4 mega-core can reach a maximum frequency of 3.3GHz, the CPU performance compared to the previous generation of 30 per cent, energy efficiency is also improved by 20 per cent, and the overall power consumption has been reduced, the performance is still quite strong.
We tested the game performance of Glory of Kings and Progenitus in a room temperature of 25 degrees. Firstly, we started with Glory of Kings, setting the image quality to Very High (120 fps) + Extreme, and averaging 114.7 fps in a half-hour test, with a game change preparation session in the middle. As you can see, the average frame rate for a single game can reach 120.9 fps, and the actual experience is stable and smooth throughout, which is no doubt.
The next game is Proto-God, with the picture quality set to very high and the frame rate set to 60, the average frame rate for a half-hour run through Sumeru City was 59.8 fps. There is a small amount of lag during the run, and the table fluctuates because of it, but several current flagship models have a similar situation, so the iQOO 12's performance is still satisfactory to me.
In terms of heat dissipation, the iQOO 12 has a larger 6010mm2 VC heat spreading plate than the iQOO 12 Pro, which uses a stainless steel stamping process to improve the utilisation of the VC area and speed up the internal heat circulation. The actual test of the "Glory of Kings" half-hour test after the frontal temperature of 36.9 degrees, the back of 34.9 degrees, the original God half-hour test frontal temperature of 44.7 degrees, the back of 41 degrees, this heat dissipation performance is also very impressive.
The game mobile phone is also a little concerned about the battery life, this time iQOO 12 equipped with equivalent 5000mAh large-capacity battery, the use of new graphite layer reconstruction technology and multiple pole piece of cold pressure technology support, while maintaining high capacity can also take into account fast charging. However, perhaps due to the new technology, the iQOO 12 is only equipped with 120W flash charging and not on 200W, which is still a bit of a pity.
In addition to the gaming chip upgrade, there are also images
In addition to the third-generation Snapdragon 8 mobile platform, the iQOO 12 also has a self-developed gaming chip Q1, which brings a new super-frame super-split concurrent technology to the phone. I'm sure you're all familiar with superframe, as iQOO 12 can achieve a high frame rate of up to 144 frames, and the familiar game ProtoGod is one of those games that can reach 144 frames by interpolating frames.
In terms of Super Score, also taking ProtoGod as an example, iQOO 12 has three options: "Native", "High" and "Ultra". Turning on the "High" option raises the screen from 720P to 900P, and turning on the "Ultra" option raises the screen to the maximum 1.5K supported by the screen, so that you can enjoy the great scenery of the game anytime you want.
With the support of Super Score and Super Frame Concurrent Technology, iQOO 12 can support up to 144 frames + high quality (900P) for a clear and smooth gaming experience in The Original God. Not only games, but also mainstream videos such as Beili, Aichi, Tencent Video, etc. can also provide a high frame rate viewing experience.
Experience upgrades in addition to the chip, iQOO 12 also has the first ray tracing technology, "Dark Zone Breakout" is the first full-map ray tracing game, which can restore a more realistic light and shadow reflection effect, the game experience is more immersive. In addition, iQOO 12 has a master lower speaker and a new X-axis linear motor to further enhance the gaming experience.
The iQOO 12 is also equipped with a new video configuration to meet the needs of daily use outside of gaming. This time, iQOO 12 brings a 50MP OV50H Bionic Spectrum main camera with a 1/1.3-inch base and a large aperture of F1.68. The actual samples seem to be a bit on the high side in terms of colour saturation, which makes the image more pleasing to the eye.
(Main Camera 1X Sample)
(Main Camera 1X Sample)
(Main Camera 2X Sample)
In addition, the iQOO 12 also has a flagship 64-megapixel OV64B periscope telephoto lens, which delivers a 3X image, or an equivalent focal length of 70mm, and with the NICE image computing engine, it can support up to 100X of hybrid zoom. The actual samples show that the sharpness is guaranteed, the colours are more natural, and the bokeh effect is excellent.
(3X sample)
(3X Sample)
(10X Sample)
Summary
The iQOO 12 is equipped with Qualcomm's strongest third-generation Snapdragon 8 mobile platform, and is also supported by the gaming chip Q1, which not only delivers stable frame rate performance in games, but also enhances the gaming experience with its Super Score and Super Frame Concurrent technology. The "Miles Porthole" design not only makes the overall appearance more simple, but also makes it more comfortable to hold in landscape; the improvement of the imaging hardware allows iQOO 12 to have a good performance in daily use.
From the strong performance of the dual-core to the more comfortable design, the iQOO 12 seems to have been upgraded to enhance the gaming experience of users, which is also in line with iQOO's brand philosophy of focusing on e-sports, especially suitable for gaming enthusiasts who prefer a straight screen. With a flagship imaging system and OriginOS 4 to enhance the daily use experience, it seems that the iQOO 12 can be a flagship phone for both daily use and gaming.
