Vivo sub-brand launches iQOO 9 Pro flagship for $870

iQOO, Vivo’s gaming-focused sub-brand, has announced its latest flagship phones for launch in India, the iQOO 9 and 9 Pro. Like previous iQOO devices, they don’t really look like conspicuously gamer-style phones but are focused on performance nonetheless. iQOO is pushing that in its marketing through a tie-in partnership with BMW M Motorsport and a white model with three rally stripes.

The iQOO 9 Pro has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and a 4,700mAh battery. The screen is a 6.78-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED panel, while the camera system includes a 50-megapixel ultrawide, a 16-megapixel portrait camera, and a 50-megapixel main sensor that uses gimbal-style stabilization, like other Vivo flagships. It can be charged at 120W with a cable or, still unusually for a Vivo-adjacent phone, with wireless charging at up to 50W.

Differences in the non-Pro iQOO 9 include a Snapdragon 888 Plus processor, a 4,350mAh battery, and a 6.56-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED screen. The smaller camera bump houses a 48-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and a 13-megapixel portrait camera. The phone still has 120W wired charging, but there’s no wireless option. Both the iQOO 9 and 9 Pro run Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12, based on Android 12.

In India, the iQOO 9 Pro will cost Rs. 64,990 (~$870) for a model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, or Rs. 69,990 (~$940) for 12GB/256GB. The iQOO 9 is Rs. 42,990 (~$580) for 8GB/128GB and Rs. 46,990 (~$630) for 12GB/256GB. The phones will be available from March 2nd.