Vivo’s sub-brand launched a brand new lineup of flagship killers containing two handsets: iQOO Neo 5S and iQOO Neo 5SE. While Qualcomm unveiled the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform, these devices still offer the 2021 flagship SoCs by Qualcomm, but their prices are extremely good, especially for gamers who need to save money. But which are the differences between the new iQOO high-end phones and which one should you opt for? This is a comparison between their specifications which will answer those questions. Given that these phones have several things in common, we will focus on the differences between them.

Vivo iQOO Neo 5S vs Vivo iQOO Neo 5SE

Vivo iQOO Neo 5S Vivo iQOO Neo 5SE
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 163.2 x 76.4 x 8.4 mm, 196 grams 164.7 x 76.7 x 8.5 mm, 189 g
DISPLAY  6.62 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), AMOLED  6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY  8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 11, Origin OS Ocean  Android 11, Origin OS Ocean
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA Triple 48 + 13 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Triple 50 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY 4500 mAh, fast charging 66W  4500 mAh, fast charging 55W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G

Design

The iQOO Neo 5S and the iQOO Neo 5SE are not so different when it comes to design. They have a similar look and they are made of polycarbonate for both the rear cover and the frame. I consider the iQOO Neo 5S slightly better because it is more compact than its Special Edition. For the rest, these phones are pretty much the same. They have a display with a single punch hole, very narrow bezels, and a rectangular camera module with a similar color to the rear cover. Both the power key and the volume keys are placed on the right side, while the left side is completely clean.

 

Display

One of the most important advantages of the iQOO Neo 5S if compared to the Neo 5SE is the display. Unlike its internal rival, it is equipped with an AMOLED panel which shows brighter colors and deeper blacks. The display has a diagonal of 6.62 inches, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, and the HDR10+ certification. The iQOO Neo 5SE may be a bit more interesting for a few gamers thanks to its 144 Hz refresh rate, but its display is actually inferior. It is an LCD panel with a Full HD+ resolution and the HDR10 certification, as well as a wider 6.67-inch diagonal. Note that iQOO Neo 5S has an in-display fingerprint reader, while the fingerprint scanner is side-mounted on the iQOO Neo 5SE.

 

Specs & Software

Are you looking for the most powerful phone? If so, you can get a bit more performance with the iQOO Neo 5S because it is powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform. The iQOO Neo 5SE offers the same memory configurations, but it has the lower-end Snapdragon 870 chipset which sits in the middle between Snapdragon 865+ and Snapdragon 888. Both the phones are based on Android 11 but they run the brand new OriginOS Ocean customization which will be soon based on Android 12. These two phones are among the most advanced ones in terms of performance and they match the most expensive flagships.

 

Camera

The iQOO Neo 5S is far from being a top camera phone, but it still offers a very good camera department including a 48 MP main sensor with OIS, a 13 MP ultrawide camera, and a 2 MP macro lens. It is definitely better than iQOO Neo 5SE which offers lower-midrange cameras including a 50 MP main sensor, an 8 MP ultrawide camera, and a 2 MP macro sensor. Even the front camera of the iQOO Neo 5S is better thanks to a brighter focal aperture.

 

 

Battery

Vivo iQOO Neo 5S and iQOO Neo 5SE have the same battery capacity, but the former is able to provide a longer battery life because its display has a lower energy consumption (thanks to the AMOLED technology) and its chipset is built with a better production process. Further, the iQOO Neo 5S charges quicker thanks to a fast charging power of 66W.

 

Price

The starting price of the iQOO Neo 5S is €380/$430 in the Chinese market, while the iQOO Neo 5SE starts from just €300/$340. The former provides a better display, chipset, and cameras, while the latter lets you spend less money. However, the iQOO Neo 5S still has a higher value for money, at least in my opinion.

 

 

Vivo iQOO Neo 5S vs Vivo iQOO Neo 5SE: PRO and CONS

Vivo iQOO Neo 5S

PRO

  • AMOLED display
  • Faster charging
  • Better main camera
  • Better ultrawide and selfie camera
  • Higher-end processor

CONS

  • Price

 

vivo iQOO Neo 5SE

PRO

  • More affordable
  • Higher refresh rate
  • Wider display

CONS

  • LCD display

 

RELATED

Check the latest videos from our YouTube channel and subscribe:

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR