iQOO 13 Pro Archives - Gizmochina

iQOO 13 Pro: The case for discontinuing ‘Pro’ models – What could be behind iQOO decision?

Anvinraj Valiyathara — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:11:09 +0000

The rumor mill is now gradually spilling details about the upcoming flagships that are expected to launch in the last quarter of this year in China. Among other brands, Vivo is expected to unveil the Vivo X200 and X200 Pro with the Dimensity 9400 chip onboard, while the iQOO 13 series is expected to arrive with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. There have been some rumors that claim that the iQOO 13 Pro will be skipped this year.

iQOO’s Pro-branded flagships may get axed

iQOO 12 Pro

Several factors seem to have influenced iQOO’s strategic decision to not launch the iQOO 13 Pro in China this year. One significant aspect contributing to this decision could be the historical performance of the Pro variants in the iQOO lineup. Rumors have circulated suggesting that iQOO has been contemplating discontinuing the Pro variant since the iQOO 11 generation due to lacklustre sales. According to a known tech blogger from China, the trend has persisted for two generations, indicating that there might be inherent challenges or limitations associated with positioning a Pro variant within the iQOO brand.

Part of the challenge lies in brand positioning and market perception. iQOO, as a sub-brand of Vivo, has been successfully carving out a niche in the performance-driven segment. However, it still faces significant challenges in establishing itself as a standalone brand with sufficient brand power to support a Pro variant in China.

Moreover, considering that previous Pro models, such as the iQOO 12 Pro, 11 Pro, 10 Pro, 9 Pro, and so on, haven’t launched outside of China, while some of their standard (non-Pro) counterparts have made it to the global market, there might be reservations about the viability of the Pro models beyond China. The brand’s experimentation with Pro variants in China over the past years, coupled with reportedly poor sales, suggests that even in its domestic market, the brand may not be confident in the potential success of a Pro version.

As it’s known, the parent brand, Vivo, has traditionally focused on delivering flagship smartphones with a strong emphasis on the photography experience. This creates a potential conflict for the iQOO Pro series, especially if it overlaps with the main brand’s offerings. To recall, last year’s iQOO 12 series came equipped with periscope telephoto cameras for enhanced photography. Moreover, the Vivo X100 Pro and iQOO 12 Pro carried the same starting price of 4,999 Yuan (~$690) last year.

Furthermore, the dynamics of the smartphone market play a crucial role in shaping product strategies. Competitors such as OnePlus have also experimented with Pro variants but eventually discontinued them. This suggests that there may be challenges associated with sustaining a Pro lineup within a sub-brand, particularly if it does not resonate with consumer preferences or market demands.

In response to these challenges, leaks indicate that Vivo and iQOO have opted for a more distinct differentiation strategy for their upcoming models. The iQOO 13 is rumored to focus on a 2K flat OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, and imaging capabilities, while the Vivo X200 is expected to offer a slightly different proposition with a 1.5K OLED curved-edge display, Dimensity 9400 chipset, and imaging features tailored to a different segment of consumers. The X200 is expected to launch in October, whereas the iQOO 13 series may go official in November.

Considering the historical performance of the Pro variants, market dynamics, and brand positioning, it seems logical for iQOO to forego the launch of the iQOO 13 Pro in China this year. Instead, the company may prioritize enhancing the standard iQOO flagship (iQOO 13) by incorporating additional features and improvements that would typically be offered on the Pro version.

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iQOO 13’s key specs leak reveals 2K display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, IP68 chassis, Pro variant in limbo

Anvinraj Valiyathara — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 04:08:53 +0000

The rumor mill has been gradually leaking details about the iQOO 13 series of smartphones. Ideally, the lineup should include two phones, such as the iQOO 13 and 13 Pro, both powered by the next-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. However, a Weibo post released by tipster Digital Chat Station last week reportedly doubted the existence of the Pro variant. In today’s Weibo post, DCS again hinted that the Pro variant may not be released.

iQOO 13 specifications (rumored)

As can be seen above, DCS has mentioned the key specifications of an upcoming iQOO flagship phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. In all likelihood, the tipster seems to be talking about the standard IQOO 13.

Previous leaks have claimed that the iQOO 13’s screen will support a 1.5K resolution whereas the 13 Pro’s display will offer a 2K resolution. However, the new leak suggests that the iQOO 13 will have an IP68-rated chassis. In addition, it will have a flat OLED panel that produces a 2K resolution. The screen will also be integrated with an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

When asked whether he was talking about the iQOO 13 and 13 Pro, he responded by saying if the above specs are implemented, then the Pro model would definitely be gone, meaning it will be axed. To recall, previous Pro models, such as the iQOO 12 Pro, 11 Pro, 10 Pro, and so on, haven’t launched outside of China. Finally, it seems that the 13 Pro might not even be released in China.

As far as other specifications are concerned, previous reports have revealed that the iQOO 13 may offer up to 16 GB of RAM and up to1 TB of storage. It may house a 6,000mAh battery with 120W fast charging support. There is a possibility that the iQOO 13 may launch in November of this year.

iQOO 13 may not have a Pro model this year

Rajesh Regmi — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 05:37:20 +0000

The iQOO 12 launched back in December of last year, and its successor is already in the works. So far we’ve heard that the iQOO 13 will feature a 1.5K resolution flat OLED 8T LTPO display and use Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for performance.

Today, these specs have once again been reiterated by the tipster Digital Chat Station who also shared some new details, including information about the Pro model of the line.

iQOO 12

The tipster says the iQOO 13 will support 100W charging to fuel its “large battery.” While the exact battery size wasn’t mentioned, many flagships this year such as OnePlus 13 and Oppo Find X8 are rumored to feature 6000mAh batteries.

Considering that iQOO 13 will go head-on-head with these phones, we can expect it to have a similar battery capacity. A previous report suggests that the phone will have a 6000mAh cell in fact, but it mentions 120W charging which contradicts the latest leak.

Moving on to the iQOO 13 Pro, it’s said to be powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip but will have a higher-res 2K resolution quad-curved screen.

However, there is some uncertainty about its release. Digital Chat Station says that the Pro model has “not yet been confirmed to be available” casting some doubt on its release this year.

That is according to the new leak but the situation may change as there is still a considerable amount of time before the iQOO 13 series launch. What we can take away from the tipster’s latest report is that the Pro model is indeed in the works; the idea isn’t scrapped altogether.

Related:

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Upcoming Phones With the Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Chip

Vicky — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:52:57 +0000

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be Qualcomm’s most powerful and intelligent chipset for smartphones. It will get new performance cores, which are expected to bring serious improvements over its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, in terms of performance and AI capabilities.

The US-based chipmaker has confirmed that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is arriving this October during the Snapdragon Summit. However, we already have a handful of information to get excited about. Let’s quickly look at the chip details before I tell you about the smartphones coming with this new Snapdragon performance beast.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 4: Is This the New Powerhouse For Android?

While most details about the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip are wrapped under the cover, recent leaks and an X (formerly Twitter) post are creating a lot of buzz around this new chip.

The tweet comes from Qualcomm’s CMO Don McGuire, which reveals that the new chip will feature Oryon CPU cores. These CPU cores also power the Snapdragon X Elite chipset for PCs.This is the company’s most powerful chip for PCs, with bold claims around the performance, AI capabilities, and power efficiency.

It will be fascinating to see how these new cores perform in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4-powered phones. But, we are expecting a massive performance upgrade and better on-device AI capabilities.

Rumors are that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will have six of these new Oryon cores. And the prime core(s) might clock in at 4 GHz (vs 3.30 GHz in its predecessor). This new Snapdragon chip might use TSMC’s 3nm fabrication process.

These Phones Could Come with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Chip

We are still months away from the Snapdragon Summit, but leaks have told us about the devices that might get this upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip.

1. Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro

Xiaomi has the exclusive first launch rights for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, claims a reliable tipster Yogesh Brar. The company also had exclusive first launch rights for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for the Xiaomi 14 series last year.

Xiaomi’s next flagship series will be the Xiaomi 15 series, which might get this new chip. According to the tipster, the vanilla Xiaomi 15 and the Pro model will be the first phones to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip. The phones are likely to go official in October.

As per the recent leaks, the standard Xiaomi 15 may have a 6.36-inch flat OLED screen with 1.5K resolution; the Pro model with a larger screen and 2K resolution. Both phones could come with a custom-made OmniVision 50MP primary camera and an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint reader.

2. OnePlus 13

OnePlus 13 is reportedly in the works and could be among the first batch of Snapdragon 8 Gen 4-powered phones. According to recent leaks, this new OnePlus flagship will undergo a design change to remove the traditional hinge-style camera module it has been offering for the past few years.

As far as the specs are concerned, it may feature a 6.8-inch OLED LTPO micro-curved display with 2K resolution support. The device is likely to get an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint scanner. It’s tipped to offer a 50MP primary camera and a periscope lens.

3. iQOO 13 and 13 Pro

Multiple leaks claim that the iQOO 13 series will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset.

Similar to its predecessor, the iQOO 13 series might include a standard model and a Pro model. We will likely see the exact resolution from last year’s iQOO 12 series – 1.5K resolution on the standard model and 2K on the Pro model.

Although not many spec leaks have surfaced online, we know that the iQOO 13 series phones will sport big batteries, thanks to recent leaks from Chinese tipsters.

4. Galaxy S25 Pro and S25 Ultra

Including the Galaxy S25 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra on this list was a no-brainer, as Samsung’s latest flagships always boast the most powerful chip from Qualcomm.

However, unlike many Chinese brands, Samsung doesn’t rush to announce new devices with new flagship chipsets. The South Korean giant usually announces new flagships in January or February.

Notably, many reports believe Samsung might go all-in with Exynos for the Galaxy S25 series, but I strongly disagree with this, as it’ll severely impact their smartphone business. Even if they do, this Exynos move will be limited to select regions.

5. Redmi K80 Pro

Redmi K80 Pro is also rumored to come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 powerful chipset. The K80 lineup is also expected to include a standard Redmi K80, which could feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.

As per the recent leaks, the Redmi K80 series phones may house a 5,500 mAh battery. They are expected to feature a 2K resolution display like their predecessors, the Redmi K70 and K70 Pro.

iQOO 13 series will bring Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC and improved battery and charging speed

Rajesh Regmi — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 01:51:38 +0000

iQOO introduced the iQOO 12 series in China back in November 2023. Then the company launched the iQOO 12 in India in December as the country’s first Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phone.

Four months down the line, rumors about its successor, the iQOO 13 series, have now started surfacing online. A leak from Mobile China and tipster Smart Pikachu has revealed what we can expect from the upcoming line.

Similar to the iQOO 12, the iQOO 13 is expected to arrive in standard and Pro variants. The standard model is rumored to sport a 1.5K resolution with a flat display, while the Pro variant might boast a curved display with a higher 2K resolution.

That’s the same display setup as the iQOO 12 line. So there seems no major change on this front. The leak further suggests that both models could use displays sourced from Samsung and domestic Chinese display manufacturers, likely BOE.

Perhaps the most notable improvement could come in the form of the chipset. The iQOO 13 series is rumored to run on the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, which boasts custom Oryon CPU cores and an enhanced NPU for superior AI capabilities.

Battery life is another area where the line could be upgraded. The leaks suggest significant improvements in battery capacity and faster charging speeds. However, none of the leaks spill the beans about the exact battery size or charging speed of the smartphone.

Moreover, there’s also no specific mention of the launch timeframe for the iQOO 13 series in the leaks. But considering that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to be unveiled in October 2024, it’s unlikely that the iQOO 13 series will launch before then.