Budget smartphones in India have been steadily getting more premium over the past few years, with brands competing to pack bigger batteries, faster chips, and better cameras into devices that stay under the ₹20,000 ($216) price mark. iQOO, following in that trend, just launched the iQOO Z11x 5G, a follow-up to last year’s iQOO Z10x.
At first glance, the Z11x isn't trying anything particularly new. It builds on the foundation of its predecessor with a few key upgrades. The most noticeable of which is the battery. While many phones in this segment hover around the 5,000mAh mark, the Z11x jumps to a massive 7,200mAh cell paired with 44W fast charging.
Powering the device is the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chipset, a 4nm processor designed for efficient everyday performance. Paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, the phone is positioned to handle typical daily tasks, everything from social media scrolling and messaging to casual gaming, without much slowdown. It’s not a flagship-level processor, but for the price segment, it offers a balanced mix of speed and power efficiency.
The display sticks to a 6.76-inch LCD panel rather than AMOLED, which isn't surprising given the price range, but to compensate, the phone runs at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits.
Cameras are another area where the Z11x gets a meaningful improvement, particularly with the front camera. While the rear setup remains the familiar 50-megapixel main camera paired with a secondary 2-megapixel sensor, the selfie camera jumps from 8MP on the Z10x to a much sharper 32MP sensor. Both front and rear cameras support 4K video recording, making the device more appealing to content creators and vloggers on a budget.
Beyond the core hardware, the phone also brings a few extras that are less common in this price range. It runs Android 16 with OriginOS 6 out of the box, promises two major Android updates and four years of security patches, and includes features like an IP68/IP69 rating for dust and water resistance, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and even an IR blaster for controlling home appliances.
Starting at ₹18,999 ($205) and going on sale from March 16 via Amazon in India, the iQOO Z11x 5G appears to be designed for users who prioritise battery life and reliable performance over flashy extras. And if battery endurance really becomes the phone’s biggest selling point, it could easily stand out in a crowded budget smartphone market.
Louis Eriakha
