By Krishika Bhan
You know that feeling when you pick up a new smartphone thinking, “Bas theek-thaak hoga,” and then it ends up surprising you in all the right ways? That is what the iOOO Z10 Lite did for me. I’ve been using this phone as my primary device for over a week now, not just for testing or as a backup, but for everything – from editing reels, replying to emails, watching videos late at night, attending long video calls, and even scanning documents in a hurry. And honestly? It didn’t just keep up. It made the whole experience feel great and effortless. The first thing that made me go ‘wow’ was the design and the colour. It looks and feels a lot more premium than what you’d expect at this price. The matte finish and the attention to small details just don’t give off budget vibes. Then there’s the battery, one of my favourite things about this phone. I was getting through entire days easily on some days, even 1.5 days, with heavy usage. I didn’t find myself scrambling for a charger, even after long calls, using Google Maps, and watching back-to-back YouTube videos. For someone who hates battery anxiety, this phone was a lifesaver, albeit low-key. Design: A Pretty Cool Design As soon as I opened the box, it wasn’t the specs sheet or features list that grabbed my attention: it was the design. The Titanium Blue variant was the one that made the phone look so fresh and cool. Honestly, this doesn’t look like a phone that costs around Rs 10,000. In fact, the finish is so premium that even my family, who usually don’t notice much, asked me, “Which phone is this?” That says a lot. The reason? It’s that liquid finish on the back panel. It reflects a soft, box-like pattern when light hits at certain angles — subtle, yet enough to stand out from the usual budget designs. It gives the phone a polished, almost glass-like appearance despite being made of plastic. The phone is decent, neither too lightweight nor too bulky, weighing 202 grams. The placement of the volume rocker and power button was a bit of a stretch. I had to adjust my grip a few times, especially when taking screenshots or quickly locking the screen. But for someone with average or larger hands, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. There was one heart-dropping moment, though — I was testing the phone on the stairs, casually scrolling through Instagram, when it nearly slipped out of my hand. Thankfully, I had the included back cover on, and the phone is also rated for MIL-STD-810H durability and SGS drop protection. It didn’t even get a scratch. That kind of build quality gives you the confidence to use the phone freely without giving it baby treatment. If I had to nitpick, the only part of the design that felt a little outdated was the notch on the display. In 2025, phones like the Acer are offering us a cleaner punch-hole design. A punch-hole on this one would have taken the whole viewing experience to the next level, but still, for the price, it’s decent. But all said and done, for a budget phone, this is easily one of the best-looking and most thoughtfully built devices I’ve come across in a while. It’s stylish, durable, and doesn’t feel cheap in the hand. For a phone in this segment, that’s a big win. Display – Big, Bright and Built to Binge The iQOO Z10 Lite features a 6.74-inch HD+ IPS LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is a solid win at this price point. As most smartphones under Rs 10,000 are still stuck at 60Hz, the extra smoothness here is noticeable. Whether you’re doomscrolling on Instagram, gliding through menus, or just switching between apps, that extra refresh gives everything a noticeably more fluid feel. No, it’s not AMOLED, but for an IPS LCD, the colour output is punchy enough to keep media sessions enjoyable. I watched a couple of episodes of Criminal Justice on Hotstar, and I genuinely forgot I was watching it on a budget phone. I mean, my experience was wow and amazing. Skin tones looked natural, colours didn’t feel washed out, and the overall experience felt crisp for casual viewing. The HD+ resolution is basic, sure, but unless you’re pixel-peeping, it won’t bother you. Now, outdoor brightness is a mixed bag. I tested the phone at a roadside cafe around 3 PM, peak sun, and I had to squint to read Instagram texts and Gmail. It’s usable but not ideal for bright sunlight. The screen hits around 1000 nits, which is decent for the segment, but don’t expect AMOLED-level punch in harsh light. One area that pleasantly surprised me, however, was the comfort of my eyes at night. The Eye Protection Mode genuinely helps. This feature is ideal for individuals like me who enjoy watching series at night or reading books on their screens. During those late-night Instagram reels and YouTube Shorts marathons, my eyes didn’t feel strained — no dryness, no red-eye syndrome. It tones down the blue light just right, and if you’re someone who scrolls till 2 AM like me, you’ll appreciate that. Performance – Handles Multitasking Nicely When it comes to performance, the iQOO Z10 Lite really pulls ahead in its price segment. Under the hood, it runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM and an additional 8GB of virtual RAM, along with 128GB storage. In benchmark tests, it scored 435,268 on AnTuTu, which is higher than both the Acer Super ZX (411,330) and the Alcatel V3 Ultra (379,306). On Geekbench 6, it delivered a single-core score of 733 and a multi-core of 1975, which again puts it ahead of Alcatel and Acer, having the same chipset. But numbers aside, what really impressed me was the real-world usage. I ran 15–20 apps in the background, including Instagram, YouTube (in PiP), Chrome, and even a bit of basic editing on Instagram, and you know what, the phone handled it without crashing or freezing. There was a slight delay while switching between heavier apps, but it’s something I’d expect at this price. Gaming was also a pleasant surprise. Casual titles like Subway Surfers and Candy Crush ran flawlessly, and on BGMI, the phone supports HD graphics with a High frame rate or Smooth graphics with an Ultra frame rate, which is good enough for budget gamers. The Ultra Game Mode helps by blocking distractions and keeping gameplay smoother. Overall, for under Rs 10,000, the Z10 Lite delivers dependable day-to-day performance, multitasking power, and light gaming chops, easily outperforming many phones in its class. Now, this is where iQOO earns its reputation. The Z10 Lite comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Software – Not That Clean The iQOO Z10 Lite runs on FuntouchOS 15, which is based on the latest Android 15. This is a significant development in this price segment, where many phones still launch with Android 13 or 14. So, on day-to-day use, the interface feels smooth and responsive. Swiping through menus, opening apps, and navigating is snappy, with no significant lags or crashes. Regarding the user interface, it is not refined due to the presence of numerous bloatware applications on the phone. Some icons and settings menus still feel outdated or cluttered, which detracts from the otherwise modern Android experience. Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room — bloatware. There are several pre-installed apps that most users won’t need, such as gaming apps, many of which I don’t use and that many of you also won’t. However, one positive aspect is that you can thankfully uninstall most of them. Still, a cleaner UI would have significantly elevated the phone’s overall software experience. But what genuinely surprised me was iQOO’s brilliant addition of AI-powered tools, which aren’t common in this budget range. First up is the AI Eraser — a tool that enables you to remove unwanted objects or people from your photos. I tested it on a picture where my friend was posing, and there were lots of people, so I tried removing them. The best part is that it worked brilliantly. The AI eraser did a pretty decent job of blending the background and removing the person without leaving noticeable smudges. Next is the AI Photo Enhance feature, which auto-adjusts the brightness, contrast, and colours in your pictures. It’s beneficial when your shot looks a bit dull or washed out. I used it on a low-light selfie, and the results were instantly better, not over-sharpened, just more lively. Lastly, AI Document Mode accurately detects paper documents (such as receipts and notes), crops them, and enhances clarity, much like a built-in scanner. If you’re a student or someone who frequently handles documents, this is actually useful — no need to download third-party scanning apps. These AI tools actually gave the Z10 Lite an edge over some competitors, proving that software isn’t just about UI polish it’s also about features that solve everyday problems. And in that department, iQOO surprisingly delivers more than expected. Camera – Fine for the Price Now, when it comes to cameras, the iQOO Z10 Lite comes with a 50-megapixel Sony AI rear camera, which is quite promising for a phone under Rs 10,000. In daylight, this camera genuinely delivers good results. I tested it during a mall visit, capturing store signs, wide shots, and some casual portraits. The photos came out to be natural, with good colours and decent sharpness. In fact, in well-lit indoor spaces, it even managed to produce a nice background blur — nothing artificial or overly smooth, just a soft depth that makes your subject pop. However, like many budget cameras, it has its limitations. Overexposure is something I noticed consistently, especially in shots with sunlight or bright lighting. For example, when I clicked a photo near the mall’s garden I could see the photos were over-exposed. The sky and bright lights lost detail and turned completely white. This means the dynamic range is not optimal, and highlights can become overexposed in harsh lighting. As for portrait mode, it is a mixed bag. Yes, edge detection is surprisingly decent. It managed to separate me from the background fairly well. But the biggest issue is speed. Focus hunting takes time, especially in busy environments. I tried capturing a few shots at a gaming zone inside a mall, and the subject detection was slow. If you’re someone who takes quick, spontaneous shots, this delay can be annoying. You have to give the phone a second or two to lock focus and process the image. Moving to the front camera, you get a 5-megapixel selfie shooter. It’s usable but basic. In bright daylight, it captures okay-ish selfies, skin tones are acceptable, and there’s enough detail for a casual photo or video call. But don’t expect much beyond that. In low-light conditions, it struggles significantly. I tested it in a room, and my face turned noticeably darker and blurry. Turning on the screen flash helped a little, but the image still lacked clarity and sharpness. Overall, the Z10 Lite’s camera setup is decent for casual photography in daylight. It’s not designed for serious photo enthusiasts, but for those who want a reliable camera for basic social media use and occasional snaps, it does the job. Be aware of its limitations, especially in low-light and fast-paced environments. Battery: Absolute Beast, But Slow to Charge The 6000mAh battery is easily the phone’s strongest point. I fully charged the phone on a Saturday morning and used it all day for Instagram, YouTube, music, and casual gaming — and it still had juice left by evening. Impressive stuff. 1 Hour Maps: 7% 2 Hour 4K Video:10% Casual Gaming 3 Hours: 12% However, there’s a drawback — the charging speed is limited to 15W. That’s definitely on the slower side in 2025, especially when competitors like the Acer Super ZX offer 33W charging at the same price. In this department, iQOO has made a comeback. Still, the fact that iQOO claims 80% battery health retention after 5 years is a huge bonus. This phone isn’t just long-lasting daily. It’s built for long-term use. Final Verdict Now, the iQOO Z10 Lite is a surprisingly capable, no-nonsense smartphone; it truly performs its tasks nicely. It has a stylish and sturdy design, excellent performance, and a battery that lasts an entire day without any issue. It does lack a clean user interface due to the bloatware. The daylight camera performs well for casual photography, making it stand out for normal photos. That said, the phone isn’t without its drawbacks. The outdated notch design feels obsolete, the selfie and low-light camera output are average at best, and the 15W charging speed feels noticeably slow in 2025. Still, if you’re looking for a reliable, durable, and affordable device priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 11,000, the iQOO Z10 Lite makes a strong case for itself. It doesn’t try to act premium. It simply focuses on getting the basics right, and for most users, that’s more than enough.