The iQOO 13 will be launched in India on December 3, but before then, we got a chance to test its camera performance. The phone was launched in China last month and comes with a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, triple rear camera unit and a 6,150mAh battery. While most of the specifications of the Indian version are said to be similar, the battery capacity is capped at 6,000mAh. The iQOO series of phones is known for its performance edge, but the iQOO 13 hopes to change that with its powerful camera capabilities with a triple 50-megapixel rear camera setup.
iQOO 13 camera specifications
iQOO 13 is powered by a primary 50-megapixel Sony IMX921 sensor with f/1.88 aperture, optical image stabilization, and electronic image stabilization. The rear main camera can also shoot videos with up to 8K 30fps resolution.
The phone has a 2x telephoto camera
You get another 50-megapixel ultrawide camera that uses the Samsung S5KJN1SQ03 sensor and offers f/2.0 aperture. Finally, there is a 50-megapixel Sony IMX816 telephoto sensor with f/1.85 aperture and 2x optical zoom. While the telephoto capabilities are down compared to the iQOO 12, which had a periscope telephoto sensor, iQOO claims the new phone uses Vivo’s image processing capabilities, which should help deliver better results.
iQOO 13 camera samples
We tested the cameras on the iQOO 13 in Dubai, UAE, and took a lot of photos using all three sensors. While we can’t draw conclusions yet, here are some examples from the main, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras that you can check out.
First, let’s take a look at some daylight and low-light photos taken using the 50-megapixel Sony IMX921 rear camera. Photos were taken in default photo mode.
Main camera daylight sample taken at 1x (23mm)
The iQOO 13 takes decent photos in daylight conditions. The photos have tons of detail, slightly saturated, but mostly true colors. Dynamic range and white balance also appear to be well balanced, but we’ll need more testing to understand how the camera performs overall.
Next up are some low-light shots from the main camera.
Main camera low light sample shot at 1x (23mm)
The main camera’s low-light performance is commendable, especially for a phone whose main selling point is performance. OIS in the main sensor helps in taking less blurry photos. However, we took some photos while moving around the cruise ship, which is not the best setup for nighttime photos as it requires the phone to be as still as possible.
Here are some samples taken from the 50-megapixel Sony IMX816 telephoto sensor in portrait mode at four different focal lengths.
From top to bottom: 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 100mm
I was pleasantly surprised by the iQOO 13’s Portrait Mode, but we’ll need to do more testing to see how it performs in less-than-ideal conditions. However, edge detection could have been better.
There’s also a Snapshot mode on the camera app, which is claimed to capture clear images of motion. Apparently, we tried this on a fast-moving car at the Dubai Autodrome (second photo below). Check out some snapshot mode photos below.
The snapshot function is very useful when photographing moving objects, and as you can see, the car (driving at over 200 km/h in the second image) is captured well and without blur.
iQOO 13 will be launched in India on December 3. Stay tuned for our full review to find out our final verdict on the camera’s performance.
*Disclosure: iQOO sponsored flights and hotels for this reporter’s event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
