As an emerging smartphone brand in India, iQoo now has a pretty decent portfolio of products, ranging from mainstream models all the way to flagships. The company is also reported to have played an important role in strengthening parent company Vivo’s market share in India thanks to “aggressive shipments”, according to a recent IDC report. In an exclusive interview with Gadgets 360, iQoo India CEO Nipun Marya discusses how the company’s recent launches, the iQoo 11 5G (Review) and iQoo Neo 7 5G (Review), have fared in the market so far, and spills some exclusive information about iQoo’s upcoming smartphone launch, the iQoo Z7. Read on to know all the details.
Note: Some responses have been condensed and slightly edited for clarity.
Gadgets 360: What has been the response to the iQoo 11 and Neo 7 so far?
Nipun Marya: Our consumers have put immense trust in our offerings and made us the number one brand in customer satisfaction last year, surpassing Apple and OnePlus. Keeping up with this momentum, we launched two performance-centric smartphones this quarter, the iQoo 11 and Neo 7, that offer premium experiences and gaming performance to consumers in their respective price segments vis-à-vis competition.
Our recent launch in the Neo Series, the iQoo Neo 7, definitely surprised us in terms of consumer response as it became the number one best-selling smartphone in the Rs. 25-30,000 segment on the first day of sales. We are truly overwhelmed and can’t thank our community and consumers enough.
iQoo 11 5G Review: Pro Performance, Premium Price
Gadgets 360: We’ve seen many teasers for the iQoo Z7. When can we expect it to launch in India?
Nipun Marya: The last launched Z series smartphone, iQoo Z6 Lite (Review), received a tremendous response from its audience which made it the highest-selling 5G smartphone on Amazon within a day of its launch.
Keeping up with consumers’ expectations and building on the hype for a new Z series smartphone, we are now coming up with the iQoo Z7. It is going to be one of the segment’s leading smartphones and will entice consumers with exceptional features in every department, vis-à-vis competition. For the first time, we have a model that is exclusively designed for the Indian market and is all set to make its debut on March 21, 2023.
Gadgets 360: What will set the Z7 apart from its competition in India?
Nipun Marya: The Z series is specially curated for the youth who love high performance with innovation at accessible price points.
In terms of performance, iQoo Z7 comes equipped with one of the most powerful processors, the MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G mobile platform. This smartphone can achieve an AnTuTu score of 480,000 i.e., amongst the highest in the segment. The ultra-bright AMOLED display and in-display fingerprint capabilities of the smartphone will further build on our consumer’s experience. iQoo Z7 is going to bring an exceptional photography experience with India’s first 64-megapixel OIS camera system in the segment.
Gadgets 360: What price segment will the Z7 compete in and what is its USP?
Nipun Marya: iQoo Z7 will be available for Indian consumers in the sub-Rs. 20,000 price segment with USPs such as its MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC, AnTuTu score of 480,000+, an ultra-bright AMOLED display, and a 64-megapixel OIS camera. There is even more to the Z7 than these features, which will be revealed on the launch day, March 21.
iQoo Neo 7 5G Review: A Performance Champ?
Gadgets 360: What other details can you share about the iQoo Z7 with our readers?
Nipun Marya: The iQoo Z7 will be a power-packed performance smartphone with segment-leading features. It additionally comes equipped with 44W flash charge technology which charges the smartphone from 1 percent to 50 percent in just 25 minutes. iQoo Z7 is crafted with a chic design in bold and unique colour combinations, with a flat, light body for better grip. It will also come with FunTouch OS 13 i.e., at par with existing competition as of now.
Gadgets 360: What is a bigger priority for iQoo – offline or online sales channels?
Nipun Marya: While we definitely have plans to go offline and cater to consumers in the nooks and corners of the nation, for now we will continue to focus on increasing our market presence and gain a lead in the online segment. It definitely goes without saying that offline channels are as imperative as the online channels. As of now, to offer hassle-free after-sales service to its valued customers, iQoo customers can visit any of the 650+ company-owned service centres located across the country.
Gadgets 360: Who is iQoo’s target audience?
Nipun Marya: iQoo aims to bring the joy of discovery to users through outstanding innovative technologies and mainly caters to young and tech-savvy consumers of the Internet generation from all parts of the country. These are digital natives who expect maximum performance and cutting-edge technology as they explore the wonders of the digital world through their smart devices.