iQOO 9 vs Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G: Comparison of specs; which one is better?

iQOO 9 vs Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G: Both Snapdragon 888 phones take on each other as 2022’s new flagship killers. Which is better though?

iQOO 9 takes on the Xiaomi 11T Pro in the sub-Rs. 50,000 smartphone segment.

iQOO 9 or Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G? If you have Rs. 40,000 – Rs. 45,000 to spend on a high-end Android phone, chances are that these two could be amongst your top considerations. The iQOO 9 is a latest one in this segment, tracing its lineage to last year's iQOO 7 Legend. Starting at Rs. 42,999, the iQOO 9 is currently the most affordable phone you can buy with the Snapdragon 888+ chipset. It has also got camera upgrades from the iQOO 9 Pro, which includes the Gimbal stabilization system (the phone is essentially the iQOO 8 underneath).

On the other hand, we had reviewed the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G a few weeks ago and were also left impressed. Barring a few niggles with this one, the Xiaomi 11T Pro impressed us with its overall user experience, and its 120W fast charging solution. The bigger appeal comes from its lower starting price, which is almost Rs. 2,000 cheaper than the iQOO 9. Plus, Xiaomi promises three Android OS upgrades.

Hence, if you have to choose between these, which one would you prefer.?

iQOO 9 vs Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G

The Xiaomi 11T Pro was launched in India in January 2022. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

The Xiaomi 11T Pro was launched in India in January 2022. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

Design

This is a subjective aspect but the iQOO 9 is easily the better-looking phones of the two, especially with its BMW M motorsport stripes in the Legend colour variant. Even the camera hump is distinct to iQOO phones and looks classy. That's not to say the Xiaomi 11T Pro looks bad; it looks a bit boring despite its gradient colours. Both have glass on the rear and metal frames. 

Display

This is where the Xiaomi 11T Pro takes the lead. This one has the bigger 6.67-inch display that uses a superior 10-bit AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The iQOO 9 has a smaller 6.5-inch AMOLED display with an 8-bit panel but the refresh rate is set to 120Hz. Both phones skip on the variable refresh rate technology. The iQOO 9 offers an in-display fingerprint sensor whereas the Xiaomi 11T Pro offers a power-key mounted fingerprint sensor.

Performance

The Xiaomi 11T Pro uses last year's Snapdragon 888 chip paired to up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Xiaomi still sells with Android 11-based MIUI 12.5 out of the box, although the company promises an update to MIUI 13 soon; nothing on the Android 12 patch. 

This is where the iQOO 9 is superior. It uses the slightly faster Snapdragon 888+ chip with a higher clock speed for the main performance core. The iQOO 9 also comes out of the box with FunTouch OS 12 based on Android 12. iQOO promises two Android OS updates. This means both phones will get up to Android 14 over the course of their life. 

Cameras

Another area where the iQOO 9 excels. It may only have a 48MP camera but it is the sameimpressive sensor as the iQOO 7 Legend. Moroever, it gets Vivo's Gimbal stabilization for superior stability. The 13MP ultra-wide/macro and 13MP portrait camera with 2X optical zoom make for a more versatile camera experience. 

Xiaomi 11T Pro uses the Snapdragon 888 while the iQOO 9 uses the faster Snapdragon 888+ chip.

Xiaomi 11T Pro uses the Snapdragon 888 while the iQOO 9 uses the faster Snapdragon 888+ chip.

Design

This is a subjective aspect but the iQOO 9 is easily the better-looking phones of the two, especially with its BMW M motorsport stripes in the Legend colour variant. Even the camera hump is distinct to iQOO phones and looks classy. That's not to say the Xiaomi 11T Pro looks bad; it looks a bit boring despite its gradient colours. Both have glass on the rear and metal frames. 

Display

This is where the Xiaomi 11T Pro takes the lead. This one has the bigger 6.67-inch display that uses a superior 10-bit AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The iQOO 9 has a smaller 6.5-inch AMOLED display with an 8-bit panel but the refresh rate is set to 120Hz. Both phones skip on the variable refresh rate technology. The iQOO 9 offers an in-display fingerprint sensor whereas the Xiaomi 11T Pro offers a power-key mounted fingerprint sensor.

Performance

The Xiaomi 11T Pro uses last year's Snapdragon 888 chip paired to up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Xiaomi still sells with Android 11-based MIUI 12.5 out of the box, although the company promises an update to MIUI 13 soon; nothing on the Android 12 patch. 

This is where the iQOO 9 is superior. It uses the slightly faster Snapdragon 888+ chip with a higher clock speed for the main performance core. The iQOO 9 also comes out of the box with FunTouch OS 12 based on Android 12. iQOO promises two Android OS updates. This means both phones will get up to Android 14 over the course of their life. 

Cameras

Another area where the iQOO 9 excels. It may only have a 48MP camera but it is the sameimpressive sensor as the iQOO 7 Legend. Moroever, it gets Vivo's Gimbal stabilization for superior stability. The 13MP ultra-wide/macro and 13MP portrait camera with 2X optical zoom make for a more versatile camera experience. 

The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a larger 108MP camera sensor but lacks any OIS, which results in shaky photos. Moreover, the 8MP ultra-wide is limited in comparison to the iQOO 9's camera. The 5MP macro camera is unique and useful but doesn't do portraits as well as the Xiaomi 11T Pro. Xiaomi offers more camera features to play with, including some clever filters and custom modes. 

Battery

This is where the Xiaomi 11T Pro shines brightly! Its 5000mAh battery can easily deliver a all-day stamina and the 120W charger takes around 20-25 minutes for a full recharge. The iQOO 9 has a much smaller 4350mAh battery which we doubt can last as long as the Xiaomi. iQOO also offers the 120W charging solution and claims a 0-100 percent refill in 18 minutes. This needs to be tested before we can comment on it.

Price

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is cheaper, starting at Rs. 39,999 for the abse 8GB/128GB version. The 8GB/256GB version costs Rs. 41,999 whereas the 12GB/256GB variant costs Rs. 43,999.

In comparison, the iQOO 9 starts at Rs. 42,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant, while the iQOO 9 12GB/256GB variant costs Rs. 46,990. 

Conclusion

This is complicated. The Xiaomi 11T Pro is more affordable to own, offers a better display, louder speakers, better battery life, and a cleaner MIUI 12.5 experience. The iQOO 9 is expensive but offers the faster Snapdragon 888+ chip, better camera configuration, and newer version of Android. Hence, it completely depends on your preferences and the budget restraints.

Note that we are yet to review the iQOO 9 and hence, you should keep an eye for it.