iQOO made a strategic move just ahead of OnePlus’ highly anticipated launch by introducing a feature-packed ‘Pro’ variant of Neo 7, priced similarly to the OnePlus Nord 3 5G. The iQOO Neo 7 Pro, starting at Rs. 34,999, poses a significant challenge to the sales figures of the OnePlus Nord 3 5G, which arrived in the Indian market at Rs. 33,999 for its base 8GB+128GB variant.
For those considering a sub-35K smartphone, both these models deserve careful consideration. To assist you in making an informed decision, Techarc has analyzed the key specifications of these two smartphones.
iQOO Neo 7 Pro Vs OnePlus Nord 3 5G Design
The iQOO Neo 7 Pro boasts a substantial build, weighing 199.5g and measuring 8.5mm in thickness, surpassing the Nord 3 in terms of heft. Its gently curved back enhances handling to some extent. The Neo 7 Pro is available in two color options: Dark Storm, featuring a matte finish for an understated look, and a vibrant orange shade with a premium vegan leather finish, though the bold color may not appeal to everyone.
In contrast, the Nord 3 5G has a boxy design with a flat plastic frame and rounded edges. Weighing 193.5g and measuring 8.15mm in thickness, it feels comparatively lighter and more compact in the hand than the iQOO Neo 7 Pro. The smartphone’s minimalist appearance adds to its appeal, especially the green variant. A layer of Gorilla Glass 5 protects the back of the Nord 3 5G.
Thankfully, OnePlus has retained the alert slider, providing users with a familiar feature. The Nord 3 5G offers two color options: Misty Green with a glossy finish and Tempest Grey with a fingerprint-resistant matte-textured finish. Since design preferences are subjective, we recommend checking both handsets side by side before making a purchase decision.
iQOO Neo 7 Pro Vs OnePlus Nord 3 5G Display
Both smartphones feature high-end AMOLED displays; however, differ slightly in terms of refresh rate, peak brightness, resolution, and PPI count. The Neo 7 Pro flaunts a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1300 nits. The display has a pixel-per-inch count of 388 PPI. The 10-bit display also gets HDR10+ support.
The OnePlus Nord 3 5G, on the other hand, features a slightly smaller but crisper 6.74-inch 1.5K screen offering 450 PPI. The refresh rate maxes out at 120Hz. The 10-bit AMOLED display has a peak brightness of 1450 nits and also supports HDR10+ streaming.
The differences aren’t paramount and wouldn’t dramatically impact the user experience; however, we would recommend the iQOO Neo 7 Pro to avid gamers for that extra fluid response due to the higher refresh rate.
iQOO Neo 7 Pro Vs OnePlus Nord 3 5G Camera
Speaking of optics, both the handsets have similar hardware and a lot would depend on the software tuning and personal preferences towards the color output. Both OnePlus and iQOO have offered 50MP OIS-enabled primary sensors with ever so slight differences in the sensor size and aperture values. The Nord 3’s 50MP sensor has an f/1.8 aperture and a sensor size of 1/1.56″, whereas the iQOO Neo 7 Pro’s primary sensor has a size of 1/1.57″ and an aperture value of f/1.9. The same is true for the companion cameras as both the handsets feature 8MP ultrawide sensors and 2MP macro cameras.
There’s one difference that may or may not be a deal breaker depending on your camera usage. The iQOO Neo 7 Pro cannot record videos in 4K 60fps and maxes out at 4K 30fps, whereas the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is capable of recording 4K 60fps videos.
iQOO Neo 7 Pro Vs OnePlus Nord 3 5G Performance
iQOO advertises the Neo 7 Pro as a gaming handset and has also integrated the device with a dedicated gaming chip with frame booster technology, which theoretically should deliver better overall graphics output while playing games. The smartphone is powered by the last year’s flagship CPU- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and also features a smart 3D cooling system (4013 mm2 Vapor Chamber). You can buy the iQOO Neo 7 Pro in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB configurations.
Coming onto the Nord 3 5G, the handset is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000, which is equally powerful and capable of running most day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat. The Nord 3 also gets a huge VC cooling system to keep the device’s thermals in check during strenuous tasks. The Nord 3 5G is also available in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB configurations.
iQOO Neo 7 Pro Vs OnePlus Nord 3 5G Battery, Charging and Connectivity
The iQOO Neo 7 is fuelled by a 5,000mAh battery supported by 120W fast charging. The OnePlus Nord 3 5G also draws power from a 5,000mAH battery cell but its fast-charging speed maxes out at 100W. The iQOO Neo 7 Pro has a clear advantage here as the extra 20W fast charging would make some visible real-life difference in the charging speed.
Speaking of connectivity, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro seems to be working on Bluetooth v5.2, whereas the OnePlus Nord 3 gets the latest Bluetooth v5.3 support. As far as the 5G bands list is concerned, the OnePlus Nord supports a total of 13 5G bands including- n1/n3/n5/n8/n28A/n40/n41/n78 SA bands and n1/n3/n41/n77/n78 NSA bands. The iQOO Neo 7 Pro, on the other hand, supports 12 bands- n1/n3/n5/n8/n28A/n40/n77/n78 SA band and n1/n3/n77/n78 NSA bands.
