iQOO Z11 review: Solid mid-ranger with big battery and reliable performance

There is a new phone in the market. The iQOO Z11 is aimed at students, working professionals and anyone looking for a reliable mid-ranger with a big battery and capable performance. And then there are the new iQOO Buds, which complement the phone quite nicely.In the past few months, the mid-range smartphone market has become a slightly strange place. Phones that used to cost around Rs 25,000 or Rs 30,000 are now creeping closer to Rs 40,000. Blame the ongoing RAM crisis and memory shortage. But the strain on the wallet is real.If you are going to be forced to spend some Rs 40,000 on the new phone, you would obviously want a device that offers a complete experience. Not flagship-level, but solid and capable enough to get you through the day, as in a device with a capable chipset, a big battery, good cameras and a smooth display.The newly launched iQOO Z11 ticks all these boxes. At least on paper. It comes packed with a 6.83-inch 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED curved display, MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo chipset, 7050mAh battery, 44W charging and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 main camera with OIS, along with an 8-megapixel ultrawide and 32-megapixel selfie camera.Now, I have been using the phone for a week as my daily driver. There is a lot to like here, but also a few things that keep it from feeling like a truly premium mid-ranger. Good-looking, sturdy buildThere is nothing radically different about the Z11's design, but I like how it looks. The phone comes in two colour options — Aurora Green and Celestial Blue. In this review, you are looking at the Aurora Green variant. The Z11 has a plastic back. In fact, among the two, for me the green variant stands out for its soft, velvety matte finish with a subtle iridescent effect. The back slightly changes its colour depending on how the light hits it. It doesn't scream for attention, but it does give the phone some personality. The phone has a plastic build, but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy in the hand. At 7.99mm thick and 199g, the Z11 also feels reasonably slim and well-balanced, considering the massive 7,050mAh battery that is inside it.The matte finish is another thing I really like. It doesn't attract fingerprints easily, or at least they aren't very visible on this lighter colour.Then there is the camera island. It is a horizontal, pill-shaped module that gives me a slight Google Pixel-like vibe. It looks clean, is easy to hold, and doesn't make the phone feel bulky.The buttons on the side are tactile, the phone feels sturdy in the hand and, overall, there is a certain premium feel to the design of iQOO Z11. The curved display also adds to that. So, let’s move on to that.The charm of the curved screenFlat-screen displays have their advantages. They are more durable against drops, help prevent accidental palm touches and make it easier to apply tempered-glass screen protectors. But they are also boring. The curved screens on phones do look more premium and have their own charm. In fact, I really miss the time when a curved screen was a sign that you were getting a premium phone. One of the last good curved-display phones I remember using was the OnePlus 12R. The Z11 uses a 6.83-inch 3D curved AMOLED display. The iQOO Z11 brings that experience back, and after using flat-screen phones for so long, it feels nice to see a curved display again.Now, I don't dislike flat screens. In fact, I like their practicality. They are familiar and don't come with some of the quirks associated with curved screens. But while using the Z11 I did find its curves refreshing.The Z11's 6.83-inch AMOLED display curves towards the sides and gives the phone a more premium look. The bezels are also quite uniform, which helps the front look cleaner. Unlike some of its competitors in this price range, I really like how the iQOO Z11 does not have a big chin or uneven bezels.As for the screen itself, iQOO Z11 has a 1.5K pixels resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate, which makes for a smooth scrolling when you use the device. Colours on this screen look vibrant and slightly saturated, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing here. For watching videos, scrolling through Instagram or just browsing the web, the screen is quite nice.And it gets bright. Really bright. I used the phone outdoors and didn't have to squint to read what was on the screen.So, if you like curved displays, I think you will really enjoy the Z11. If you prefer flat screens, you probably won't suddenly change your mind because of this phone. But the curved panel certainly adds some premium credentials to the device.Reliable performance, but don't expect a gaming beastThe iQOO Z11 is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 7500 Turbo, paired with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. This isn't a flagship chipset, but it is powerful enough and delivers what the phone promises. The Z11 is the first smartphone in India to use MediaTek's Dimensity 7500 Turbo chipset. For regular usage, it is reliable. Instagram, Google Maps, Gmail, WhatsApp and other everyday apps work smoothly without any noticeable lag. Switching between apps was also smooth enough, and I didn't encounter any significant heating during normal use.I also played Minecraft and BGMI on the phone. You can certainly game on this phone, but iQOO does not position the Z11 as a gaming phone. But it can handle casual gaming sessions without disappointing you. The phone does have a 3,800mm square vapour chamber to help with heat management.To put some numbers to the performance, I ran a few benchmarks. The Z11 scored 1,083,871 on AnTuTu, while Geekbench gave it 1,217 in single-core and 3,250 in multi-core. The numbers are pretty much what I expected from a mid-range phone in 2026. You see this year, we must keep our expectations in check. Benchmark scores for the iQOO Z11. iQOO is aiming the Z11 at students, working professionals and anyone looking for a reliable daily driver. And in real-world use, the performance is good enough. It is capable of handling pretty much everything a college student might throw at it — from classes and notes to social media, navigation, entertainment and some casual gaming. But not a lot of heavy-duty gaming. Do keep that in mind.Software and speakersThe software experience is mostly good. The OriginOS gives you plenty of widgets and customisation options, and I didn't run into any major software issues during my testing. But after using it for a while, I did find the software a little too cluttered for my liking. The iQOO Z11 gets a stereo speaker setup. The biggest issue for me is the bloatware. I generally prefer a cleaner Android experience, and the Z11 comes with quite a few apps that I don't necessarily need. They are easy enough to ignore or uninstall, but they can still be annoying. There are also recommendations and ads in parts of the interface, which make the experience feel a little less polished.There are some useful AI features, including live translation, AI-powered summaries and tools for writing and editing. For students, these can come in handy in everyday situations like quickly translating something, summarising a long document, polishing notes or helping with writing. I found some of these features useful.I was pleasantly surprised by the Z11's stereo speakers. They are loud and sound quite crisp when I am watching videos, listening to music or playing games. At very high volume, though, they can get a little screechy. It's not a big issue, but I did notice it when I pushed the volume. Overall, I like the speakers.Big battery for long dayThe 7050mAh battery in the phone is probably one of the biggest reasons to consider the Z11. It is not the biggest battery you can find in a mainstream phone right now, but in my regular usage, the phone comfortably lasted through a full day. On lighter days, when I wasn't pushing it too much, I could get around a day and a half. As for the charging, the phone supports 44W charging.Cameras are goodNow, coming to the cameras. The Z11 has a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 main camera with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 32-megapixel front camera. You get two rear cameras on the iQOO Z11. In good lighting, I liked the photos that the phone managed to click. These images were vibrant and closer to real-life colours. There was some processing, but it didn’t make photos look unnatural.I particularly liked the portraits. They look good for social media, with pleasing colours and enough separation to make the subject stand out. But zoom in and you start seeing the limitations. Details aren't always as sharp, and there is some grain in shadows.Low-light photography is an area where the camera shows its limitations. Photos can look grainy, and fine details don't always hold up. But on the whole, the cameras aren't disappointing. They are actually good enough to keep up with your social media posts, documents and everyday photos.Click on any image below to view the entire galleryAnd then there are the iQOO BudsAlongside the Z11, iQOO also launched the iQOO Buds. I spent some time using them with the phone and found them lightweight and comfortable, while the matte finish on the case gives them a fairly premium look. The iQOO Buds are the first TWS earbuds from the company since 2024. The sound is also decent for the price. I liked the bass, especially while listening to music, and the vocals are clear enough for podcasts and calls. However, the soundstage isn't particularly wide, so the overall audio doesn't feel as immersive as some better-tuned earbuds. The earbuds are also not particularly loud, and I often found myself increasing the volume.At higher volumes, the sound can also get a little screechy, so I preferred keeping it around the middle range. I do miss ANC, but at under Rs 2,000, I think that's a compromise I can live with. The iQOO Buds come in a single Flame Yellow shade. As for the battery life, it has been good for my use. iQOO promises up to 50 hours of playback with the charging case, and buds easily lasted around 2 days for me.You also get features such as multipoint connectivity and low-latency gaming support. If you already use an iQOO phone, the Buds are a good companion.iQOO Z11 review: Should you buy it?The iQOO Z11 gets a lot right. Particularly for 2026. It has a beautiful design, feels sturdy, and has a curved display that I enjoyed using. The 7050mAh battery is excellent, everyday performance is reliable, and the stereo speakers are another nice touch. The cameras are good enough for everyday photography and social media, even if they aren't the best in this segment. iQOO Z11 is well suited for those who want a new mid-range smartphone in 2026. If you're a college student looking for a dependable phone for classes, social media, entertainment, navigation and some casual gaming, the Z11 is a very good option. And if you're simply looking for a mid-range phone under Rs 40,000, the Z11 deserves a place on your shortlist.- EndsPublished By: Armaan AgarwalPublished On: Aug 20, 2026 14:32 IST