Realme GT 7 vs iQOO Neo 10: The Ultimate Performance Phone Battle Under ₹35,000!

Hey Tech Enthusiasts! The much-anticipated “GT versus Neo” battle is back, and this time we’re putting two heavyweights head-to-head: the Realme GT 7 and the iQOO Neo 10. For all you performance fanatics, it’s a showdown between the powerful Dimensity 9400E and the snappy Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipsets.

So, if you’re looking for your next gaming or power-user phone under ₹35,000, you’ve come to the right place! We’re diving deep into every aspect, from design and display to cameras and software, to help you make the best choice. This detailed comparison is based on a recent video analysis from the Trakin Tech English YouTube channel.

Design & Build – First Impressions Matter!

When you first lay eyes on these phones, you’ll notice they both take inspiration from their flagship siblings. The Realme GT 7 sports a look similar to the GT 7 Pro, while the iQOO Neo 10 resembles the iQOO 13, especially around their camera modules.

Both devices come in muted colours. While many, including us, prefer these subtle shades, some folks (like Tanish in our office!) might still lean towards the vibrant Inferno Red variant of the iQOO Neo 10.

From a design perspective, the Realme GT 7 offers a slightly more “elevated” feel. We really appreciate its accented colour button, which also tastefully runs around the camera module. On the other hand, both phones feature a completely plastic build. This choice was likely necessary to accommodate their large 7,000 mAh batteries.

In terms of weight, there’s hardly any noticeable difference – just about 23 grams. You won’t feel it in real life. However, one thing you might notice is that the iQOO Neo 10 feels a bit bottom-heavy, which can sometimes weigh you down.

The Realme GT 7 doesn’t have this issue. But iQOO smartly compensates for this by providing a slightly curved back panel, making it easier and more comfortable to hold. The iQOO Neo 10 is also a tad slimmer than the Realme GT 7, which can feel a bit more blocky in hand. So, for the overall in-hand feel, despite being bottom-heavy, the iQOO Neo 10 seems to do a better job.

An interesting addition on both phones is an infrared blaster. On the iQOO Neo 10, it’s cleverly placed inside the camera module, while on the Realme GT 7, it’s on the top, which is generally more convenient for pointing at devices like a TV.

Now, for a minor but significant concern: both these performance-oriented, gaming phones come with a Type-C 2.0 port at the bottom instead of the faster Type-C 3.1. For gaming phones, having Type-C 3.1 is crucial for features like display output and faster data transfer speeds.

Display – Visual Feast or Flicker-Free?

When it comes to displays, both phones are quite similar on paper. They both pack a flat 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a 1.5K resolution. However, there’s a difference in refresh rates: the Realme GT 7 can go up to 120 Hz, while the iQOO Neo 10 boasts a higher 144 Hz, though this 144 Hz is only available in certain games. Both phones also offer variable refresh rate, dynamically switching between 60, 90, and 120 Hz based on the content you’re viewing.

During our tests, one thing became very clear: the iQOO Neo 10’s display is significantly better than the Realme GT 7’s. Why? Primarily because the iQOO Neo 10’s display is brighter, whether you’re outdoors or indoors. Its high brightness mode (HBM) metric is higher, making it visibly brighter. This brightness advantage also extends to HDR content.

Even though the GT 7 might have a higher metric on paper for some aspects, the iQOO Neo 10 looks brighter in HDR. The good news is that both phones support HDR video playback on YouTube and Netflix. Specifically, the iQOO Neo 10 supports HDR10, while the Realme GT 7 supports Dolby Vision.

It’s not just about brightness; the iQOO Neo 10 also exhibits better colour accuracy. While both offer 10-bit panels, iQOO’s tuning with its “original Procolor mode” appears closer to neutral colours compared to Realme, which can be slightly saturated.

For those sensitive to screen flicker, both phones offer very good Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming ratings. The iQOO Neo 10 has a 4320 Hz PWM dimming, while the Realme GT 7 has 2160 Hz. Although the iQOO‘s metric is higher, both are excellent and won’t cause any flicker in low light conditions, which is a great feature for eye comfort.

The optical in-display fingerprint scanner on both phones is fast and reliable, so there’s nothing to separate them here. However, one area where Realme excels is haptic feedback tuning. Thanks to O-haptics and a tighter motor, the Realme GT 7 provides much more precise and finer vibrations. For stereo speaker performance, both are good, but the GT 7 has a slight edge with a bit more bass. Both phones also support advanced audio codecs like LSDC and LDAC.

Performance – Gaming Beast or Stability Champion?

This is where the battle truly heats up! The Realme GT 7 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400E chipset, while the iQOO Neo 10 features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4. These are two of the very first phones in India to get these brand-new chipsets.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect:

In synthetic benchmarks, the Realme GT 7 definitely performs better, achieving higher AnTuTu and Geekbench scores. When it comes to CPU stability, the iQOO Neo 10 is slightly better, but the difference isn’t significant. However, for GPU stability, the Dimensity 9400E in the Realme GT 7 is definitely more stable. This means for graphically intensive tasks, like emulating demanding games (not just BGMI or Call of Duty Mobile, which both handle with ease), the Realme GT 7 can sustain performance much better than the iQOO Neo 10.

The Realme GT 7 also has a superior cooling system, featuring a vapor cooling chamber and a graphene sheet over the battery, which ensures it runs very cool – even cooler than most other gaming phones we’ve tested. While the iQOO Neo 10 also runs very cool and doesn’t get hot, it’s not as cool as the Realme GT 7.

So, if you prefer short bursts of gaming, the iQOO Neo 10, with its Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, offers higher performance throughput. But if you’re a serious gamer who plays for extended periods, the Realme GT 7 is more oriented towards sustained, cooler, and less throttled performance.

Network & Connectivity – Stay Connected, Always!

Both phones offer fantastic network capabilities. We experienced no issues even on challenging networks like Jio. You’ll enjoy good 5G performance, support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC on both devices. Staying connected won’t be an issue with either of these powerhouses.

Battery & Charging – Power Through Your Day!

As mentioned, both the Realme GT 7 and iQOO Neo 10 pack a massive 7,000 mAh battery. In our testing, the iQOO Neo 10 seems to offer slightly better battery life, providing about half an hour more screen-on time compared to the Realme GT 7. The actual difference might vary based on your usage.

However, the iQOO Neo 10 comes with a distinctive advantage in charging: it includes a proper GAN charger with a Type-C to Type-C cable, which can even charge a MacBook! This is a handy bonus.

Camera – Snapshots and Videos: Who Wins?

Camera performance is always a big deciding factor. Here’s how these two stack up:

Camera Specifications (On Paper):

While the Realme GT 7 clearly has better camera hardware specs on paper due to its dedicated 2x telephoto lens, let’s see how they perform in real-world scenarios:

• Primary Camera: The Realme GT 7, despite having a larger sensor, tends to oversharpen images quite a lot, which can be an eyesore. When viewed at 100% crop, we’d pick the iQOO Neo 10’s primary camera over the Realme GT 7’s.
• Telephoto Camera: This is where the Realme GT 7 shines! Thanks to its dedicated 50MP 2x telephoto camera, images have more details in both daylight and low light. It also offers better zoom performance at 3x, 5x, and even 10x.
• Colour Tuning: Both phones offer different colour modes. Realme has a “Vibrant” and a “Crisp” mode (closer to neutral), while iQOO offers “Natural,” “Vivid,” and “Textured”. Neither is perfectly true to life. Realme’s crisp mode is closer to neutral for orange and green tones, while iQOO is better at reproducing browns and yellows. For skin tones when shooting people, Realme’s crisp mode is much better and more accurate.
• Colour Consistency (Between Lenses): Unfortunately, both phones do a poor job here, with a visible colour shift between lenses.
• HDR Tuning: The iQOO’s algorithm tuning is superior for HDR, offering excellent control over highlights and shadows. Realme’s HDR isn’t bad, but iQOO’s is just better.
• Portrait Mode: The Realme GT 7 takes better portrait shots, primarily due to its dedicated 2x telephoto camera, which provides a great 48mm punch-in. It also boasts better edge detection and bokeh blur compared to the iQOO Neo 10.
• Ultrawide Camera: The 8-megapixel ultrawide cameras on both phones are pretty average and generally soft. However, the iQOO Neo 10’s ultrawide is generally preferred over the Realme GT 7’s, whether in daylight or low light. The oversharpening issue from the primary camera also persists on Realme’s ultrawide, which seems to be a common trait with MediaTek Dimensity chipsets and their ISPs.
• Selfie Camera: For selfies, the Realme GT 7 does a better job, capturing more details and offering skin tones closer to neutral. In selfie portraits, both capture good detail and have decent edge detection. However, the background bokeh on the iQOO Neo 10 seems more nicely tuned.
• Videography: The Dimensity 9400E in the Realme GT 7 offers a significant advantage here. While both can shoot 4K 60fps video, the Realme GT 7 can also shoot 4K 120fps, Dolby Vision videos, and even 8K 30fps. When comparing 4K 60fps, both are almost equally good, with iQOO sometimes slightly better at detail retrieval, but the technical capabilities of the Realme GT 7 are superior. For ultrawide video, both are limited to 1080p 30fps, with soft details that are almost unusable in low light. A great feature on the Realme GT 7 is the ability to shoot 4K 60fps videos using its 2x telephoto camera. For selfie videos, the Realme GT 7 is preferred for its quality in both daylight and low light.

Overall, the Realme GT 7 has superior camera hardware, but its camera algorithm could be better tuned to reduce oversharpening. A higher resolution ultrawide, similar to what Motorola offers, would also be a welcome improvement. Despite the oversharpening, for overall camera performance, we would still side with the Realme GT 7.

Software Experience – Smoothness or Features?

Let’s talk about the user interface! The iQOO Neo 10 runs on Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15, while the Realme GT 7 runs on Realme UI 6, also based on Android 15. Realme also promises more software updates: 4 years of major Android updates and 6 years of security updates for the GT 7, compared to 3+4 years for the iQOO Neo 10.

From our perspective, Realme UI is generally preferred over Funtouch OS. Here’s why:

• Smoother animations.
• More modern features like live activities, flux themes, and direct iPhone connect, which are not available on Funtouch OS.
• Cleaner design and overall better look.

Regarding bloatware, the iQOO Neo 10 comes with more pre-installed apps than the Realme GT 7. However, the good news is that bloatware apps on both phones are uninstallable. You just need to take your time during setup to ensure a clean installation.

For AI features, Realme again takes the lead. While both phones offer “Circle to Search” and Geminy integration, the Realme GT 7 introduces newer AI features like AI Planner. You can simply double-tap the back of the phone, and if you’re on a webpage about an event, it will automatically create that event and add it to your calendar.

In essence, Realme’s operating system with Realme UI 6 offers more modern features, a cleaner interface, better animations, and an overall superior software experience compared to iQOO.

Price & Value – Which One Gives You More Bang for Your Buck?

Finally, let’s talk pricing and value. The Realme GT 7 starts with a base variant of 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The iQOO Neo 10, on the other hand, starts with an 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, though an 8GB RAM and 256GB storage option is also available.

There’s a considerable price difference: the Realme GT 7 is at least ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 more expensive. Even with discounts, the 8GB/256GB variant of the Realme GT 7 is about ₹3,000 more than its iQOO counterpart.

For that price difference with the Realme GT 7, you get better camera performance and a superior software experience. However, if you look at the current market, the iQOO Neo 10 appears to be a better bargain right now, especially if you can overlook the software for a moment.

With the iQOO, you get a better display and better battery life. Plus, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 might offer slightly more headroom for raw GPU performance in short bursts.

The competition will become even more interesting when the Realme GT 7’s price eventually drops. If its price comes down to match the iQOO Neo 10, then the Realme GT 7 would be the recommended choice due to its better cameras.

The Verdict: Your Choice Matters!

So, there you have it – a detailed breakdown of the Realme GT 7 versus the iQOO Neo 10! Both are fantastic performance-oriented phones under ₹35,000.

• Choose the Realme GT 7 if:
  • You are a serious gamer who plays for long durations and needs sustained performance and superior cooling.
  • You prioritize a better overall camera experience, especially telephoto and portrait shots, and selfie quality.
  • You value a cleaner, more feature-rich, and smoother software experience with longer update support.
  • You need advanced video recording capabilities like 4K 120fps or 8K 30fps.
• Choose the iQOO Neo 10 if:
  • You prefer a brighter display with better colour accuracy.
  • You are sensitive to screen flicker (though both are good here).
  • You need slightly better battery life.
  • You appreciate a versatile charger that can power other devices like a MacBook.
  • You want better primary camera photos with less oversharpening.
  • You are looking for the best bargain right now, offering great value for money.

Ultimately, your choice depends on your priorities. Do you lean towards raw, sustained gaming power and a refined software experience, or do you prefer a brighter display and better battery life at a more aggressive price? Let us know which one you’d pick in the comments! We hope this detailed guide helps you make an informed decision.