Midrange phones are highly sought-after these days and constitute a significant part of the smartphone market. These devices offer a nice blend of performance, features and affordability, making them attractive to a wide range of consumers—students, office goers, even those individuals who find it useful to have a midranger as a second device, protecting their primary high-end handset from regular wear and tear. We pick two such 5G phones that are apt for regular work tasks and personal needs.
IQOO Neo 10
IQOO phones are renowned for their gaming capabilities and other demanding tasks. The latest addition to the family is IQOO Neo 10, a good-looking handset that comes with a powerful processor, impressive display and dedicated cooling features, making it a top pick for gamers. It features a vibrant 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a smooth 144 Hz refresh rate, offering sharp visuals and quick responsiveness. With a peak brightness of 5500 nits and 2000 nits HBM, the screen stays clear and easy to view, even under bright sunlight. It is also equipped with dual stereo speakers for richer, more balanced audio.
Internally, we are looking at a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and iQOO’s SuperComputing Chip Q1; this dual combination ensures a smooth and ultra-fast day-to-day running and responsiveness on the phone. The Supercomputing Chip Q1 enhances frame stability, boosts image quality, and ensures ultra-low latency gameplay. By handling visual and rendering tasks separately from the main processor, the Q1 chip helps boost battery life and improve everyday performance. The phone is extremely fast, apps open in an instant and there is no lag or drag whatsoever.
Despite its slim profile, the phone integrates an advanced cooling system—including graphite cooling film, thermal gel, and nine temperature sensors. These components work together to manage heat and prevent overheating while doing high-intensity tasks, especially gaming.
iQOO Neo 10 has a powerful 50MP Sony OIS primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS), paired with an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The 32MP front camera supports 4K 60 FPS video recording (both front and rear), ensuring crisp and detailed selfies and video calls. The phone runs on Funtouch OS 15 (Android 15) and packs a 7000mAh Silicon BlueVolt battery; a single charge will give you two days of moderate use. There is 120W FlashCharge too; the phone powers up from 1% to 50% in just 19 minutes, and reaches a full charge in 36 minutes.
Acer Super ZX
Indkal Technologies has a licensing agreement with Acer for its smartphones and the Super ZX and Super ZX Pro are an outcome of that. Our trial unit was the former in a Lunar Blue colour and 8GB+128GB configuration. The handset comes in a sleek design and features a 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz display. It runs on stock Android 15 and is powered by the
MediaTek 6300 chipset that ensures a smooth and fast performance, without any lag. The back has a triple-camera setup which is unique in the sub 15k segment. The biggest draw here is the Sony Lytia sensor and a 64 megapixel back camera which offers several benefits, primarily in terms of image quality and performance in various lighting conditions.
The Lytia sensor utilises advanced HDR technology to capture more detail in both bright and dark areas. The 64 megapixels allow for more detail to be recorded, enabling larger prints, cropping, and digital zoom without significant loss of quality. The camera configuration on this phone is top-notch.
The Super ZX supports 5G connectivity and has a 5000mAh battery that will ensure 36 hours of talk time. Overall, the phone stands out with its slim design and speedy day-to-day running.
SPECIFICATIONS
n Display: 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED, 144 Hz refresh rate
n Processor: Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Mobile Platform
n Operating system: Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15
n Memory & storage: 8/12/16GB RAM, 128/256/512GB storage
n Cameras: 50MP+8MP (rear), 32MP front camera
n Battery: 7000mAh, 120W FlashCharge
n Estimated street price: 29,999 (8+128GB),31,999 (8+256GB), 33,999 (12+256GB),38,999 (16+512GB)