I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the iQOO 12 Premium smartphone during my time testing it. As one of China’s leading gaming and performance-focused smartphone brands, iQOO has built a reputation for delivering powerful flagships packed with cutting-edge hardware. So when I was given the opportunity to dive in and test their latest offering, the iQOO 12 Premium, I was excited to see just what the gaming-focused smartphone could do.
Launching first in China and coming soon to other regions on December 12, the iQOO 12 Premium smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which promises substantial improvements in CPU and GPU performance compared to last year’s models and is positioned to be a monster when it comes to gaming.
With up to 16GB of RAM, UFS 4.0 storage, and an advanced vapour cooling chamber, the iQOO 12 Premium feels tailor-made for mobile gamers who demand uncompromising speed. Its spec sheet also includes a stunning 6.78 inch, 1440p OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, making it one of the most advanced screens on any smartphone today.
Available in three stylish colour options, the flagship-level iQOO 12 Premium brings plenty of excitement for mobile gamers and power users alike. But with those leading-edge specs come a price to match, and with more phones now focusing on the gaming demographic, iQOO needs to deliver some exciting results to go head-to-head with established favourites, and thankfully, it delivers far better than I expected.
Unboxing the iQOO 12 Premium, I was impressed with the phone’s eye-catching yet understated design, with a premium glass-and-metal construction that looks and feels fantastic to hold. The rear glass panel has a matte finish that resists fingerprints remarkably well. With dimensions of 164.86 x 77.07 x 8.62mm and a weight of 205g, the iQOO 12 Premium manages to strike a nice balance between modern large-screen devices and compact ergonomics. While different from many modern flagships, forgoing the tapered edges we have come to expect, it has grown on me so much that I find it awkward to jump back to my other daily driver, the OnePlus 11.
Looking at the construction, the frame of the iQOO 12 Premium is made of aviation-grade aluminum, which lends structural rigidity, and the handset retains some curves along the edges despite having a flat front and back. Buttons and ports are sensibly located, with the power and volume keys within easy reach on the right edge while not getting in the way of many car mounts. The main highlight, however, is the massive new camera housing on the back, which blends seamlessly into the rear glass panel. The premium fit and finish are excellent, with an attention to detail that keeps the phone feeling premium, and let’s not forget how well the Legend Edition (white) colour oozes understated elegance.
While not fully rugged, the iQOO 12 Premium does carry an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. This gives peace of mind when used in the rain or around water. On the durability front, the phone should hold up well against scratches and drops thanks to Gorilla Glass protection on both sides as well as the sturdy metal frame.
The iQOO 12 Premium clearly borrows design cues from premium Samsung and Apple flagships while retaining its own unique identity, and I have to say, I am a fan of what the phone brings to the table. As someone who loves minimalist design, this is a phone that fires on all cylinders, but I can see some not a fan of how big the camera is, but that all depends on personal preference.
Looking past the basic design, the iQOO 12 Premium is equipped with a stunning 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 1440p resolution and a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate. This is one of the most advanced screens on any smartphone today. It uses E7 LTPO 3.0 technology to dynamically adjust the refresh rate based on content, helping preserve battery life, and it looks fantastic in and out of games.
With a local peak brightness of 3000 nits, HDR10+ support and over a billion colours, the iQOO 12 Premium smartphone’s display delivers stunning vibrancy and immersive dynamic range. Everything I tested, from videos to games and photos, looks spectacularly crisp and fluid thanks to the high resolution and fast refresh rate.
The touch sampling rate is also excellent at up to 1200Hz, resulting in instant response for gaming, meaning you won’t be struggling to keep up when your game gets particularly stressful. I would still recommend an external controller, like the Razer Kishi. It makes the full experience feel much more responsive, and with the iQOO 12 Premium, it is a truly fantastic way to experience your favourite mobile games.
The iQOO 12 Premium’s screen accuracy is also fantastic, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It also boasts excellent sunlight legibility. The only downside is that there is no variable refresh rate below 48Hz, but this is a tradeoff for E7’s power efficiency advantages. For those seeking the ultimate smartphone display experience, the iQOO 12 Premium delivers incredible sharpness, responsiveness and immersion unmatched by rivals and manages to look absolutely stunning in and out of games.
As mentioned above, the iQOO 12 Premium is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, built on an advanced 4nm process for impressive CPU and GPU speed gains. In fact, it is one of the first globally available phones featuring the chipset, and this phone flies through any task we put in its path. The octa-core processor now uses 1 ultra-core Cortex-X3 clocked at 3.2GHz, 4 performance cores, and 3 efficiency cores.
Combined with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, the iQOO 12 Premium delivers exceptional benchmark scores and staggering real-world performance. Connectivity is excellent, too, with Wi-Fi 7, 5G and Bluetooth 5.3 onboard and dual sim connectivity, giving plenty of ways to connect the phone to any external network. However, for those looking for an eSim, that is sadly missing with the device, making travelling with it a bit more tedious, as I recently discovered on a work trip.
In AnTuTu, the phone achieves over 1.8 million points, outpacing many of last year’s flagships and 84 percent of phones tested with the app. Geekbench scores are equally impressive, with over 2,146 single-core and 6,221 multi-core. While not a perfect metric, these scores generally translate to buttery smooth UI navigation, instant app launching, and effortless multitasking.
The Adreno 740 GPU also impresses; graphics-intensive games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail run at max settings with solid 60fps, and Diablo Immortal looks incredibly smooth throughout all tests with the phone. The iQOO 12 Premium also includes a custom Supercomputing Chip Q1 that helps with gaming performance to keep framerates up even in demanding and high-intensity games. It is hard to tell how much the chip is in real-world performance, but I have to say, I never saw any issues with framerates dropping in any of the games i tested, so the iQOO is doing something right.
“If you want a phone that leaves everything in the dust, look no further than the new iQOO 12 Premium.”
I was impressed with how cool the phone managed to stay, even when being pushed by benchmarking or gaming. Thermal management is handled well by the large vapour cooling chamber, preventing excessive throttling even during marathon gaming sessions. The iQOO 12 Premium maintains peak performance for longer compared to rivals relying solely on heatpipes.
Out of the box, the iQOO 12 Premium ships with Android 14, along with iQOO’s custom Funtouch OS 14 interface. Funtouch OS adds several enhancements over stock Android, including improved animations, dynamic themes, and custom widgets, but thankfully, it is still relatively out of the way when you just want to use the phone.
Some of the highlights include bubble-style notifications and various gaming tools and optimizations found in the Ultra Game Mode area of the settings. These features include such things as 4D Game Vibration, Game Super Resolution, and display enhancements, along with a few others that are useful to have, especially on a phone focused on gaming.
There is also handy sidebar menus for quick access to apps and features. Thanks to the high-end hardware, apps open swiftly, and the UI feels very responsive. While I am more a fan of as much of a stock Android experience as possible, the iQOO 12 Premium manages to keep out of its own way and deliver a mainly solid UI that is easy to use from other devices.
The iQOO 12 Premium features a camera system that delivers on par with many flagship devices. The phone boasts a triple camera array on the back, comprising a 50MP f/1.68 astronomy camera, a 50MP ultrawide F2.0, and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The main camera uses a large 1/1.3″ sensor and optical stabilization for excellent low-light shots and crisp detail in daylight. The 50MP ultrawide has a 109° field of view (119° after correction) for expansive landscapes or group photos.
But the most unique aspect is the 64MP periscope telephoto and its 70-230mm lens system. This enables 3-10x lossless zoom with impressive clarity. Coupled with OIS, it can even capture steady full moon shots handheld. It is an incredibly impressive camera that should be useful for anyone looking to snap distance shots and even manages to achieve some stunning super macro and portrait shots.
Video recording is solid, too, with up to 8K capture capability and improved OIS for steady footage. On the front is a 16MP f 2.45 selfie camera with autofocus that delivers some solid results for video calling or snapping a photo for socials. While not class-leading, the iQOO 12 Premium’s versatile camera system enables great shots in most conditions. Serious mobile photographers may still prefer the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the iQOO 12 Premium holds its own as an extremely capable imaging smartphone and far exceeded my expectations.
The iQOO 12 Premium packs a large 5,000mAh battery that ensures excellent battery life even with the power-hungry Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and the high refresh rate screen. Users can expect over a day of use, with the phone easily making it from 7 AM to 10 PM with around 45 percent to spare. This includes workloads such as gaming, social media and productivity, although I am sure hardcore gamers who push their phone may see slightly less extended results.
Thankfully, the iQOO 12 Premium features fast charging speeds with support for 120W wired, with the iQOO 12 Premium reaching a 50% charge in under 15 minutes. A full charge from empty takes only around 20 minutes. The iQOO 12 Premium strikes a great balance between endurance and fast refill times, all without adding much to the bulk of the device.
For biometrics, the iQOO 12 Premium includes an optical in-display fingerprint reader, which, in testing, is very fast and accurate for unlocking. Face unlock is also available using the 16MP selfie camera, but it is less secure and does not work nearly as smoothly. I opted to simply use the fingerprint reading after some initial testing just due to the speed, although it is good to see iQOO give the options for users.
Other features include dual stereo speakers that provide loud and immersive sound, along with the usual suite of sensors like gyroscope and compass. The audio on the phone was incredibly good, delivering a balanced audio profile that works for media and games while not relying too heavily on the bass. It still will not replace a proper dedicated external speaker, but it works when you don’t have easy access to headphones or some sort of Bluetooth device.
With cutting-edge power from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a gorgeous high-refresh display, excellent battery life and fast charging speeds, the iQOO 12 Premium brings together the best in smartphone technology today. Its fluid performance, versatile camera setup and striking design make it a tempting option for spec-chasers who want the latest and greatest. While not cheap, with a $1343.99 price tag, the phone managed to justify itself, especially for someone wanting to push their mobile gaming as far as possible.
While not quite as refined as the iPhone 15 Pro Max or S23 Ultra, the iQOO 12 Premium matches or even exceeds them in certain areas making it an exciting option for people who demand only the best performance from their mobile device. If you want a phone that leaves everything in the dust, look no further than the new iQOO 12 Premium. It is a gaming monster that manages to be well-rounded enough to make it a solid option for anyone looking to make the switch while keeping gaming at the forefront of any buying decision.
