iQOO launches the Z5 as the world's latest Snapdragon 778G phone

iQOO has unveiled its Z5 as promised, thereby confirming a slew of mainly official leaks concerning this device's specs. In fact, the sub-brand did not leave much to the imagination at all save the new mid-ranger's appearance; however, we now know that it has emerged with a rather simplistic build that follows the current design language of its OEM's owner Vivo quite closely.

In this case, the style allows for a 6.67-inch screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio. iQOO has of course given the rest of its main specs away already, although it has now emerged that these potential advantages (a 120Hz refresh rate included) apply to an LCD panel. Then again, the quality seen in the flagship line was probably too much to hope for here.

This display will be driven by the Snapdragon 778G, although iQOO has gone for rather less mainstream SoC options in the Z line to date. Nevertheless, the brand asserts that the processor is paired to a flagship-grade cooling system in this case, a vapor-chamber and all. Those internals are joined by a battery that has expanded over that of the Z3 to 5,000mAh, although it sticks with the same 44W charging rate.

This is just as well, as iQOO has of course lavished high-end RAM and internal storage chips on the Z5 as well. They come in 8/128GB, 8/256GB and 12/256GB configurations, which range from just 1,899 to 2,299 yuan (~US$295-356). They are available to pre-order in its OEM's native China from now in Blue Origin, Twilight Dawn or Dream Space colorways, with their first direct sale set for September 28, 2021.

In the meantime, iQOO has also confirmed that the Z5 will see a second launch in India on September 27. However, there is no guarantee these prices will translate directly as the potentially powerful mid-ranger  gravitates towards its new market. Otherwise, there is a faint chance that the flagship 8 Pro might debut alongside it at this event.