iQOO launches the Neo6 SE amidst rumors of a Z5 refresh with an enlarged 6,000mAh battery

iQOO has just unveiled the promised SE version of its Neo6 today (May 6, 2022), thereby confirming that the 'new' device is essentially a version of its series' flagship with a Snapdragon 870 SoC in place of the 6's newer 8 Gen 1 platform. It does at least have new Gradient Green and Gradient Blue colorways, in addition to the brand's habitual shade of orange.

This means its potential owner gets an up-to-date 80W charging speed alongside nearly all of the Neo6's best features (fully-functional NFC and an IR blaster included, apparently) for a price starting at 1,999 yuan (~US$300) for an 8GB RAM/128GB internal storage base model. This might be a little more expensive than predicted - however, the 6 SE still manages to beat the nearly identically-spec'd Realme Q5 Pro in this respect.

As much of a win as iQOO may have scored on the Chinese sub-premium Android market with the Neo6 SE (we will see from June 6, 2022 on, as the device goes live on platforms such as Tmall, JD and Vivo's own web-store), the phone's launch might be overshadowed by word of a potentially even more compelling, budget-friendly option.

The eminent tipster Digital Chat Station now asserts that iQOO has taken the potentially erratic product life-cycle decision of conferring a refresh on the Z5. This device will apparently retain all of its 2021 specs - expect for its battery.

It is tipped to upgrade from its original capacity of 5,000mAh to 6,000mAh, increasing to 9.21mm in thickness in the process. Then again, it is slated to charge at an unchanged 44W rate, and will thus take longer to do so compared to a pre-existing Z5.

In addition, it may still have its older Snapdragon 778G processor and a display that, while 120Hz, will still be LCD rather than the higher-end E4 AMOLED of the Neo6 SE.

Nevertheless, as Digital Chat Station intimates, iQOO is betting on this putative Z5 (2022)'s new selling point to compete with that of the newer Dimensity 8000-series processors boasted by corresponding products in its sector.