You know how every other brand claims their smartphone is “built for gaming”? Yeah, we’ve all heard that song and dance. Slap on a big battery, throw in a fast processor, add some LED bling, and suddenly it’s a “gaming phone.” But iQOO seems to be doing something different this time. Instead of just guessing what gamers want, they’ve gone straight to the source—and brought some of India’s biggest esports stars into the development process.
The Pros Are Calling the Shots
In what’s probably the biggest collab of its kind in India’s mobile gaming scene, iQOO has teamed up with seven of the top gamers out there. We’re talking Dynamo Gaming, Mortal, Scout, Payal Gaming, GamerFleet, Shreeman Legend, and UnGraduate Gamer. If you’ve spent any time on YouTube or in a BGMI lobby, these names will be very familiar. Between them, they’ve clocked in thousands of hours of gameplay and built communities that span millions of fans.
But this isn’t just a promo deal where they slap their names on a box. These guys (and gal!) are actively testing, giving feedback, and helping fine-tune the gaming experience on iQOO devices—starting with the iQOO Neo 10R.
What’s Under the Hood?
The Neo 10R is the first phone to come out of this co-creation project, and it’s packing some serious heat. It runs on the Snapdragon® 8s Gen 3 processor—a chip designed to handle intense gaming without breaking a sweat. And for those long gaming marathons, iQOO has managed to squeeze India’s slimmest 6400mAh battery into this thing. That’s a pretty impressive feat, considering most big batteries come with extra bulk. The Neo 10R promises to keep things light in your hand while heavy on power.
The official launch is happening on March 11th, 2025, but from what I’ve seen so far, this one’s shaping up to be a proper contender in the mobile gaming space.
Why This Actually Matters
I’ve reviewed a lot of “gaming phones” over the years. Some nail it, but plenty don’t. Too often, they’re built around marketing checklists instead of real-world experience. That’s why this move by iQOO caught my attention. By bringing in actual pro gamers—the people who live and breathe gaming 24/7—they’re making sure the device is tested in the wild, not just in some lab.
And the timing makes sense. India’s gaming market is booming (we’re talking a projected $9.2 billion by 2029), and mobile gaming is at the heart of it. iQOO is doubling down. They’ve already partnered with six BGMI esports teams, got over 100 gamers on board for feedback, and even appointed a 23-year-old Chief Gaming Officer to keep things fresh. Plus, they were the official mobile partner for esports at the 2022 Asian Games. This isn’t their first rodeo.
What’s Next?
I’m curious to see how this plays out. On paper, the Neo 10R checks all the right boxes. But I’ll hold off on calling it a game-changer until I’ve spent some quality time with it—put it through a few long gaming sessions, stress test the thermals, see how stable that frame rate really is.
But here’s what I like: this isn’t just a phone for gamers—it’s one by gamers. And that’s a refreshing change. If iQOO keeps going in this direction, we might finally get a device that understands what gamers actually need, instead of what the marketing department thinks we want.
Stay tuned. Review incoming soon.
