The Indian smartphone market is huge, and it will expand more in the coming years. Every smartphone company is trying its best to seek attention from its customers. In order to get attention, some companies offer great specifications on paper and some offer attention-seeking features or designs on their smartphones.
A similar event happened when Nothing (a smartphone manufacturer) launched their much-hyped Nothing Phone 1 on July 12, 2022, in India. The starting price of Nothing Phone 1 is Rs.32000 for the base variant. The phone quickly grabbed people’s attention because of its unique design language. But, we are not here to talk only about Nothing Phone 1, if you want you can read the full real-life review of Nothing Phone 1 which I posted after using it for a few days.
We have explored the phones in the 30000 price segment and found that there are many smartphone companies offering their brands in that price segment. The closest is IQOO because it’s a new smartphone brand by BBK Electronics (read more about BBK Electronics). Both these smartphones are mid-range phones and priced around ₹30000 in India.
Nothing Phone 1 or IQOO 9 SE Design?
Well, the design of a phone is always a personal preference and it can vary from person to person. But, the design of Nothing Phone 1 is something that you cannot ignore. The Nothing Phone 1 comes with a transparent glass back with a unique LED design that acts as a notification light. Except for the transparent back and unique LED the Nothing Phone 1 copied the frame and camera design from the iPhone.
On the other hand, IQOO 9 SE has a design that you have already seen in many VIVO, OPPO smartphones in India. There is nothing new in terms of visual appearance but somehow IQOO 9 SE feels slick and premium while holding.
Design Winner: NOTHING PHONE 1
Nothing Phone 1 vs IQOO 9 SE Camera Comparison
Before making any camera comparisons, I have updated both phones to their latest available release.
Both the smartphones give decent quality photos and videos in daylight conditions and low light conditions. However, IQOO 9SE has an edge over Nothing Phone 1 in terms of picture quality, dynamic range, exposure control, low light photography, and overall sharpness.
If I have to choose, I will pick IQOO 9 SE phone camera over Nothing Phone 1.
Camera Winner: IQOO 9SE
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Nothing Phone 1 and IQOO 9 SE Performance Comparison
On paper, you will see a huge performance difference between Nothing Phone 1 & IQOO 9 SE. The Nothing comes with a Snapdragon 778G+ which is a premium processor for mid-range devices. On the other hand, IQOO comes with a Snapdragon 888 which is a flagship-level processor from Qualcomm.
In real-life use, there isn’t a huge difference in performance. The gaming on both phones is decent for a short period of time. For long gaming sessions, I prefer IQOO 9 SE because the processor handles the load easily and gives you stable performance throughout the gaming experience.
The app opening and closing experience are the same on both devices, both are fast. You won’t see any difference at all and both the devices feel snappy and butter-smooth in performance.
The one thing I noticed in Nothing Phone 1 is that its camera lags a little after intense use. The phone also gets warm while using its camera for a long period.
Performance Winner: IQOO 9SE
Nothing Phone 1 and IQOO 9 SE Display Comparison
Both the devices have a great AMOLED display with a 120 Hz screen. Both the phones are quite good for media consumption and viewing experience. But both the displays don’t perform well under sunlight, and the visibility is average.
Display Winner: TIE
Nothing Phone 1 and IQOO 9 SE Speakers Comparison
Nothing Phone 1 is a clear winner over IQOO 9 SE because of its great speaker quality. The sound quality of Nothing Phone 1 is premium and has decent bass. You will have a great experience while watching movies or listening to songs.
Speaker Winner: NOTHING PHONE 1
Nothing Phone 1 and IQOO 9 SE Battery Comparison
Both the phones come with a 4500mAh battery with 33W fast charging on Nothing Phone 1 and 66W fast charging on IQOO 9 SE. Both the phones can manage to get a decent battery life which can last for a day. But, if you decide to play with the LED back lights then I am sure you will get less battery backup. Battery Winner: IQOO 9 SE
NOTE: Nothing phone 1 do not supply charger in the box, you need to buy it separately.
Nothing Phone 1 Price In India is ₹32,999 + ₹29 Secured Packaging Fee for the base variant on Flipkart. The charger is not included
IQOO 9SE Price In India is ₹₹33,990 for the base variant on Amazon. Charger Included
Let me know your thoughts and views about this article. Did you enjoy reading this? What phone will you prefer to buy after reading this Nothing Phone 1 or IQOO 9 SE?
