Which is better, iQOO or Poco?

It depends on what you want. iQOO suits gamers and performance buyers who want flagship chips at lower prices, mostly online. Poco suits value hunters who want lots of hardware for the money and will spend 10 minutes switching off ads.

What is the best iQOO phone and the best Poco phone?

iQOO 15 (8.8/10, ₹85,999) and Poco X8 Pro Max (8.5/10, ₹49,999).

Which gives longer software updates, iQOO or Poco?

On the phones we recommend, Poco promises longer updates on average (iQOO 3.3 years, Poco 3.7 years).

iQOO vs Poco: which brand should you buy?

Only the phones we recommend from each brand. Checked 19 October 2026.

Side by side

Best for: iQOO: Gamers and performance buyers who want flagship chips at lower prices, mostly online.Poco: Value hunters who want lots of hardware for the money and will spend 10 minutes switching off ads.
Phones we recommend: iQOO: 4, ₹19,499 to ₹85,999Poco: 7, ₹14,999 to ₹49,999
Average updates (our picks): iQOO: 3.3 yearsPoco: 3.7 years
Updates on top phones: iQOO: iQOO 15: 5 Android upgrades and 7 years of security patches.Poco: Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra: 5 Android upgrades and 6 years of security patches.
Updates on budget phones: iQOO: iQOO Z11: 3 upgrades and 5 years of security, the first Z phone with this level. Cheaper Z Lite models are not covered by a clear promise.Poco: Redmi Note series and Poco M8 Power: 4 upgrades and 6 years of security. Cheaper Redmi number-series phones reportedly get only 2 upgrades and 4 years of patches.
Service in India: iQOO: iQOO said in 2021 it had over 600 company-owned service centres. We did not find a recent official count.Poco: Xiaomi says its service network covers every pin code in India. It is adding Premium Service Centres: 10 in 2025, 15 more cities in 2026, with a target of 100. We did not find a recent total centre count.
Preloaded apps and ads: iQOO: Runs vivo's OriginOS. The iQOO 15 preloads Facebook, PhonePe, Netflix, Instagram and LinkedIn. They can be uninstalled but return after a factory reset. 'Hot Apps' folders can be turned off in V Appstore.Poco: HyperOS shows ads and recommendations in the app drawer, system apps, GetApps and Themes. Most can be turned off in settings (msa, personalised ads, per-app recommendations), but GetApps and Themes ads cannot be fully disabled.

Best phone from each, by budget

Under ₹20,000iQOO Z11 Lite₹19,499 • 6.4/10Poco C85x 5G₹14,999 • 6.4/10Compare iQOO Z11 Lite vs Poco C85x 5G →
₹20,000 to ₹40,000iQOO Z11x₹27,999 • 7.3/10Poco X8 Pro₹39,999 • 8.1/10Compare iQOO Z11x vs Poco X8 Pro →
₹40,000 to ₹80,000iQOO 15R₹53,999 • 8.2/10Poco X8 Pro Max₹49,999 • 8.5/10Compare iQOO 15R vs Poco X8 Pro Max →
Above ₹80,000iQOO 15₹85,999 • 8.8/10None we recommend

Common questions

Which is better, iQOO or Poco?: It depends on what you want. iQOO suits gamers and performance buyers who want flagship chips at lower prices, mostly online. Poco suits value hunters who want lots of hardware for the money and will spend 10 minutes switching off ads.
What is the best iQOO phone and the best Poco phone?: iQOO 15 (8.8/10, ₹85,999) and Poco X8 Pro Max (8.5/10, ₹49,999).
Which gives longer software updates, iQOO or Poco?: On the phones we recommend, Poco promises longer updates on average (iQOO 3.3 years, Poco 3.7 years).