iQOO Confirms Late-September Launch for iQOO 16 and Pad Ultra

China
08/09/2026

iQOO has officially confirmed that it is preparing two new devices: the iQOO 16 flagship smartphone and the iQOO Pad Ultra gaming tablet. Both will debut on the Chinese market at the same time, and the company has already shown what they look like. Full specifications are still under wraps, but iQOO has named the areas it is betting on: gaming performance, a co-developed display and a compact tablet format.

Performance is the headline argument

iQOO frames the phone as a technology-led flagship and claims the standard model will go beyond what a Pro Max class device usually offers. The basis for that claim is Qualcomm's new top-tier platform paired with the brand's own silicon. The previous iQOO 15 followed similar logic and, according to the company, became the best-selling Android phone in China's online 4,000–6,000 yuan segment (~$560–840).

The phone will carry a new in-house gaming chip alongside an updated Monster engine. According to iQOO, the pairing unlocks more of the Qualcomm flagship processor's potential and delivers console-grade ray tracing.

The display is being built with Samsung Display

The iQOO 16 panel is being developed together with Samsung Display, and the company promises it will remove the usual trade-off between high resolution and smooth motion.

How large that step forward really is will become clear at the launch event. For reference, the iQOO 15 used a 6.85-inch 2K Samsung screen running at 144 Hz. Insiders claim the successor keeps the same size and resolution while raising the refresh rate to 165 Hz, although none of those figures have been officially confirmed.

The iQOO 16 and iQOO Pad Ultra will be unveiled at the end of September 2026, with China as the debut market. Pre-orders for both devices are already open in the company's Chinese online store.

iQOO Pad Ultra: a tablet built around gaming

The company deliberately steers the tablet away from the usual large-format logic and describes it as a new kind of esports device. The focus is on a compact body that can be held in one hand, a next-generation flagship platform and multi-finger touch response. iQOO also promises AAA titles that can be picked up again on another device.

The tablet will use a full-body cooling system designed to hold performance steady through long gaming sessions.

Wang Kan, manager of the iQOO flagship line, said the product is not a "better tablet" but "an entirely new esports form" that breaks the boundary between phone and tablet as well as the barrier between PC and tablet, and supports free switching between different formats.

iQOO has not published full technical specifications for either device. The figures below come from insider reports and industry sources, so until the official launch they should be treated as preliminary.

Expected iQOO 16 specifications

Display: 6.85" 2K OLED, Samsung panel, refresh rate up to 165 Hz
Processor: new-generation Qualcomm flagship platform alongside an in-house iQOO gaming chip
Memory: 12+256 GB, 12+512 GB, 16+512 GB, 16 GB+1 TB
Camera: three 50 MP modules, digital zoom up to 100x
Battery: around 8,400 mAh, 100 W wired charging
Fingerprint sensor: ultrasonic, under the display
Protection: IP68/IP69
Colours: Light Chaser, Legend, Track