iQOO 16 Launched with Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, 8400mAh Battery, 165Hz OLED Display, Android 17

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-Carlsen Martin

Published: Wednesday,
September 30, 2026, 8:29 [IST]

iQOO has introduced the iQOO 16 in China, positioning its new flagship around gaming performance, display upgrades and battery endurance. The phone brings a 6.85-inch 2K Samsung AMOLED screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, a large 8,400mAh battery, 100W wired charging and a dedicated Q4 gaming chip for frame-rate and rendering enhancements.

The launch also shows how gaming-focused Android flagships are moving beyond raw chipset upgrades. iQOO is combining a high-refresh display, custom gaming silicon, advanced cooling and direct-drive power delivery to target users who play demanding titles for long sessions. The phone is currently on sale in China, with no India launch details announced yet.

iQOO 16 Price in China, Expected India Price

The iQOO 16 is available in China in four configurations, with prices starting at 5,999 yuan. The Indian prices below are approximate conversions of the China pricing and do not represent confirmed India launch prices.

The iQOO 16 is now on sale in China and comes in Track, Legend and Light Chaser colour options. The company has not yet shared details of a global launch, including a possible India debut.

However, we expect the iQOO 16 to debut in India sometime next month or in early December. Moreover, the iQOO 16 price in India will likely start from under Rs 1,00,000.

iQOO 16 Specifications and Features

The iQOO 16 sports a 6.85-inch 2K Samsung Everest LTPO AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. It uses Samsung’s M16 luminescent material, which the company says reduces display power consumption by over 30 percent. The screen is also rated for up to 10,000 nits of peak brightness and supports high-frequency PWM dimming and eye-care features.

The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, paired with a dedicated Q4 gaming chip. It also features an 8,500-square-millimetre vapour chamber cooling system. iQOO says the combination supports features such as real-time ray tracing and 165fps gameplay in select titles.

The iQOO 16 packs an 8,400mAh Blue Ocean battery with support for 100W wired and 40W wireless charging. Its direct-drive mode can power the phone during intensive gaming without drawing power from the battery.

iQOO 16 Cameras & Software

The iQOO 16 has a triple 50MP rear camera system. The main camera uses a large 1/1.3-inch sensor with an f/1.68 aperture and optical image stabilisation. It is joined by a 50MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.05 aperture and a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto camera using a Sony sensor with OIS.

For image processing, the phone uses the NICE 3.0 optical reconstruction engine and Super Light and Shadow HDR software. It also carries vivo-derived colour profiles, including Original Color, Chasing Light and Rich Color. The phone supports 4K Ultra HD Live Photos with adjustable cover frames and layered styles. A 32MP front camera handles selfies and video calls.

The handset runs Android 17 with OriginOS 7 in China. The software includes Atomic Workbench, which allows up to five apps to run on one screen at the same time. Another feature, Little V Dynamic Components, is designed to create automated tasks and personalised desktop utilities for frequently used actions.

Other hardware features include an in-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, an infrared sensor, stereo speakers and Hi-Fi audio support. Connectivity options include 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 and multi-band satellite positioning support. The phone is also rated IP68 and IP69 for dust and water resistance.