iQOO 16 Launch Date Confirmed: New Design, Camera Upgrades and More

September 16, 2026: Vivo's sub-brand iQOO has officially announced the launch date of the iQOO 16. According to the company, the new premium smartphone will debut in China on September 29. The company has also revealed three colour options for the phone. Earlier, iQOO and Samsung had confirmed that the iQOO 16 will feature Samsung's next-generation AMOLED panel with M16 luminescent material.

The new smartphone is expected to bring major upgrades to both the display and camera departments. The iQOO 16 will feature a newly designed square-shaped rear camera module with a triple-camera setup. The company's teaser suggests that the phone could offer a significant improvement in camera performance compared to the previous generation.

In this article, we will share complete details about the iQOO 16, including its launch date, design, display, camera, expected specifications, colour options and other key details. We will also look at what users can expect from iQOO's latest premium smartphone.

Launch in China on September 29

The launch date of the iQOO 16 has been announced through a post on Weibo on Tuesday. The launch event of the phone in China on September 29 will start at 7 pm local time. The event will start at 4:30 pm Indian time. The phone will be available in three colours in China. They are Chasing Light, Legendary and Racing Track. The names have been translated from Chinese.

Different design surprises in three colours

The Chasing Light version will have a laser holographic finish with red and blue hues on a silver background. As the light falls, a different type of visual effect will be created on the back. The Legendary version will use magnetron sputtering electroplating technology on white. The company has announced that there will be a 670-nanometer-thick electroplating film on the back of this version.

On the other hand, the design of the Racing Track version is inspired by the purple paint of Formula One cars. As a result, the design of this model may be relatively sportier among the three versions.

2K resolution and 165 Hz display

IQOO has already announced that the iQOO 16 will be the world's first smartphone to come with a 2K resolution display, with a maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz. The phone will use Samsung's new AMOLED panel. It will have the new M16 luminescent material. In addition, Samsung's second-generation LED or low-power, eco-friendly, augmented brightness and slim, light design technology, i.e. LED 2.0, will be used.

The display's maximum global peak brightness can be up to 2800 nits, and local peak brightness can be up to 10,000 nits. As a result, the visibility of the screen is likely to improve even in bright light.

3300 Hz PWM Dimming

The Samsung M16 AMOLED display of the iQOO 16 will support a maximum of 3300 Hz PWM dimming. This technology has been used to reduce eye strain when using the screen in low light. The company has also said that the display will receive TÜV Rheinland's Global Eye Protection and Unpolarized Light certification.

New Triple Camera Module

A newly designed camera module will be seen on the back of the iQOO 16. It will have three cameras. The shape of the camera module is also being changed significantly compared to the previous model. In the design released by the company, the camera lenses are visually connected through a 'robotic arm'-like design. This design is going to be one of the main attractions of the back of the phone.

Although iQOO has mentioned the camera upgrade, it has not yet revealed the details of all the sensors. As a result, we will have to wait until the launch event on September 29 to know the specific specifications of the main camera, ultrawide and telephoto sensors.

Expectations for the iQOO 16 have already risen considerably, thanks to its 2K 165Hz display, Samsung's new M16 AMOLED panel, up to 10,000 nits of local brightness, and a new triple-camera setup.