vivo’s performance-focused sub-brand iQOO is preparing to unveil its newest flagship smartphone in China. Ahead of the official announcement, the company has started teasing the upcoming device. In a Weibo post, the phone maker shared an image showing the iQOO 16, revealing a new look.
In this teaser, the device is depicted with a square camera island positioned at the top left corner. This module features a transparent glass cover, and the overall design is apparently inspired by a spacecraft porthole. Inside, the three camera lenses are linked together, forming a visual element resembling a navigation marker. Additionally, the text printed on the module suggests that the camera will support up to 100x digital zoom.
This particular colourway, called “Chasing Light”, features a holographic rear panel, which according to the company was created using an industry-first laser holographic imaging technology. Aside from a distinctive geometric pattern, this back panel boasts a three-dimensional light effect with colours that shift as the phone moves. In a separate teaser, the handset is seen in motion, showing how the red and blue elements change with the viewing angle.
For now, iQOO has yet to reveal much about the phone. However, there have been rumours concerning its specifications. As per the leaks, the device will be among the first to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. This 2nm processor will reportedly feature a 2+3+3 CPU cluster with clock speeds reaching up to 5.01GHz, as well as an Adreno 850 GPU.
Beyond that, the phone is expected to sport a 6.85-inch 2K Samsung display with a 165Hz refresh rate. A dedicated Q4 gaming chip will also apparently be on board. Furthermore, the device could feature an 8,400mAh battery. On the imaging end, the iQOO 16 is rumoured to come with a 50MP primary camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor. This will apparently be paired with a 50MP periscope telephoto lens and a 50MP ultra-wide snapper. Other supposed features include IP68 and IP69 ratings, plus up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.
Although the company has not revealed a specific launch date yet, it has confirmed that the device will be debuting in China at the end of this month. That said, there is no official word on a global release at this point in time.
(Source: iQOO via Weibo [1], [2], Gizmochina)
