A tipster report confirms that the iQOO 16 may not launch in India this year. The decision was made based on the chipset impact. The iQOO 16 is still reportedly in development and could debut first in China.
Background of the iQOO Brand
In 2020, iQOO entered the Indian market with the iQOO 3, becoming one of the first smartphones in India powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. According to Tipster Yogesh Brar, a trusted source of technical information, iQOO may significantly scale back its smartphone plans in India this year.
Brar claims the popular number flagship, the iQOO 16, may not launch in India this year, and adds that the company will introduce only one budget Z-series phone this year, with all other products scrapped.
Although the company has not confirmed these plans, the reported cancellations appear linked to rising memory prices, which are already pushing flagship smartphone prices higher across brands. There has been a clear shift in iQOO's India strategy over the past year.
The brand built its reputation by offering flagship hardware at prices below its rivals. That changed with the launch of iQOO 15 in India in November 2025, starting at Rs 72,999 compared to iQOO 13's launch price of Rs 54,999 a year earlier.
The iQOO 15 introduced significant improvements, featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a brighter 6.85-inch AMOLED display, a 7,000mAh battery, and an upgraded 50MP periscope camera. However, it now competes in the same price range as premium Android flagships rather than offering a more budget-friendly option.
Priced starting at Rs 76,999, it is still somewhat more affordable than competitors like the OnePlus 15 and Vivo X300 FE, though the difference is considerably smaller than it once was.
Details related to iQOO 16:
There are indications that the iQOO 16 is already in development, even with uncertainty surrounding its launch in India. The smartphone has been spotted in the GSM Association's IMEI database under the model number I2601, which confirms its branding.
Leaks suggest that the iQOO 16 could debut in China as early as September, featuring Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset.
In addition, tipster Digital Chat Station has mentioned that iQOO might forgo the Ultra model this generation, which means that we may not see an iQOO 16 Ultra this year, even though the iQOO 15 Ultra was released earlier with top-tier specifications.
If this information proves true, it highlights how rising component costs are influencing companies' strategies, rather than just raising prices. For consumers, this means having fewer options and longer upgrade cycles.
Unless a new phone presents significant upgrades over your current device, it might be more financially sensible to keep it for another year as flagship prices continue to rise.
