iQOO 16 First Look

iQOO has built its reputation around performance-focused smartphones over the years. The company's flagship models put powerful processors and gaming capabilities front and centre. iQOO is preparing to bring its latest flagship to India and offered an early look at the device at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026. The iQOO 16 has already launched in China, and the company has confirmed it is also headed to India. It will also be among the first smartphones in the country to feature Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset.

The iQOO 16 has undergone a noticeable design change this year, especially around the back. Having seen the handset in person, I think the redesigned camera island is one of its most interesting talking points.

The camera arrangement of the iQOO 16 reminds us of the iPhone Pro models of the past

The most obvious change is the camera island itself. iQOO has moved away from the previous design language in favour of a squarer, more prominent camera module with three camera cutouts. The overall layout reminds me of the iPhone Pro models from a few generations ago. This is partly evident in older designs with square camera bumps and a triangular lens arrangement.

That said, I would have liked iQOO to retain its predecessor's design. The square-ish camera island of the iQOO 15 was appealing and gave the impression of a floating camera deco, surrounded by a subtle underglow.

The rear panel is more interesting than a plain, glossy finish, too. The bluish-grey surface features diagonal lines that cross to form a subtle geometric pattern. The lines are faint enough not to overwhelm the back. However, they add some texture to the phone when light hits the rear panel at certain angles.

As for performance, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is the one specification iQOO has confirmed for the Indian model so far. However, other details remain under wraps. The iQOO 16 global model features a 6.85-inch 2K AMOLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. The global iQOO 16 also features a triple rear camera setup, comprising three 50-megapixel sensors for the primary, ultrawide, and periscope telephoto cameras. For selfies and video calls, the phone has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera.

The global model runs OriginOS 7 based on Android 17 and offers up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It packs an 8,400mAh battery and supports 100W wired and 40W wireless charging.

We will have to wait for details on the Indian variant's specifications, pricing, and availability. With the handset launch now on the horizon, stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for the full review of the iQOO 16.