iQOO, vivo's gaming-oriented sub-brand, has confirmed that its next flagship, the iQOO 16, will be unveiled in China on September 29 at 7 p.m. local time. Sales begin right after the event, and pre-orders are already open on the official online store. The headline feature is an OLED panel co-developed with Samsung Display: the first on any smartphone to combine 2K resolution with a 165Hz refresh rate. The phone comes in three colors, including a holographic finish that shifts color with the viewing angle.

Announcement on September 29, sales the same day

iQOO revealed the date in mid-September through its official Weibo account. The launch event takes place on the evening of September 29 in China, with sales starting as soon as it ends. vivo's official store in China already has an "iQOO 16 pre-order" page live ahead of the announcement.

The iQOO Pad Ultra, a tablet with an 8.8-inch screen and a 5.74mm-thin body, is expected to be announced at the same event. Its screen size and thickness were disclosed in an earlier teaser.

iQOO products are not officially sold in Japan, and there is no word on a Japanese release for this launch at the time of writing.

What is new about the 2K 165Hz OLED

Ahead of the launch, Samsung Display and iQOO held a joint display technology event on September 14 and published the panel specifications for the iQOO 16. Three points stand out.

First, the panel delivers 2K resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) and a 165Hz refresh rate at the same time. High-refresh phones have typically dropped resolution to get there, and iQOO says this is the first smartphone to offer both. The refresh rate varies between 1Hz and 165Hz, instantaneous touch sampling reaches 5,000Hz, and multi-finger sampling runs at 500Hz.

Second, it uses Samsung Display's latest M16 emissive material, a first for an Android phone. Brightness tops out at 1,100 nits in manual mode, 2,800 nits across the full screen, and up to 10,000 nits in a small area. iQOO positions these figures as the highest in the industry.

Third, the panel uses the polarizer-free "LEAD 2.0" structure, which places the color filters directly over the OLED layer. Combined with an anti-reflective treatment, it is said to cut power consumption by up to 30% compared with the previous M14-generation panels. High resolution and high refresh rates are a battery-hungry combination, so how much this saving shows up in real-world endurance will be one of the things to check after release.

iQOO also claims 1.24 times DCI-P3 gamut coverage, a 39.6% improvement in color uniformity, and a 22.3% improvement in brightness uniformity over the previous generation. It uses its own algorithm to correct color and brightness at the sub-pixel level and quotes a color accuracy of ±0.001, though these are manufacturer figures that await independent measurement. Eye-comfort features include full-brightness DC dimming, PWM dimming up to 3,300Hz, and a glare-reduction mode for gaming.

The partnership extends beyond the panel itself to a dedicated driver IC designed for high refresh rates and a production line reserved for iQOO's flagships. The M16 material is reported to be used in the iPhone 18 Pro series as well, meaning Samsung Display has brought the same generation of material to the Android side first through iQOO.

A "Tomorrow's Porthole" rear design in three colors

The exterior has also been shown ahead of time. The rear camera module is a square block surrounded by a raised lip, with three lenses in a distinctive layout. The LED flash sits outside the module at the top right, and the words "100x Tele" are printed inside it. iQOO calls the design "Tomorrow's Porthole," inspired by a spacecraft window, and the frame appears to be flat aluminum with rounded corners.

There are three colors. "Chasing Light" uses laser holographic technology to etch a hexagonal pattern into the back that shifts between red and blue depending on the viewing angle. "Legend" is a silver-gray finish, and "Race Track" is purple.

Much remains unconfirmed

Beyond the display and design, iQOO has not officially disclosed any specifications. Leaks point to Qualcomm's next top-tier chip, iQOO's own Q4 gaming chip, an 8,400mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, a 6.85-inch flat screen, a triple 50-megapixel camera setup, OriginOS 7 based on Android 17, and IP68 and IP69 ratings, but all of these await the announcement. Pricing has not been revealed either.

Summary

The iQOO 16 will be announced in China on September 29 and goes on sale the same day. The features revealed ahead of launch are the world's first 2K 165Hz OLED panel, the first Samsung M16 emissive material on Android, and the polarizer-free LEAD 2.0 structure that trims power consumption by up to 30%. The remaining details, including the chip, battery, and price, are expected to be confirmed at the launch event, and there is currently no announcement regarding availability in Japan.