It’s official: The iQOO 15 Ultra is real and it’s launching very soon
After weeks of leaks and whispers, iQOO has finally put rumours to rest and officially confirmed the launch timeline of the iQOO 15 Ultra. According to a post on Weibo, the device will debut before the Spring Festival in China, which puts the launch in January or early February, ahead of the February 17th holiday. At the moment, the announcement is limited to China, and there is no indication yet of a global rollout. A compact phone has also been rumoured to join the iQOO 15 series later this year, but it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
This launch is important for iQOO in more ways than one. It is the first time the brand is using the ‘Ultra’ name for any of its phones. Until now, iQOO’s flagship and sub-flagship strategy has revolved around standard and Pro models, with a focus on performance. Adding an Ultra variant suggests the company may want to stretch that identity even further for enthusiasts who want the best specs on offer.
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The iQOO 15 Ultra will sit above the regular iQOO 15, which launched in India and globally in November 2025. That phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and is aimed at users who care about speed and sustained performance. The Ultra version should push things even further. Leaks so far hint at features like shoulder triggers and an active cooling fan, both of which are usually seen on gaming-focussed phones rather than regular flagships.
Display could also be an area of differentiation. Earlier reports have suggested that iQOO had been testing a 2K display with a 165Hz refresh rate for the Ultra. That puts it on par, or rather ahead of OnePlus, which debuted a 165Hz display with the OnePlus 15, but capped the resolution at 1.5K. For comparison, the standard iQOO 15 already offers a large 6.85-inch AMOLED panel with 2K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. That setup is already smooth and sharp for daily use. Moving to 165Hz would mainly benefit gamers who want faster visuals and smoother animations in high-frame-rate games, but it could be limited to select titles.
In terms of cameras and battery, the Ultra is expected to stay close to the regular model. The iQOO 15 features a 50MP triple rear camera setup, a 32MP selfie camera, and a big 7,000mAh battery with 100W fast charging. If the Ultra keeps the same battery capacity while adding active cooling, it could deliver more consistent performance during long gaming sessions, something that dedicated gaming phones from brands like ASUS and RedMagic already focus on.
From a buying point of view, the iQOO 15 Ultra should appeal to those who want top-tier performance with gaming-friendly extras. Buyers who care more about camera versatility, polished software, or long-term updates may still prefer mainstream flagships. iQOO is known to be very aggressive when it comes to pricing, but that changed lately with the iQOO 15, which matched the OnePlus 15 and Realme GT 8 Pro when it launched at Rs 72,999. With reports coming in that ASUS is not launching any new phones this year, the iQOO 15 Ultra could be filling the void created by the absence of the next ROG series of gaming phones.
