Ever since its launch in 2020, iQOO has appealed to a niche section of smartphone enthusiasts who value cutting-edge specifications at competitive pricing. Six years down the line, the company may be struggling to keep that perception alive as rising memory component costs have plagued the smartphone industry. According to tipster Yogesh Brar, iQOO may significantly scale back its India smartphone plans this year.
iQOO to release fewer products in India?
Brar claims the popular numbered flagship, the iQOO 16, may not launch in India this year, and goes ahead to say that the company will introduce only one “budget” Z-series phone this year, while “all other products have been scrapped.” Although the company has not confirmed these plans, the reported cancellations appear to be linked to rising memory prices, which have already started pushing flagship smartphone prices higher across brands.
There has been a notable shift in iQOO’s India strategy over the past year. The brand built its reputation by offering flagship hardware at prices well below rivals. However, that changed with the iQOO 15, which launched in India in November 2025 starting at Rs 72,999, compared to the iQOO 13‘s launch price of Rs 54,999 a year earlier.
While the iQOO 15 brought meaningful upgrades, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a brighter 6.85-inch AMOLED display, a 7,000mAh battery, and a new 50MP periscope camera, it also entered the same price bracket as premium Android flagships instead of undercutting them. The phone currently starts at Rs 76,999, which still makes it slightly more affordable than rivals such as the OnePlus 15 and Vivo X300 FE, but the gap is much smaller than before.
The same trend was visible in the Neo lineup. Instead of launching the iQOO Neo 11 in India, the company refreshed the older iQOO Neo 10 with new colours and a price increase of around Rs 6,000. iQOO also introduced the new iQOO 15R as its sub-flagship offering in the sub-Rs 50,000 segment, signalling a broader change in product strategy.
If the iQOO 16 crosses Rs 85,000, as Brar suggests, it would place the phone directly against established premium flagships from Apple and Samsung, making it harder for iQOO to rely on aggressive pricing as its biggest selling point.
iQOO 16: what we know so far
Interestingly, reports suggest the iQOO 16 is already under development despite the uncertainty around its India launch. The smartphone has reportedly appeared in the GSM Association’s IMEI database with model number I2601, confirming its branding.
Leaks indicate the iQOO 16 could debut in China as early as September with Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset. Separately, tipster Digital Chat Station claims iQOO may skip the Ultra model this generation, meaning an iQOO 16 Ultra may not arrive this year despite the iQOO 15 Ultra launching earlier with flagship specifications.
If this tip proves accurate, it would be a blatant example of how rising component costs are reshaping company strategies rather than simply increasing prices. For buyers, it also means fewer choices and longer upgrade cycles. Unless a phone offers a meaningful, worthy improvement over your current device, holding on to it for another year may make more financial sense as flagship prices continue to climb.
iQOO 16 Images
| Expected Price: | N/A |
| Release Date: | (Expected) |
| Variant: | 12 GB RAM |
| Phone Status: | Upcoming Phone |