iQOO is reportedly set to skip the iQOO 16 Ultra in its next flagship cycle. The latest leak suggests the Ultra sub-series may be paused for one generation rather than continued on an annual schedule.
That would be a notable shift, especially because the iQOO 15 Ultra has only recently debuted in China as the brand’s first “Ultra” model. Positioned above the regular iQOO 15, it arrived with top-tier hardware, a built-in cooling fan, and a much higher price tag.
Why the Ultra line may be paused
The strongest explanation centers on rising memory costs, particularly RAM. In comments on Weibo, leaker Digital Chat Station indicated that the RAM shortage issue is part of the discussion behind the decision.
At the same time, the leaker said the internal call appears to have been made long ago. That suggests the Ultra label was never meant to follow a simple every-generation release pattern.
The implication is that iQOO wants the Ultra name reserved for moments when the company can deliver a genuine technology jump. In that framing, Ultra becomes a special product category rather than a routine yearly upgrade.
What the leak means for the iQOO 16 lineup
If the report proves accurate, the iQOO 16 family could be narrower than some fans expected. The lineup may be limited to the standard iQOO 16, along with the iQOO 16R for India and the iQOO 16T for China.
That would leave no direct successor to iQOO’s most expensive and ambitious current device. It would also help the company keep pricing gaps between its models more manageable.
| Model | Reported Status | Market |
|---|---|---|
| iQOO 16 | Possible main model | Global markets |
| iQOO 16R | Possible variant | India |
| iQOO 16T | Possible variant | China |
| iQOO 16 Ultra | Reportedly paused | Not planned for the next cycle |
The context around iQOO 15 Ultra
When iQOO 15 Ultra launched in China, it carried a price of 5,699 Chinese yuan. That placed it in direct competition with premium flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Pro, and Vivo X300 Pro.
Its built-in cooling fan gave it a distinct identity in the market, but it also put the device in a segment where high pricing demands clear innovation. In that context, pausing the next Ultra model can be seen as a strategic reset rather than a full cancellation.
For now, iQOO has not issued any official statement on the matter. Since the report is based on a leak, the situation remains subject to confirmation from the company itself.
Even so, the direction is clear enough to raise expectations about how iQOO plans to use the Ultra label going forward. If the leak is correct, the badge will appear only when the company believes it has a major enough leap to justify it.