“Our Most Complete Flagship Yet”: Nipun Marya on iQOO 16

If there's one thing I've come to associate with iQOO smartphones over the years, it's performance. The brand has built quite a reputation for delivering powerful hardware, particularly among people who love gaming on their phones. I've had the opportunity to test several iQOO devices over the years, and while performance has rarely been a concern, I've also noticed the company gradually paying more attention to other aspects of the smartphone experience. The iQOO 15 was a good example of that, and from what I've seen so far, the upcoming iQOO 16 seems ready to take things a step further.

I recently had the chance to spend time with the iQOO 16 and catch up with iQOO CEO Nipun Marya on the sidelines of Indian Mobile Congress 2026 (IMC) to learn what the company has planned for its next flagship.

While there's plenty to look forward to on the performance front, our conversation quickly moved beyond chipsets and gaming. From a refreshed design and camera improvements to OriginOS 7 and a new display, iQOO seems determined to make its next flagship appeal to a much wider audience. And if there's one thing Nipun wanted to make clear throughout our conversation, it's that the iQOO 16 is about much more than just gaming.

More Than Just a Gaming Phone

For years, iQOO has been a familiar name among smartphone enthusiasts who prioritize performance. Whether it's the latest Snapdragon chipset or dedicated gaming hardware, the company has consistently made performance a major selling point of its flagship devices. However, with the iQOO 16, Nipun believes it's time to look at the bigger picture.

"Fundamentally, the iQOO 16 will be the most complete flagship from iQOO ever. Whether it's the cameras, OriginOS 7, or, of course, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, I think you will not find a phone as complete as the iQOO 16," Nipun explained.

On the hardware front, the iQOO 16 certainly has plenty to talk about. The phone made its debut in China with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, a 2nm chipset, alongside iQOO's dedicated Q4 gaming chip. There's also a 6.85-inch 2K AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate, which is particularly interesting for a brand that has always placed considerable emphasis on gaming.

The battery is another area where the specifications have taken a considerable leap. The Chinese model packs an 8,400mAh battery with 100W wired and 40W wireless charging. It's a combination that makes sense for a performance-focused smartphone, especially when you consider how demanding gaming and other intensive tasks can be.

But what's interesting is that iQOO doesn't want these specifications to define the entire experience. With OriginOS 7 based on Android 17 also entering the picture, Nipun believes the iQOO 16 has more to offer than its gaming capabilities alone.

"Gaming is one aspect that's going to be there, but the most important thing is the complete flagship experience," he explained.

And that's an interesting direction for iQOO. Performance has already helped the brand establish itself among enthusiasts, but the company's growing attention to software, cameras, and everyday usability could make the iQOO 16 appealing to people who don't necessarily spend hours gaming on their phones.

A Little Personality Goes a Long Way

One thing that immediately caught my attention when I picked up the iQOO 16 was its design. I've always associated iQOO's flagship smartphones with bold styling, particularly because of the brand's gaming roots. However, the iQOO 16 seems to take a slightly different approach. The overall design feels relatively understated, but there's an interesting pattern on the back that becomes much more noticeable when light hits it from different angles.

I actually pointed this out to Nipun during our interaction. It's the kind of detail that's easy to overlook in photographs but becomes much more interesting when you see the phone in person. And as it turns out, that contrast between simplicity and personality was very much intentional.

"Consumer tastes are evolving. We wanted to give a subtle feeling, yet a tech feeling, and that is what you see," Nipun explained.

He went on to describe how the finish changes depending on how you're looking at the phone.

"If you see this phone normally, it's maybe just silver. But the moment you hold it in your hand and look at it from various angles, there's an element of surprise, an element of intrigue," he said.

I also had a chance to look at the second color option, which has a darker purple finish that can appear almost blue under certain lighting. It's a noticeably different look from the more expressive silver variant, and I appreciate that iQOO is offering two distinct approaches rather than simply changing the color.

Nipun believes the design is also about giving the smartphone a character of its own.

"We wanted to build an element of surprise and intrigue into the phone. When you carry it, it still looks very simple, but it also says a little about your personality," he explained.

And I can see what he means. The iQOO 16 doesn't necessarily need an overly aggressive gaming-inspired design to appeal to enthusiasts. Sometimes, a small visual detail that reveals itself when you pick up the phone can be just as interesting. It's a refreshing direction for iQOO, and one that fits rather nicely with Nipun's broader ambition of making the iQOO 16 appealing beyond its traditional gaming audience.

There's More to the iQOO 16 Than Meets the Eye

Beyond the refreshed design, another aspect of the iQOO 16 that’s worth talking about is the display. The phone features a 2K AMOLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, which is an interesting combination for a smartphone that places considerable emphasis on performance. While a high refresh rate is particularly appealing for gaming, it can also make everyday interactions, from scrolling through apps to navigating the interface, feel more responsive.

When I asked Nipun about the display, he seemed particularly enthusiastic about it.

"It's an awesome, awesome display. It's the M16 2K 165Hz panel. More details we'll reveal in the upcoming days, but it's possibly the best display any smartphone can have," he said.

That's certainly a bold assessment, although we'll have to spend more time with the device to see how the panel performs in everyday conditions.

There are also a few things iQOO is keeping under wraps. During our conversation, I tried getting Nipun to reveal more about the AI features, India-specific OriginOS 7 customizations, and software support. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready to share those details just yet, so we'll have to wait for the company's upcoming announcements.

Before wrapping up, I also asked him what existing iQOO users should look forward to if they're considering an upgrade. His response brought us back to something he had emphasized throughout our conversation.

"If you're a techie, if you understand technology, if you're passionate about tech, then I think this is the fun thing," Nipun said, describing the iQOO 16 as a device aimed at smartphone enthusiasts.

And perhaps that's what makes the iQOO 16 particularly interesting. iQOO isn't abandoning the performance-focused identity that helped it build a loyal following. Instead, the company is looking to complement that foundation with greater attention to cameras, software, display technology, and design.

Having spent some time with the device and spoken to Nipun about the thinking behind it, I'm looking forward to seeing how everything comes together when the iQOO 16 officially arrives in India. And if the company's previous launch timelines are anything to go by, we might not have to wait too long.