iQOO 16R tipped for India launch after BIS certification, with 10,000mAh battery rumoured

Tech company iQOO may soon launch a new smartphone in the Indian market. The upcoming 5G phone is likely to be launched as the iQOO 16R. It has recently received certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which has intensified talk of its arrival in India.

The company has not yet officially announced a launch date for the phone, nor has it revealed the device's name or features. The phone is said to be likely to launch in India in December, with sales starting in January 2027.

The BIS listing shows a new iQOO device with the model number "I2606". It was approved on November 11 under registration number R-93029700. The same model number had earlier been spotted in the IMEI database as the iQOO 16R. On the websites of Malaysia's SIRIM and Indonesia's SDPPI certification bodies, it appears as the iQOO 16s.

This has left it unclear whether the company will launch the phone in India as the iQOO 16R or the iQOO 16s. In some markets, the phone may also be offered as the iQOO 16s.

On features and specifications, the iQOO 16R is reportedly a rebranded version of the iQOO Z12 Turbo, which is to launch in China. It may have a 6.59-inch display, likely supporting a refresh rate of at least 165Hz. For performance, it may carry a Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Pro processor. The official name of the chipset has not yet been revealed.

The new device may also have a large battery of around 10,000mAh, and the company may include a built-in cooling fan. All these features are based on reports.