iQOO’s upcoming phone with 9,000mAh battery and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 confirmed to launch on October 28

iQOO has confirmed that the Neo 12 will launch in China on October 28 at 7 PM local time. The company says sales will begin immediately after the announcement, giving buyers access to the phone on the same evening it is unveiled.

The launch date comes a week after iQOO and its Neo series product manager used Weibo to officially confirm the phone’s battery, chipset, and display. A 9,000mAh Blue Ocean battery powers the Neo 12, up 20% from the 7,500mAh cell inside its predecessor. iQOO uses a single-cell design built on its fifth-generation silicon-anode technology, and the battery carries an energy density rating of 916Wh/L. The phone supports 100W wired charging.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 sits at the center of the device, replacing the Snapdragon 8 Elite used in the Neo 11. iQOO pairs the chipset with its self-developed Q3 gaming chip and an updated Monster Super Core Engine. The Neo 12 also adds an active cooling fan as part of the company’s Ice Dome cooling system, a component the Neo 11 did not have.

The display moves to 2K resolution with a 185Hz refresh rate, up from the 144Hz panel on the previous model. It uses pTSF OLED light-emitting technology, and iQOO’s Neo series product manager said on Weibo that the company worked with Visionox and Tsinghua University on new light-emitting materials intended to improve clarity and reduce power consumption. iQOO rates the screen at 2,200 nits of full-screen peak brightness and lists XDR dynamic range enhancement, circular polarization, and a 1-nit sleep screen among its features.

Touch input runs through the same touch chip found in the iQOO 16, with instant touch sampling of up to 5,000Hz and multi-touch sampling of up to 500Hz. iQOO claims supported titles can run at 2K resolution and 185 frames per second while super-resolution and frame interpolation operate at the same time. Gizmochina reports that more than 50 games are expected to run natively at 185fps on the phone, alongside support for full-scene ray tracing and iQOO’s Q-Flex controls.

iQOO has also previewed the phone’s exterior. A new finish called Zhengfeng uses a dynamic texture that creates a flowing light effect as the viewing angle changes, and the company worked with the China Academy of Art on a new colorway. The rear houses a square camera module, while a metal frame runs around the sides.

iQOO has not announced pricing for the Neo 12 or said whether the phone will reach markets outside China.

Antony Muchiri - Tech Writer - 407 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025

I’ve been obsessed with tech for as long as I can remember, so much so that I’ve become the unofficial "tech support" for my entire family. Whether it’s fixing gadgets, explaining specs, or recommending the best buys, I love breaking down tech for everyday people. That passion led me to writing about tech. When I’m not testing gadgets or writing reviews, you’ll probably find me hiking or doom-scrolling car listings (still hunting for my first ride, wish me luck, lol).