iQOO 16 and Neo 12 leaks suggest refresh rates could climb as high as 185Hz

Fresh display leaks surrounding iQOO's future flagship and performance phones suggest the refresh-rate race is not slowing down. The iQOO 16 is tipped to use a 2K panel capable of reaching up to 165Hz, while the upcoming Neo 12 could push even further to approximately 185Hz depending on final configuration. Neither phone has been formally announced, so these numbers remain pre-release information rather than confirmed specifications.

Extremely high refresh rates make the most sense for competitive mobile games where reduced display latency can improve responsiveness, but there are significant practical limits. The processor needs to render corresponding frame rates, developers need to enable those modes, and power consumption can rise substantially. Cooling also becomes important because a phone that reaches 180 frames per second briefly but throttles after ten minutes offers little real advantage.

iQOO has built much of its reputation around performance, so using unusually fast displays would fit naturally with the brand. The company is currently preparing the Z11 for India tomorrow, meaning today's leaks give an early glimpse of how much further its higher-end devices may eventually push gaming-focused hardware.