iQOO drops iQOO 15 Ultra model for India, focus shifts to iQOO 15R: Tipster confirms

The iQOO 15 Ultra India launch has been cancelled, with the flagship confirmed as a China-only model, according to a new leak. The iQOO 15 Ultra that is released in China with flagship gaming features will not reach India, confirms tipster Yogesh Brar. This will be a strategic move as iQOO will have another premium model to offer to the Indian market in a highly competitive flagship market. Tipster Yogesh Brar revealed that iQOO will not bring the iQOO 15 Ultra to India due to a revised market strategy.

iQOO 15 Ultra China launch

The iQOO 15 Ultra China launch took place on February 4, 2026, confirming its positioning as a gaming-focused premium flagship. The iQOO 15 Ultra was unveiled on February 4, 2026 with a starting price of CNY 5,699 (about Rs67,000) 12GB+256GB. It is powered with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 of up to 24GB LPDDR5X Ultra Pro RAM and 1TB UFS 4.1. The official iQOO 15 Ultra price in China starts at CNY 5,699, translating to roughly Rs67,000.

iQOO 15 Ultra specs

Key iQOO 15 Ultra specs include the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, up to 24GB RAM, 144Hz LTPO AMOLED display and active cooling fan. It has a 6.85-inch display with 2K LTPO AMOLED and 144Hz refresh rate and 8,000 nits maximum brightness powered by Samsung M14 luminous material. The gaming specs comprise haptic shoulder triggers, Q3 e-sports chip, 8,000 sq mm vapour chamber and active cooling fan with special vents.

The cameras will have triple 50MP rear sensors (IMX921 principal, IMX882 ultra-wide, periscope telephoto with OIS) and 32MP front, with a 8K30fps top resolution. It has a 7,400mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W of wired and 40W of wireless charging.

iQOO India strategy

This shift highlights iQOO India strategy to prioritise aggressive pricing over Ultra-tier hardware for Indian consumers.

Instead of the Ultra, iQOO is expected to introduce the iQOO 15R India launch later this month with flagship features at a lower price point. On X, Brar said that another model will substitute the Ultra in India, which may be rebranded or localised in order to compete with the OnePlus 15 and Galaxy S26. Rather, iQOO validates iQOO 15R on February 20, 2026 (some sources claim February 24) with Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, 200MP camera, 7,600mAh battery, 100W charging and a purported price of Rs45,999.

This will put iQOO in the position to appeal to value-conscious high-end customers in India and leave Ultra-tier specifications to China. The shift emphasises the adjustment to the local market conditions in which the price sensitivity is more important than full-maximum hardware. By limiting the iQOO 15 Ultra to China, the brand is clearly separating its Ultra and India-focused flagship lineups.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.