The iQOO Neo 12 now has an official launch date. iQOO will introduce the phone in China on October 28, with the event scheduled for 7 pm local time (4:30 pm IST), and the company says sales will open shortly afterwards. It has also revealed what the handset looks like and which colours it will come in.
Three Colour Options
The Neo 12 will be sold in three finishes, named Contest, Shadow Black and Frost Blade Blue in translation. The Shadow Black model actually has a silver appearance, and Frost Blade Blue sports a pale blue tone. The most eye-catching of the three is Contest, which gets a fresh textured rear panel that creates a flowing light effect.
iQOO partnered with the China Academy of Art on the phone's design.
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Design
Holding the phone together is a polished metal frame. The rear is dominated by a big square camera island with rounded corners, inside which two lenses are stacked vertically. The flash sits separately, just beside the island. The module also carries “Monster Inside” text and a round mesh grille alongside the cameras. On the right edge of the frame, iQOO has added exhaust vents.
Separately, pictures said to show the actual device in its Frost Blade Blue colour have surfaced on Weibo.
Performance and Cooling
Under the hood, the Neo 12 is officially confirmed to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, working alongside iQOO's own Q3 gaming chip. Heat is handled by an integrated cooling fan and the company's Ice Dome active cooling system. For gamers, this combination of a flagship processor, a dedicated gaming chip and active cooling is the Neo 12's main draw.
iQOO had also confirmed earlier this month that the phone will come with a 2K OLED screen supplied by Visionox, refreshing at 185Hz.
Battery
Battery and charging details are yet to be made official. Rumours suggest the phone will carry a 9,000mAh battery with 100W wired charging support.
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Availability
The Neo 12 is the successor to the iQOO Neo 11, which made its debut in October last year. Pre-bookings are already open in China on Vivo's official website.
India plans remain unclear. The Neo 11 skipped the Indian market, so the Neo 10 from 2025 is still the newest Neo phone sold here. While one tipster has said the Neo 12 will come to India, iQOO has not confirmed anything.
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