iQOO Neo 12 launches Oct 28 with a 9,000 mAh battery and a cooling fan

Vivo's gaming-focused sub-brand iQOO has set a date for its next performance phone. The iQOO Neo 12 launches in China on October 28 at 7 PM local time, and sales start right after the announcement, Notebookcheck reports. Pre-orders are already open in China, according to GSMArena. Here's what iQOO has confirmed so far.

1. A 9,000 mAh battery

The Neo 12 has a 9,000 mAh "Blue Ocean" battery, 20% more than the 7,500 mAh cell in the Neo 11. It is a single cell using iQOO's fifth-generation silicon-anode chemistry, with a rated energy density of 916 Wh/L. Wired charging is 100W.

2. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 plus a gaming chip

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 replaces the Snapdragon 8 Elite used in the Neo 11. iQOO pairs it with its own Q3 gaming chip and an updated "Monster Super Core Engine".

3. A real cooling fan

Unusually for a phone, the Neo 12 has an active cooling fan as part of its Ice Dome cooling system. It sits in the bottom-right corner of the square camera module. The Neo 11 had no fan. It's a timely addition, as Qualcomm is again denying overheating reports about its newest chips.

4. A 2K screen at 185Hz

The OLED display moves to 2K resolution and a 185Hz refresh rate, up from 144Hz. iQOO rates it at 2,200 nits full-screen peak brightness and lists a 1-nit sleep mode. Touch sampling reaches up to 5,000Hz instantaneous. iQOO says supported games can run at 2K and 185 fps with upscaling and frame interpolation on at the same time.

5. Design and colours

The phone has a polished metal frame and a square camera bump. It comes in three colours, which GSMArena translates as Fierce Edge, Shadow Black and Frost Blade Blue. Fierce Edge has a textured back that shifts with the light.

6. Price and global release: unknown

iQOO hasn't announced prices or said whether the Neo 12 will be sold outside China. We'll know more on October 28. For another huge-battery gaming phone, see the Honor Win RT 2 with 12,070 mAh.