In the Android tablet market, small high-performance models have long been the poor relation of the industry. While most manufacturers keep their best chips for screens larger than 12 inches, iQOO is breaking the mould by unveiling the iQOO Pad Ultra in China on 29 September 2026.
Unveiled alongside the brand’s new flagship, the iQOO 16 smartphone, this tablet shares the same 2 nm Qualcomm flagship platform and the in-house Q4 display chip. But the device goes much further in technical ambition: it combines an 8.8-inch 165 Hz OLED display, a 9,020 mAh battery in a body just 5.74 mm thick, and above all a genuine active cooling system with a built-in mechanical fan. Here is a tour of a device designed without compromise for gaming and productivity on the go.
A compact 8.8-inch body and a precise 165 Hz OLED panel
The first surprise of the iQOO Pad Ultra is its physical balance. Built around an all-metal unibody chassis in Star Armor Silver and End Shadow Black, the tablet measures 197.36 × 126.25 mm and is just 5.74 mm thick. On the scales, it weighs a featherlight 298 grams, which makes it easy to hold in both hands during long sessions. The rear camera block also features a light-up sight with dynamic RGB effects offering six lighting styles.
On the front, the display is an 8.8-inch AMOLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Thanks to FIAA ultra-thin bezel technology, the black borders are no wider than 2.65 mm, giving a 93.3% screen-to-body ratio.
Its display specifications push the standards of the category:
- 2.3K resolution: a 2,304 × 1,440-pixel panel with a density of 308 ppi.
- Competitive smoothness: a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz in games, with a response time under 1 ms.
- Bright display: 1,600 nits full-screen peak outdoors and a local peak of 4,500 nits on HDR content.
- Ultra-fast touch sampling: 120 Hz in everyday use, 500 Hz multi-finger in games and an instant rate of up to 5,000 Hz to eliminate latency when shooting or making critical moves.
- Colour accuracy and eye comfort: full coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space (1.07 billion colours, ΔE < 1), TÜV Rheinland certification for low blue light and SGS certification for flicker-free viewing.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 on 2 nm and the Q4 e-sports chip
To deliver an experience without slowdowns, the iQOO Pad Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 platform. Built on a 2 nm process, this eight-core chip peaks at a dizzying 5.0 GHz, backed by a GPU clocked at 1,450 MHz. Compared with the previous generation, Qualcomm claims a 13% jump in CPU performance with 37% better power efficiency, and a 44% increase in GPU performance with 40% better efficiency.
The processor is paired with quad-channel LPDDR5X memory (12 GB or 16 GB) and 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB of UFS 4.1 storage.
To relieve the main processor under heavy graphics loads, iQOO adds its in-house Q4 coprocessor. This dedicated display chip runs ray tracing, 2K super resolution and frame interpolation up to 165 frames per second at the same time. The QNSS algorithm makes it possible to play with ray tracing in 2K at 165 fps in tactical shooters or at 120 fps in open-world action games. The in-house Monster Super Core Engine allocates resources in real time to keep the frame rate steady.
Ice Dome cooling: the secret of the active mechanical fan
Sustaining such clock speeds in a 5.74 mm body without thermal throttling is usually impossible. To overcome this physical barrier, iQOO developed the five-layer Ice Dome air cooling system.
The tablet features an ultra-flat active mechanical fan measuring 30 × 30 × 3.5 mm, capable of moving 0.94 CFM of air. It draws air through two intakes (on the front and the sides) and offers three adjustable modes: Low Noise, Smart and Max Speed.
The fan works with a huge passive system covering a total of 23,253 mm² of thermal surface:
- An upper vapour chamber (VC) of 2,303 mm².
- A lower vapour chamber of 9,815 mm².
- A copper block placed directly on the processor.
- High-conductivity copper fins of 1,661 mm².
- A graphite sheet of 9,474 mm².
In a test run by the brand — one hour of a shooter at 165 fps, while live streaming and charging —, the tablet held an average of 164.3 frames per second, without the chassis temperature exceeding 41.3 °C.
A handheld console built to run PC games
The iQOO Pad Ultra is not limited to Android mobile games. Through an update, the device will receive an in-house PC emulator that lets you sign in directly to your Steam account to run AAA titles locally. It also supports direct streaming from a PC via the UU Remote app and cloud gaming via Tencent START.
To turn the tablet into a proper ergonomic console, the brand has designed two dedicated accessories (sold separately):
- The iQOO G1 telescopic controller, which clamps around the screen to provide precise physical controls.
- A double-sided magnetic clip kit with detachable ergonomic grips, to make long sessions more comfortable.
Immersion is enhanced by a dual X-axis linear motor system providing distinct 4D haptic feedback on the left and right, a drift-free 500 Hz high-frequency gyroscope for aiming, and symmetrical ultra-linear stereo speakers driven by the Super Audio 8.0 algorithm.
9,020 mAh Blue Ocean battery and direct power supply
Despite its sub-6 mm profile, the device houses a 9,020 mAh Blue Ocean battery (8,830 mAh rated). This feat relies on a fourth-generation silicon anode and second-generation semi-solid technology, for an energy density of 837 Wh/L; it is designed to last 1,200 charge cycles.
The brand claims up to 29 hours of offline video playback, 25 hours of short-video viewing and more than 10 hours of continuous MOBA gaming at 60 fps.
Wired charging runs at 66 W, with the charger included, via the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port. Even better for heavy gamers: the tablet features direct power supply 2.0 (bypass charging). When enabled, power goes straight to the components without passing through the battery, which limits heat and spares the battery during long sessions.
On the software side, the device runs OriginOS 7 HD. The system introduces the Atomic Workbench, which displays up to five apps at once, PC-level WPS office tools, 4K CapCut Pro editing tools and instant transfer by simply tapping a compatible smartphone against the screen.
iQOO Pad Ultra spec sheet
| Component | Official specifications |
|---|---|
| Display | 8.8-inch AMOLED 2.3K (2,304 × 1,440 px), 16:10 aspect ratio, 308 ppi |
| Display performance | 165 Hz in games, 500 Hz touch (5,000 Hz peak), 1,600 nits HBM, 4,500 nits HDR peak |
| Bezels | FIAA 2.65 mm, 93.3% screen-to-body ratio |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (TSMC 2 nm, 5.0 GHz) |
| Secondary chip | iQOO Q4 e-sports coprocessor (ray tracing, 2K super resolution, 165 fps) |
| Cooling | 30×30×3.5 mm active mechanical fan (0.94 CFM) + dual VC (23,253 mm² in total) |
| Memory (RAM) | 12 GB or 16 GB LPDDR5X (quad-channel) |
| Storage | 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB UFS 4.1 |
| Battery | 9,020 mAh (8,830 mAh rated), silicon anode, semi-solid, 837 Wh/L |
| Charging | 66 W wired (charger included), bypass charging |
| Cameras | 13 MP rear (4K video) · 8 MP front |
| Audio & haptics | Symmetrical stereo speakers, 2 X-axis linear motors (4D vibration) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, dual-band Wi-Fi with signal booster chip |
| Dimensions & weight | 197.36 × 126.25 × 5.74 mm · 298 grams (metal unibody) |
| Software | OriginOS 7 HD (5-window multitasking, built-in Steam PC emulator) |
| Colours | Star Armor Silver, End Shadow Black |
| Price in China | 6,499 to 8,999 yuan (around €845 to €1,170) |
| Release | On sale in China from 15 October 2026 |
Price and availability: China only for now
The iQOO Pad Ultra goes on sale in China on 15 October 2026. Euro conversions are indicative, at the current exchange rate and excluding import taxes:
- 12 GB + 256 GB: 6,499 yuan (around €845), with a launch price of 5,999 yuan (around €780), brought down to 5,499 yuan with the Chinese state subsidy.
- 16 GB + 256 GB: 7,199 yuan (around €935).
- 16 GB + 512 GB: 7,999 yuan (around €1,040).
- 16 GB + 1 TB: 8,999 yuan (around €1,170).
At PhoneDroid, we sell global versions. So far, iQOO has not announced any plans for an international release of the iQOO Pad Ultra: we will follow the announcement of a possible global version.
In summary
With its 8.8-inch 165 Hz OLED display, the sheer power of its 2 nm chip, its built-in mechanical fan and its 9,020 mAh battery in less than 6 millimetres, the iQOO Pad Ultra redefines the limits of the portable gaming tablet. It shows that a small format can take the chip of the fastest smartphones of the moment, with the cooling to match.
In the meantime, browse our tablets and Vivo smartphones in stock.
