The mid-range smartphone market in 2026 is more cut-throat than ever. Brands are no longer competing solely on megapixel counts or raw specifications—they are battling for the title of the most reliable daily driver. With the launch of the Realme 16 Pro+ 5G, the company makes its ambitions clear: it wants to dominate the portrait photography segment.
By doubling down on camera hardware, premium materials, and long battery life, Realme has delivered a device that feels more mature and refined than many of its predecessors, even if it takes a conservative approach to performance hardware. After using the phone for nearly two weeks, here’s our detailed review.
Design and Display
Realme has built a reputation for bold design experiments, and the 16 Pro+ continues that legacy with its “Urban Wild” design philosophy. Developed in collaboration with renowned Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, the phone features an industry-first bio-based organic silicone back.
In daily use, this material feels exceptionally premium—soft to the touch, grippy in hand, and refreshingly resistant to fingerprints, a welcome departure from slippery glass-backed competitors. That said, the colour choice for the organic finish feels slightly underwhelming and could have benefited from more character.
On the front, the device sports a 6.8-inch HyperGlow 4D Curve+ AMOLED display. The aggressive curves may not be for everyone, but they are surprisingly comfortable to use. The 144Hz refresh rate ensures fluid scrolling and animations, while the claimed peak brightness of 6,500 nits guarantees excellent outdoor visibility. Overall, it’s a strong, immersive display that comfortably ranks among the best in its segment.
Camera
Photography is where the Realme 16 Pro+ truly shines. The headline-grabbing 200MP “LumaColor” main sensor sets the tone, but the real hero is the 50MP periscope telephoto lens offering 3.5x optical zoom.
Portrait shots stand out with sharp subject separation and a natural-looking bokeh that feels more optical than software-generated. Realme’s image processing does an impressive job of preserving accurate skin tones across different complexions, avoiding the overly smoothed look seen on many competitors.
While the 8MP ultra-wide camera is serviceable rather than exceptional, the main and telephoto sensors elevate the overall camera experience. In fact, the 16 Pro+ confidently positions itself among the best camera-focused smartphones in this price bracket, occasionally even matching devices that cost significantly more.
Performance
Performance is where the Realme 16 Pro+ takes a more cautious approach. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset—the same processor used in last year’s Realme 15 Pro.
Addressing concerns about pricing and hardware continuity, Realme India CMO Francis Wong explained that rising component costs across memory, imaging systems, and AI hardware have made price increases inevitable across the industry. According to Wong, system-level optimisation ensures the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 delivers consistent performance even on the base 8GB RAM variant.
In real-world usage, the chipset handles multitasking and gaming—such as Call of Duty: Mobile—without major hiccups. For everyday users, performance remains smooth and reliable. However, power users expecting a generational leap in processing power may feel underwhelmed. The phone performs well, but it doesn’t push boundaries or set new benchmarks at this price point.
Battery
Battery life is one of the phone’s biggest strengths. The 7,000mAh “Titan Battery” easily delivers two days of usage for moderate users. Even heavy users relying on 5G, gaming, and high brightness levels can comfortably finish a full day with 30–40% charge remaining.
When it’s time to recharge, the bundled 80W SuperVOOC charger fills the battery in just over an hour—a welcome inclusion at a time when many brands are removing chargers from the box.
Software and AI
The Realme 16 Pro+ runs Realme UI 7.0 based on Android 16. The experience is smooth and responsive, aided by the new Flux Animation Framework that makes transitions feel quick and fluid.
AI features powered by Gemini—such as AI Ultra Clarity and AI Instant Clip—are interesting but see limited day-to-day use. More practical additions like Circle to Search and Gemini Live prove genuinely helpful.
Unfortunately, persistent bloatware and lock-screen advertisements remain a sore point. Out of the box, the phone comes loaded with unnecessary apps and games that feel out of place on a nearly Rs 40,000 device. While most can be removed, their presence detracts from an otherwise polished software experience.
Verdict
The Realme 16 Pro+ 5G is a compelling, if slightly conflicted, smartphone. Its strengths are clear: a striking design, a brilliant display, exceptional battery life, and one of the best portrait camera systems in its segment.
The recycled processor and intrusive bloatware are frustrating compromises, but they don’t entirely overshadow the phone’s core appeal. If photography, battery endurance, and everyday reliability matter more to you than raw benchmark scores, the Realme 16 Pro+ remains a strong value proposition.
At Rs 39,999, it may not be perfect—but it is undeniably hard to ignore.
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