Realme 16 Pro+ review

Introduction and specs

The Plus is back. After a short break during the Realme 15 series launch, the Pro+ model is back in the mix, retaking the top-end position in the family. So in a way, you could say that the Realme 16 Pro+ is the direct successor to the Realme 15 Pro.

And even though the 16 Pro+ launches less than half a year after the 15 Pro, there are a couple of notable upgrades that make the generational upgrade worthwhile.

With Realme 16 Pro+, the company has mainly focused on the camera experience. Aside from all the software tricks, optimizations and features, the hardware is what makes the camera performance much better.

The main 50MP sensor is replaced with a 200MP shooter from Samsung and it's joined by a 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto cam alongside the ultrawide unit.

Realme 16 Pro+ specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.5x76.3x8.1mm, 198g; Glass front, aluminum frame, plastic back or silicone polymer back (eco leather); IP68/IP69K dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 2m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.80" AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 4608Hz PWM, 600 nits (typ), 1800 nits (HBM), 6500 nits (peak), 1280x2800px resolution, 19.69:9 aspect ratio, 453ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7750-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-720 & 4x2.4 GHz Cortex-720 & 3x1.8 GHz Cortex-520); Adreno 722.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 16, up to 5 (EU) / 3 (IN) major Android upgrades, Realme UI 7.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 200 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/1.56", 0.5µm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.8, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, 116˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm, AF.
• Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.4, 23mm (wide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120fps, HDR, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR.
• Battery: 7000mAh; 80W wired, 55W PPS, 13.5W PD/QC, Reverse wired, Bypass Charging.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM (market-dependent); Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4, aptX HD, LHDC 5; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

Another significant change to this year's model is the design. Once again, Realme partnered with Naoto Fukasawa, a renowned designer from Japan, to design the new handset. Previously, the manufacturer worked with Fukasawa on the Realme GT Master Edition with its "Suitcase Design" and the GT 2 Pro Master Edition with the "Paper Design".

The rest of the specs page, however, remains largely unchanged from the 15 Pro. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is still at the helm, and it's built around the same 6.8-inch OLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate. Battery remains 7,000 mAh with 80W SuperVOOC fast charging.

The smartphone landscape changes drastically every few months, though, so the Realme 16 Pro+ will likely face different challengers later in 2026, but for the time being, it will compete with roughly the same rivals as the Realme 15 Pro.

Unboxing the Realme 16 Pro+

The Realme 16 Pro+ came in a standard retail box, containing the usual user manuals, a USB-A to USB-C cable for data transfer and charging, as well as the compatible SuperVOOC 80W charger itself. That's likely because we received the Indian version of the device and if the phone ever comes to Europe, it will likely skip the charger inside the box.

The retail box also contains a transparent silicone protective case.