Realme 16 Pro Plus Review: The Portrait Master That Lasts All Day

The Realme 16 Pro Plus 5G price in India starts at Rs. 39,999 for the 8GB RAM, 128GB storage version. If you want more storage, the version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs Rs. 41,999. There is also a version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which costs Rs. 44,999. This phone is available in Master Gold, Master Grey, and India-exclusive Camellia Pink shades.

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The Realme 16 Pro Plus packs the following items inside the box:

• Phone
• 80W Charger
• Type C cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Protective cover
• Documentation

Before we talk in detail about the Realme 16 Pro Plus, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.8-inch AMOLED screen
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7750-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4 nm)
• RAM & ROM: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM
• Software: Android 16 Realme UI 7
• Rear camera: 200MP, 50MP, 8MP
• Selfie camera: 50MP
• Battery: 7000mAh
• Weight: 198 grams
• Dimensions: 162.5 x 76.3 x 8.1 mm or 8.5 mm

The Realme 16 Pro Plus is designed by Naoto Fukasawa. He is famous for his simple and nature-inspired designs. This phone has a continuous curved back panel, mid-frame, and screen for a flowing visual experience. Realme claims that industry-rare handcrafted full natural curves create a uniquely smooth and ergonomic feel.

I genuinely felt amazing after using it. It fits perfectly in one hand. Its body is also slim, with an ultra-thin 8.49mm (for the pink version, 8.09mm) and a lightweight body of 198 grams. Moreover, this phone has two variants: one is a matte finish, and the second is eco-friendly, skin-soft bio-based organic silicone.

The silicone back is made from renewable plant-based straw. This means it is created in an eco-friendly way. It is safe for your skin and good for the environment, showing true sustainable innovation.

During the Realme 16 Pro Plus review, I feel very soft because of a nice, leather-like texture, and it has a little stretch. I find it very comfortable to hold for long periods, and it doesn’t slip easily in my hands. One of the best things about it is that it does not age quickly, get dirty, or attract bacteria. It looks “like new” even after a lot of use.

Realme 16 Pro Plus comes with an IP68/IP69K rating for dust-tight and water-resistant performance. So, it can resist high-pressure water jets; immersible up to 2m for 30 min.

When discussing the ports, the right edge features a power button and a volume button. The top of the device includes an IR blaster, a secondary speaker, and a microphone. At the bottom, you will find a SIM tray, a Type-C port, a speaker strip, and another microphone.

The Realme 16 Pro Plus comes with a 200MP wide-angle, 50MP 3.5× periscope telephoto, and 8MP ultra-wide camera. Its 200MP sensor delivers excellent portraits, which is why Realme calls it the Portrait Master.

The phone also supports Vibe Master Mode with 21 customised colour tones, letting you instantly change the mood of your portraits for social media and festive shots.

The main camera uses the Samsung HP5 200MP sensor with OIS and full-pixel autofocus, ensuring every group photo, day or night, looks clear, bright, and full of detail.

Realme has added smart imaging tools, such as the HyperRAW Algorithm, which merges multiple high-resolution frames to improve clarity and low-light detail. The Anti-Distortion Algorithm also fixes edge stretching in wide group shots, so faces near the corners stay natural.

Features like AI Perfect Shot replace awkward expressions in group photos, while AI Ultra Clarity restores blurry images, making party and indoor shots more usable.

The 50MP 3.5× telephoto camera delivers strong portrait depth with hair-level bokeh using the ProDepth Bokeh Algorithm. It also supports 7× close-ups, 10× stage shots, and long-range zoom, making it ideal for events and concerts. The 8MP ultra-wide camera with a 115.5° field of view works well for landscapes and large group photos.

On the front, the 50MP selfie camera captures sharp, natural-looking selfies and performs well for video calls and vlogging.

For video, the phone supports 4K HDR recording across all focal lengths, with 4K 60fps on the main, telephoto, and even the front camera. MainTrack keeps the subject in focus while zooming, and 4K Motion Photo lets you turn clips into live photos or wallpapers.

Overall, the Realme 16 Pro Plus delivers one of the strongest camera setups in its segment for portrait, group, and content-creation photography.

The Realme 16 Pro Plus comes with a large 7000mAh battery. I got almost 11 hours of screen-on time with regular use, including social media, web browsing, video streaming, and some gaming, even with the 144Hz refresh rate enabled. But if you use it in a low-end setting, like a low Hz rate, downloaded movies, low brightness, and other settings, it can last up to 15 hours screen-on a single charge.

The device has a fast charging feature called 80W SuperVOOC. It comes with a charger in the box. This means it can charge the battery from 20% to 100% in less than an hour, about 47 minutes. There is also a special charging option for gamers. This feature sends power directly to the device’s main component while playing games, helping reduce heat and keep the battery healthy for longer.

The Realme 16 Pro Plus comes with a 6.8-inch AMOLED display. This phone also supports HDR10+, so you can watch high-quality videos on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube etc. It’s deep black, also excellent. I watched a night-themed movie and got black excellent.

Moreover, it has a 144Hz refresh rate for smooth display scrolling. But keep in mind that this is not a native 144Hz refresh rate; it’s a high refresh rate that only supports a few apps, and only those apps support a 120Hz refresh rate.

This phone has 600 nits (typ), 1800 nits (HBM), and 6500 nits (peak), and I used it in direct sunlight and got excellent visibility. To protect the display from damage, the phone has a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i-rated screen, which is durable against accidental damage.

Realme 16 Pro Plus comes with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm) chipset paired with LPDDR5X RAM. It delivers very smooth performance in daily use. I mostly used this phone to watch YouTube, scroll Instagram, edit photos, and play games like BGMI and Asphalt 9. During normal usage, the phone stayed fast and responsive, with no noticeable lag or frame drops. Even after long gaming sessions, it handled the heat well, with only slight warmth.

Realme has added its AirFlow VC cooling system, which uses a hardware-based vapour chamber with hot-cold air convection. This design quickly pulls heat away from the chipset, helping the phone stay stable during gaming, video recording, and heavy multitasking. I noticed that even after extended gameplay, the phone did not throttle or feel uncomfortable to hold.

The phone also uses LPDDR5X memory, which allows faster data access and smoother multitasking. Apps load quickly, switching between heavy apps feels seamless, and background apps stay active without frequent reloads. Overall, performance feels well-optimised for both casual users and gamers.

The Realme 16 Pro Plus runs on Realme UI 7.0, which brings a cleaner look and smoother animations. App opening and closing animations feel fluid, and scrolling through menus feels refined. The interface looks modern without feeling heavy or cluttered.

Realme has also added its Flux Engine, which improves system-level animation, touch response, and multitasking. During daily use, everything feels snappy, whether I’m switching apps, opening the camera, or browsing settings.

You also get a strong set of AI features. Tools like AI Edit Genie, AI LightMe, AI StyleMe, AI Instant Clip, AI Recording, and AI Translate make content creation, editing, and productivity much easier. Moreover, Google Gemini Live is integrated, allowing you to use the camera and voice to get real-time help, explanations, or translations.

Overall, Realme UI 7.0 feels fast, feature-rich, and well optimised, making the Realme 16 Pro Plus a smooth and enjoyable phone to use every day.