We’ve barely crossed the 6-month mark, and already realme is back again to launch a new Number Series. Just like before, the series comprises three models: the base realme 16 5G, the mid-range realme 16 Pro 5G, and the flagship that we’re reviewing today, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G.
Before we dive right into it, I’d just like to say how confused I am with realme’s Number Series. It seems like they have a habit of rearranging the naming scheme every year. Last year, we had the 15T 5G as the base version, then came the 15 5G, and to close it all off, the 15 Pro 5G. Now they’re bringing back the old structure, leaving the T version nowhere to be found.
But unlike the naming scheme, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G isn’t difficult to understand. It makes no mistakes in giving you the reasons why it’s the “Portrait Master” and why people keep coming back to the realme brand.
So, without further ado, let’s see what the realme 16 Pro+ 5G has to offer.
What’s in the Box?
Unlike past models, which used the iconic yellow realme box, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G deviates from that tradition by using an all-silver minimalist box, a first in realme’s history. Sure, we had the black box with the realme GT 7, but that’s about it.
Going back to the box itself, the experience is pretty straightforward. Lift the top part and you’ll be greeted with a white box that says, “Make it real.” Inside, you’ll find the clear plastic case, the quick start guide, and the safety information.
Lifting that up will reveal the phone itself, and then lastly, at the bottom of the box, you’ll find the 80W SUPERVOOC charging brick, a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, and the SIM ejector tool tucked in its tiny spot between the cable and the brick.
Urban Wild Design for the Urban Jungle
If there’s ever an aspect other than the camera where realme has always been known for, it would probably be the design. And for this year’s model, the company went all out, partnering with the world-renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa to create the “Urban Wild Design.
realme made it easier to choose a colorway because there’s only one, the Master Gold colorway, which not only applies to the back panel color but also to the metallic mid-frame. Speaking of the back panel, the main thing that stood out for me is how grippy it is. The feel in the hand is very similar to premium genuine leather, but it’s actually made from an industry-first bio-based organic silicone.
Although we’re not sure how the organic silicone backing behaves against stains and smudges, especially with the lighter color, another one of my concerns is the metallic mid-frame. While there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s durable, the mirror-like finish makes it highly prone to scratches and smudges. Thankfully, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G comes with a clear case that won’t hide the beautiful design.
Aside from the leather-like backing, another reason why it’s so comfortable to hold is because of how thin and light it is. Despite the large display and large battery (which we’ll talk more about later), the realme 16 Pro+ 5G only measures 8.49mm thin and weighs just 203 g in a package that’s void of any sharp edges.
The whole aesthetic centers around the Metal Mirror Camera Deco, the stainless-steel finish that houses the camera modules. It’s definitely a new look for the series.
A Brighter View
Have you noticed recently how bright and hot the sun gets, especially during the afternoon? Heck, even phones with high brightness modes still struggle with visibility. That’s no longer the case with the realme 16 Pro+ 5G’s 6,500 nits peak brightness. Think about that for a second, 6,500 nits!
Visibility will no longer be an issue, especially with a display as big as 6.8-inches. You might be thinking, “6.8-inches? That’s quite big!” because it is, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. That’s because the realme 16 Pro+ 5G boasts a 94% screen-to-body ratio, meaning that while the size of the screen is big, the footprint stays portable.
As you would expect from a phone maker like realme, visuals remain top notch thanks to a HyperGlow Curve+ AMOLED 1.5K display with support for an adaptive 144Hz refresh rate. Whether you’re watching movies or gaming on your phone, every swipe, click, and scene feels smooth and immersive.
The Portrait Master at Work
We’ll switch it up a bit and talk about the camera performance of the realme 16 Pro+ 5G. The “Pro+” moniker isn’t just there to serve as an identifier of which phone is the best, it’s called that because the realme 16 Pro+ 5G has a triple camera setup, headlined by a 200MP Multi-focal LumaColor Camera System.
nd because realme markets the 16 Pro+ 5G as the “Portrait Master,” they’ve teamed up with TÜV Rheinland to develop that system to focus on natural skin tones and balanced lighting.
Aside from the 200MP main sensor, there’s also a 50MP 3.5x telephoto lens for those long-distance shots or those compressed portraits that make the background appear closer and larger while flattering the subject’s face. For ultra-wide shots, you have an 8MP sensor.
Last but not least, the 50MP front camera should get you through your daily social media selfies. Both the front and the rear support 4K video recording at 60fps, which is quite rare in this segment.
Next-Level AI Features
The camera hardware on the realme 16 Pro+ 5G is already impressive, but the company didn’t stop there. Instead, they’ve introduced the NEXT AI editing suite that elevates your photos to even greater heights.
There’s actually a ton of AI features baked into realme UI 7.0 (based on Android 16), but we’ll instead focus on these three: AI Edit Genie 2.0, AI Instant Clip, and Portrait Glow.
AI Edit Genie 2.0
- AI LightMe – With AI LightMe, users can emphasize their subjects even more by using AI to create or pull sources of light in various ways like random light, spotlight, party neon, and window shadow.
- AI StyleMe – Ever wanted to reimagine your photo in a season other than the two we have here? Well, with AI StyleMe, you can choose whether it’s Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter. There are also three additional options: Cartoon Shot, 3D Emoji, and Modeling Photoshoot.
- AI Inspiration – AI Inspiration draws from the shot itself, bringing out its full potential by automatically adjusting it based on what it needs. You can also describe the look you’re going for so that AI can adjust accordingly.
AI Instant Clip – With the help of AI, you can churn out your very own short reel from multiple photos and videos, stylized with 18 video templates, all within just a few seconds.
AI Portrait Glow – If you’ve ever used Adobe Lightroom, then you’ll probably be familiar with this feature. But for those who don’t, essentially what it does is isolate the subject and adjust the lighting, or in this case, the glow of the subject.
Performance in Focus
Under the hood of the realme 16 Pro+ 5G is the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 found in last year’s model. Alright, I get that it’s a bit disappointing, especially because this year’s model is called the “Pro+,” but it’s not like the SD 7 Gen 4 doesn’t put up “Pro+” numbers.
Instead, think of it like last year’s model was the testing ground, and now that the kinks have been sorted out, it’s ready to reach its full potential, meaning no more bugs and issues.
And it’s not like realme just slapped on the same chip and called it a day, they still made some improvements, not just to the chip itself. Those improvements come in the form of the Airflow Vapor Chamber Cooling System, which allows the chip to perform without fear of thermal throttling.
Alongside the SD 7 Gen 4 chipset are 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, expandable to 26GB via Dynamic RAM Expansion, and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage for faster multitasking.
To put that to the test, we ran our usual suite of benchmarks on the realme 16 Pro+ 5G, and here are the results:
- AnTuTu Benchmark V11 – 1,412,797
- GeekBench 6 CPU – Single-Core: 1353 | Multi-Core: 4203
- GeekBench GPU – 4,765
- PCMark Work 3.0 Performance – 15,397
Of course, synthetic benchmarks are only one side of the story, real-world usage is another, which is why we also ran Mobile Legends: BangBang, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Genshin Impact to test how it performs.
Even in the most demanding titles like Genshin Impact, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G ran flawlessly, even better if you turn on GT Mode through the phone’s GT Boost toolbar. The phone gets warm but not hot.
And speaking of the GT Boost toolbar, this is also where you can customize graphics quality, touch response, network optimization, and a lot more to enhance your gameplay.
Walking the Talk
What keeps the lights on in the realme 16 Pro+ 5G is a 7,000 mAh battery, which realme claims can last two days on a single charge. Speaking of charging, it supports 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging, which also comes included in the box. Charging the massive 7,000 mAh battery from 0 to 100% only takes about an hour.
Going back to realme’s claims, we ran our own benchmark just to see if the realme 16 Pro+ 5G truly lasts that long. We’re happy to say that with the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Test, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G was able to last 24 hours and 35 minutes. The benchmark ran for more than 24 hours straight, imagine what it can do with more realistic usage.
More Than Just a Pretty Face
Aside from looking and feeling like a million bucks, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G can still go toe-to-toe with the most rugged phones. That’s because within the posh exterior lies a quad-IP rating (IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K) that protects it from dust and high temperature, high-pressure water.
Meanwhile, the display remains protected by last year’s Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which can survive falls from up to one meter on rough surfaces like asphalt. It’s also twice as scratch-resistant than those made from aluminosilicate glass.
Final Thoughts
Despite not waiting for a year before releasing a follow-up, realme still managed to exceed expectations and create an entirely different smartphone from the one we took a first look at just a few months ago.
The changes go deeper than just a face lift, although truth be told, the design itself is more than enough reason to upgrade to the realme 16 Pro+ 5G. But for me, I think the star of the show is the camera system that does the “Portrait Master” nickname justice, with the design trailing second, and the battery rounding out the top three.
But whatever your reasons are, the realme 16 Pro+ 5G is definitely one of the best mid-range camera phones to have right now.