Realme 16 Pro+ review: an excellent surprise

Design, screen and audio

For its 16 Pro+, Realme entrusted the design to Naoto Fukasawa, already at the helm of certain other of its models (X, X2 Pro, GT and GT2 Pro). The Japanese designer focused on textures for a warm tactile sensation. This involves in particular a back in “ organic silicone made from renewable vegetable straw ”, which under the finger looks like a mix between silicone and cork. It’s different, pleasant in the hand, doesn’t get fingerprints and resists scratches. However, it is difficult to predict how this texture will age. There have been many attempts in this genre, with a leather, textile or other effect, which looked sophisticated before looking like a used mop a year later. Let’s still highlight the brand’s attention to durability: with IP69K certification and a Gorilla Glass 7i screen coating, the Realme 16 Pro+ seems prepared for all the unexpected.

Apart from that, we remain in line with previous models. It takes a format seen and reviewed with a shiny frame connecting the back and the slightly curved screen. However, this does not allow Realme to remove the borders, we remain in the mid-range. Its thickness is average (8.49 mm), as is its weight (203 g). The buttons are easy to access and only the fingerprint sensor located under the screen is a little low, but this is a habit on smartphones from the BBK group (Oppo, Realme, OnePlus), and you get used to it quickly.

On the front, the 6.8-inch Amoled screen displays a definition of 1280 x 2800 pixels and goes up to 144 Hz according to the technical sheet, although we never exceeded 120 Hz during this test. Note also that with the default setting, certain applications such as Bluesky are restricted to 60 Hz, which is annoying for an app that relies mainly on scrolling. If this bothers you, it is advisable to change the screen refresh rate to “high” in the settings to force this setting. What really stands out about this screen is its brightness. Realme does not communicate all the details, but announces a peak at 6500 nits. For comparison, a Nothing Phone (4a) is 4500. In other words, you will more often want to lower the brightness of your screen than to raise it. It is even possible to adjust the minimum brightness of the screen if you find it too bright.

The audio part is provided by a duo of stereo speakers. If they highlight the voices, which makes it possible to listen to podcasts or YouTube videos properly, we feel compression and saturation of less central frequencies, even at low volume. The result is generally messy and lacks depth. For occasional use, why not, but not to get carried away with the wild riffs of your favorite group. For this, turn to earphones or headphones instead.

Android 16, performance and autonomy

The software part of the Realme 16 Pro+ is provided by Android 16 with the January security update, which represents two months late at the time of writing, which is average outside of the big brands. This version is enhanced by the Realme UI 7 interface, very close to Oppo’s Color OS. The ecosystem is colorful, highly customizable and with some always appreciable functions, such as the numerous shortcut gestures (special mention for the flashlight which can be launched by shaking your phone twice), the large folders on the home page, the equivalent of Apple’s Dynamic Island or the categorization of applications in the drawer.

The first start, however, will require a little spring cleaning (that’s good, it’s the season) in order to delete the few duplicate applications with those of Google, as well as the sponsored applications (Temu, TikTok, Netflix, LinkedIn, AliExpress, Booking, Amazon, Block Blast, Spotify, etc.). To this, Realme also adds AI functions for writing, translation, and even assistance in certain games (only three at present: Mobile Legend, PUBG Mobile and BGMI). A troubleshooting LLM, whose ergonomics would benefit from being improved.

Menu navigation is smooth and intuitive. Realme does not stray from the beaten path and relies on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 coupled with 8 or 12 GB of RAM to liven up the system. This is a slightly more powerful chip than the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 found on board the Nothing Phone (4a), standing out in particular for its more powerful GPU. A wise choice that allows the Realme 16 Pro+ to launch games such as Genshin Impact by pushing the graphics settings to the maximum without suffering. Even Fortnitealthough very demanding, manages to run between 40 and 60 FPS at high.

The fact that it is a 7 series also means that it is a chip designed for endurance. Coupled with a 6500 mAh battery, you can consider going on a weekend without your charger. Obviously, this always depends on your uses; If you spend your time filming in 4K, you will see your battery percentage drop dramatically. Unlike the Indian version which benefits from 80W charging, the European model is still limited to 45W, which is good, but not exceptional.

Note also that Realme announces five years of Android updates and six security updates. He’s not the best student in the subject, but he’s already very honorable.

Camera and video

The photo component is predominant in brand communication. The Realme 16 Pro+ is sold as “ the best mid-range optical combo ”, and indeed, he is very well put together. The main camera is based on a 200 Mpx sensor (Samsung HP5, 1/1.56″), with an aperture of f/1.8 and optical stabilization. The x3.5 telephoto camera has a 50 Mpx sensor, with an f/2.8 lens, always stabilized. Only the ultra-wide-angle is behind (it is often the poor relation on smartphones) with a sensor of only 8 Mpx and without stabilization.

In addition to this indeed very well equipped optical configuration, the software processing is also up to the task. If he tends to make certain shots hotter than reality, he stylishly highlights the subject. Even more than the main sensor, the telephoto camera performs wonders at 80 mm (x3.5) and remains more than correct at 228 mm (x10) despite an AI interpretation that is sometimes far too obvious. Succeeding in capturing every fold of the tarpaulin on a concert stage while standing on the opposite side of the room is not within the reach of all devices. In comparison, the OnePlus 15R, for example, completely lacks a telephoto lens despite its higher price.

The portrait mode is also of good quality, especially on the 80 mm focal length which once again displays all its mastery here. The bokeh is soft and well defined, bringing out the subject clearly while maintaining different shot values ​​well marked. Realme is also adding AI-assisted framing assistance for those who want it. The scene is analyzed, then reframed and advice is displayed on the screen. The result is not always perfect, but if photography is not your strong point, this help is always welcome in order to improve your framing and take advantage of the great versatility offered by this 16 Pro+. Note, however, that an internet connection is required, which suggests that the processing is not carried out locally on the phone.

Since we’re talking about AI, the gallery offers many editing tools, such as recomposition, magic eraser, or even removing reflections. These tools work very well, particularly the one for removing reflections, which is still not very common in big 2026.

The front camera is based on a 50 Mpx sensor (OV50D, 1/2.88″) with an f/2.4 lens. The result is precise. Even in low light, it avoids falling into the usual pitfalls and performs wonderfully.

On the video side, the Realme 16 Pro+ films in 4K at 60 FPS maximum. Even in 1080p or 720p, it does not offer to go higher in order to produce slow motion videos. Damage. Despite this, it does very well, especially with very responsive focusing. Be careful though if you change focal length during the video, the telephoto lens does not have the same colorimetry as the main one.