An IDC report says the smartphone market is expected to decline by 0.9% in 2026, in part due to memory shortages and surging component prices. According to IDC, the average smartphone selling price is expected to rise to $465 in 2026, up from $457 in 2025.
Memory and other component price fluctuations aren’t new. But the ongoing memory price surge is set to cause an upheaval, with entry-level and budget-friendly Android smartphones likely to bear the brunt of the fallout. Memory prices are likely to rise 30% this quarter, and another 20% more early next year, on top of 50% price increases we’ve already seen this year, according to Counterpoint Research.
DRAM Price Scenario (DDR5 64GB RDIMM)
In markets where affordability and value are key factors behind smartphone purchase decisions, any unexpected price increases can have a significant impact. Which is why smartphone manufacturers are turning their focus to value, offering the most bang for your buck with your next buy.
And with segment-leading camera hardware and features, impressive performance, fantastic battery life, and a gorgeous design, the realme 16 Pro series is all set to be the value pick in 2026. Here’s what you need to know.
The realme 16 Pro series takes your smartphone camera experience to the next level
The only one with a 200MP + 3.5x Periscope camera in its segment
With its segment-defining 200MP LumaColor Camera, the realme 16 Pro series delivers crisp, clear, detailed, and color-rich photos and videos, no matter the lighting conditions or where you are.
Featuring the flagship 200MP Samsung HP5 sensor, you get ultra-high light intake, high dynamic range, full-pixel auto zoom, and support for Super OIS, along with a slew of segment-first image processing features. These include the new HyperRAW algorithm, an anti-distortion algorithm that addresses edge-person deformation, and the InstantSnap algorithm, which intelligently adjusts exposure time for clearer, more stable candid shots.
You’ll also get AI-powered features like Perfect Shot, which selects everyone’s best expressions from multiple photos to create the ideal group picture, and Ultra Clarity, which sharpens and enhances blurry group photos. Whether you’re taking pictures of the scenery, still life images, group photos, or capturing stage performances, you’ll get the perfect shot every time.
And then there’s the 3.5x telephoto periscope camera. The segment-leading portrait lens delivers hair-level blur, three-dimensional depth of field, and clear portraits with focal-length freedom. The FullFocal Portrait mode supports zoom up to 4x, while you’ll also get 7x close-up portraits, 10x stage shots, and a whopping 120x SuperZoom option.
Using the new ProDepth Bokeh algorithm, both the 200MP primary camera and the 3.5x telephoto lens work simultaneously to keep the portrait subject clear, while the background blur looks natural. From portrait close-ups and live stage performances to plane takeoffs and shots of the moon, the telephoto portrait camera is perfect for every zoom.
LumaColor and Vibe Master Mode give you the perfect portrait
Co-developed through the LumaColor IMAGE LAB, the realme 16 Pro series intelligently matches brightness and color during capture, preventing overexposure and color shifts while delivering truer colors, richer depth, and clearer details.
This includes full-dimensional skin tone optimization to showcase natural skin tones, optical depth-of-field fusion blur to make subjects stand out, and light and shadow reconstruction to ensure portraits have texture.
And with Vibe Master Mode, which requires a single swipe to activate, you get five signature portrait tones and 21 other vivid, light, and color options to choose from. You’ll also get granular control over detailed imaging parameters like saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, and more, giving you personalized creative freedom.
AI Edit Genie makes quick on-device editing a breeze
The realme 16 Pro’s AI Edit Genie lets you make significant edits to your images, without losing key subject and facial consistency. You can do anything from changing clothes, hairstyles, and backgrounds, and even copy popular prompts from social media and recreate the same look in your photos.
Additional features include AI LightMe, which features four lighting templates and the ability to recast light and shadow to rebuild lighting for vivid, studio-like portraits. Meanwhile, the AI StyleMe feature transforms you into fun mini-emoji or animated styles – easy, playful, and perfect for instantly shareable content.
The realme 16 Pro series boasts an “urban wild design”
Named among Bloomberg’s most influential designers, Naoto Fukasawa has collaborated with realme several times, earning numerous design awards for devices such as the realme X Master Edition, X2 Pro Master Edition, and GT Master Edition.
Co-designed with Naoto Fukasawa, the core of the 16 Pro’s design stems from their exploration of a “spiritual utopia” within modern urban life, giving rise to the Urban Wild Design. This is seen in the fusion of the metal mirror camera deco and the nature-touch design for the rest of the phone.
The camera housing boasts high-end craftsmanship that achieves a metallic sheen, delivering a premium texture with scratch-, corrosion-, and ultra-durability.
Metal materials are vaporized and deposited onto the surface, forming a dense, robust nanoscale film that shields the metal coating from corrosion caused by hand sweat, oils, cosmetics, rainwater, and more. It also seamlessly integrates with the back panel, so there’s no awkward protrusion or discomfort from the lens when you hold the phone in both hands.
And for the nature-based design components, you have the All-Nature Curve Design. From the back panel to the curved mid-frame and from the mid-frame to the curved display, every hold is incredibly comfortable. The phone also uses an industry-first bio-based organic silicone, made from eco-friendly materials derived from nature’s sustainable resources, and is soft and delicate to the touch.
Impressive hardware, fantastic battery life
The realme 16 Pro series has fantastic cameras, but it doesn’t cut corners in other areas either. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, which boasts an impressive 1.44M AnTuTu score, and Rocket LPDDR5X RAM, you’ll enjoy faster app launches, an immersive gaming experience, smooth app switching, better background app management, and faster AI photo processing. The overall performance is as smooth as can be.
And you get to enjoy this smooth performance for a long time between charges, thanks to the phone’s massive 7,000mAh battery. It’ll comfortably last more than a day, even with heavy use. It’s built to last, too, with realme promising 5 years of use with more than 80% battery health. If you’re worried about the charge running out, an ultra-long standby feature gives you 7.5 hours of limited use, ideal for emergencies, when the battery is down to 1%.
The phone comes with a 144Hz HyperGlow 4D Curve+ Display, Deep curves on the left and right, and subtle curves on the top and bottom. realme manages to keep the phone slimmer than other quad-curve-display phones, with an elegant, refined look that doesn’t fail to impress. With a peak brightness of 6,500 nits, you won’t have any issues using the realme 16 Pro+ outdoors.
The performance and display both lend to a fantastic gaming experience, made even better by the phone’s AirFlow VC Cooling System. It uses cooling technology via convection of hot and cold air within the VC vapor chamber to rapidly cool core heat areas, helping maintain stable performance during long gaming sessions. You also won’t have to worry about the phone heating during extended camera use or when performing other processor-intensive tasks.
The realme 16 Pro Series should be on your radar in 2026
The realme 16 Pro Series has everything you’d expect from an upper-tier mid-range phone. You get solid specifications, excellent cameras, fantastic battery life, and even flagship features, like an IP69 Pro-level water-resistance. And while smartphone prices are expected to increase next year, realme’s penchant for appealing pricing still remains, making it a great choice in competitive markets.
There’s plenty to look forward to in 2026, with realme kicking off the year the right way with the launch of the 16 Pro series in India on January 6.
