Realme 16 Pro Plus

The Realme 16 Pro Plus is listed at Rs. 209,999 and is sold here only as a 12GB + 512GB version. Opinions on the price are mostly negative, mainly because of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip.

Main advantages:

• A versatile camera with a 200 MP main sensor and a 3.5x periscope telephoto.
• A 7000 mAh battery that GSMArena rates among the best in its class.
• A bright, curved 144Hz display and IP68, IP69 and IP69K protection.

Main disadvantages:

• Upper mid-range performance at a near-flagship price.
• No wireless charging and no lower-priced storage option.

The Vivo V80 at Rs. 184,999 has the same chipset, a bigger battery and faster charging for less money. GSMArena's verdict is similar: the camera and battery come at a price premium, and buyers who want raw performance should look at cheaper options.

Verdict: a well-rounded camera and battery phone held back by its price. It becomes a much better deal with a discount, and offline shops often sell below the retail price.

The 6.8-inch AMOLED screen has a 1280 x 2800 (1.5K) resolution, a refresh rate of up to 144Hz and a peak brightness of 6500 nits.

• 4D curved design: the glass curves on all four edges, not just the sides. The bezels look almost invisible, and swiping up from the bottom feels smooth.
• Refresh rate: there is no LTPO panel, and most apps run at 120Hz. Settings and the compass are among the few that reach 144Hz.
• Brightness and HDR: 10-bit colour and HDR10+ support, and the screen stays very readable in harsh sunlight.
• Eye comfort: 4608Hz PWM dimming reduces flicker at low brightness, useful for long night-time use.
• Gaming: a high instant touch sampling rate in supported games makes taps register quickly.
• Other: Widevine L1 for HD streaming, Gorilla Glass 7i, and a fast optical in-display fingerprint reader.

The curved edges mean screen protectors and cases need to fit carefully; the included case is cut away on all sides for that reason.

The phone uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4 nm) with an Adreno 722 GPU and 12GB of RAM.

• Benchmarks: around 1.4 to 1.5 million, solid upper mid-range territory.
• Gaming: PUBG runs at 90fps on Smooth with Extreme frame rate, and at 60fps with higher graphics. Games run without noticeable slowdowns.
• Cooling: a vapour chamber, GT mode and bypass charging help during long sessions.
• Storage: GSMArena lists UFS 3.1 storage, which is fast enough for daily use but slower than the UFS 4 storage in some rivals.

The limitation is the price bracket. The same chip appears in much cheaper phones, and buyers paying this much often expect a Snapdragon 8-series flagship chip.

The rear setup combines a 200 MP Samsung HP5 main camera with a large sensor and OIS, a 50 MP 3.5x periscope telephoto with OIS and an 8 MP ultrawide with autofocus for close-ups. The front camera is 50 MP.

• Colours: photos now look natural rather than vivid, with natural skin tones. AI Portrait Glow and built-in filters bring back the punchier Realme look.
• Zoom: a lossless 2x crop from the main sensor, sharp 3.5x shots and usable detail at around 10x. Opinions differ on how far beyond that it stays usable, from about 20x up to 60x. The maximum is 120x.
• Portraits: excellent at 3.5x (80 mm) and 4x (92 mm), with good skin texture even in low light.
• Video: 4K at 60fps on both front and rear cameras, with stabilisation working at 4K 60fps across 1x, 2x and 3.5x.
• Weak spot: portrait (bokeh) video is limited to 1080p at 30fps, and edge detection struggles, especially around glasses.
• Selfies: sharp and good in low light, and you can switch between front and rear cameras while recording.

Slow motion is available at 1080p, starting at 120fps.

The 7000 mAh silicon-carbon battery is one of the phone's best features. GSMArena rates its battery life as outstanding and among the best in its class.

• Charging: an 80W SuperVOOC charger is included, and a full charge takes about an hour.
• Other chargers: PPS chargers deliver up to 55W, and standard USB PD or QC 13.5W.
• Bypass charging: powers the phone directly while gaming, keeping the battery cooler.
• Battery lifespan: Realme claims the battery stays healthy for six years.

The main miss is wireless charging, which is not supported despite the price.

The phone runs Android 16 with Realme UI 7.0, which brings a frosted-glass look, resizable widgets and large-icon options.

• Ads and extra apps: few ads appear in daily use. A folder of suggested apps comes preinstalled, but it can be removed and the apps uninstalled.
• Next AI features: AI Writer, AI Translate, Circle to Search, AI Edit Genie for voice-based photo edits, AI Style Me and AI Light Me lighting effects, AI unblur and AI Instant Clip for quick highlight videos.
• AI Gaming Coach: gives real-time tips in supported games, but at launch only Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile and BGMI were supported.

Updates: Realme promises three years of Android upgrades (up to Android 19) and four years of security updates for this model.