Realme has been maintaining a stronghold in the mid-premium segment with new launches almost every six months. In a market where the average life cycle of a smartphone rarely stretches beyond five to six months, this strategy allows Realme to stay relevant and visible. The Realme 16 series has been creating a steady buzz since its announcement, and the Realme 16 Pro has been positioned as the more refined, feature-forward option within the lineup.
The questions, however, remain familiar. What exactly is new here? How meaningful are the upgrades over the Realme 15 Pro? And perhaps more importantly, how does the Realme 16 Pro hold its ground against aggressive performers like the iQOO Neo 10 and polished all-rounders like the OnePlus Nord 5? After spending time with the device, here’s how the Realme 16 Pro stacks up.
Design
The Realme 16 Pro in Orchid Purple, which is the review variant, immediately gives off a premium impression. The colour has a soft depth to it rather than being loud, and it subtly changes under different lighting. The aesthetic merits of Realme’s collaboration with world-renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa are evident here. The phone carries a calm, jewellery-like metal mirror finish which feels deliberate and restrained, eschewing flashiness.
In hand, the phone feels solid and reassuring. It is on the larger side and slightly heavy, but that weight feels justified for the battery it houses. The slim silhouette helps balance the heft, and the curved edges ensure the phone never feels awkward during long usage sessions. The touch of natural material in the finish adds grip and warmth, making the phone comfortable to hold even without a case. Compared to the Realme 15 Pro, the 16 Pro feels more mature and better finished.
Buttons are tactile and well placed, while the ports sit neatly without breaking symmetry. The phone also brings serious durability credentials. With IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K ratings, the Realme 16 Pro is built to handle dust, water, extreme temperatures, and even exposure to multiple liquids.
Display
The Realme 16 Pro features a 6.78 inch AMOLED flexible display that immediately stands out for brightness, with a peak brightness rating of up to 6,500 nits. Outdoor visibility is excellent, even under harsh sunlight. Colours look rich without appearing oversaturated, and the panel maintains consistency across different lighting conditions.
Bezels are slim, contributing to an immersive viewing experience, and the high refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and fluid animations. Whether you are watching videos, browsing, or gaming, the display remains sharp and responsive. The E8 display material adds to power efficiency while maintaining visual clarity. For users who consume a lot of content outdoors or travel frequently, this display becomes a genuine advantage rather than a spec-sheet talking point.
OS and AI
The 16 Pro runs on Realme UI 7.0, based on the latest Android 16. The interface feels cleaner and more refined than previous iterations. Animations are smoother, transitions feel natural, and multitasking is handled efficiently.
AI plays a supportive role here rather than an intrusive one. Smart system optimisations manage background apps better, improve battery efficiency, and enhance image processing without altering the natural output. Features aimed at productivity and smoother multitasking feel practical rather than experimental. Compared to the Nord 5’s OxygenOS-style cleanliness, Realme’s UI is slightly richer in features, while still avoiding unnecessary clutter.
Performance
Powering the Realme 16 Pro is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Max chipset. In everyday usage, the phone feels consistently smooth. App launches are quick, switching between multiple apps does not introduce stutter, and background processes remain stable. The review unit comes with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, which feels more than adequate for power users.
Benchmark numbers support this experience. The phone scores 1001 in single-core and 2931 in multi-core tests. On AnTuTu, it posts a score of 1,005,231, placing it firmly in the upper tier of mid-premium performance. While the iQOO Neo 10 still edges ahead in raw gaming-centric power, the Realme 16 Pro delivers a more balanced performance profile.
Gaming performance is reliable. Titles like Call of Duty, BGMI, Asphalt, and Pokémon GO run smoothly at high frame rates. Thermal management is well handled, with no aggressive throttling during extended sessions. Compared to the OnePlus Nord 5, the Realme 16 Pro feels slightly more performance-focused, while remaining more power-efficient than the iQOO Neo 10.
Camera
This phone features a 200 MP primary rear camera paired with an 8 MP secondary sensor, and optical image stabilisation is built in. On paper, this already places it a step ahead of many mid-premium rivals that still rely on smaller sensors. In real-world use, the primary camera delivers sharp images with strong detail retention, especially in well-lit conditions. Colours remain natural, and exposure is handled confidently without pushing highlights or shadows too aggressively.
Realme 16 Pro camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
Daylight photography is where the phone feels most comfortable. The 200 MP sensor captures fine textures cleanly, and even when images are viewed at full resolution, there is minimal loss of clarity. The ultra-wide camera does a decent job of maintaining colour consistency with the main sensor, though it naturally lacks the same level of detail. Still, for landscapes and group shots, the results remain usable and balanced.
Realme 16 Pro camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
Macro shots are another highlight. Close-up images retain sharpness and show good subject separation, which is not always a given for this price segment. The camera’s AI plays a supportive role, refining focus and stabilisation without altering the scene’s natural look. Low-light and night photography are handled with restraint. The presence of OIS helps keep shots steady, and the camera manages ambient lighting well. Street lights, reflections, and shadows appear realistic, without excessive brightening or artificial colour shifts.
Realme 16 Pro camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
The device hosts a 50 MP selfie camera on the front. Selfies are sharp, with accurate skin tones and controlled smoothing. Portrait selfies handle edge detection well, and video calls remain clear even in indoor lighting. Overall, the camera system does justice to the phone’s pricing, offering dependable performance across scenarios and standing out as one of the more balanced camera setups in the mid-premium segment.
Battery
The Realme 16 Pro houses a large 7,000 mAh battery, which is one of its biggest strengths. In regular usage, the phone comfortably lasts more than a full day, often stretching into the next day with moderate use. Battery endurance is noticeably better compared to the Nord 5 and iQOO Neo 10.
Charging is handled via 80W SUPERVOOC fast charging. Despite the large battery, charging times remain reasonable. The phone heats minimally during charging, and power management remains consistent.
Verdict
The Realme 16 Pro offers a strong value proposition at the cusp of the premium segment by delivering balance rather than extremes. Where the iQOO Neo 10 focuses heavily on performance and the OnePlus Nord 5 leans towards software polish, the Realme 16 Pro finds a comfortable middle ground.
Its standout strengths include the durable design, exceptionally bright display, reliable performance, natural camera output, and excellent battery life. The phone feels like a thoughtfully assembled package that delivers on all fronts. For users looking for a dependable, well-rounded smartphone that does not compromise on core essentials, the Realme 16 Pro emerges as a compelling new option in this crowded segment. It begins at ₹31,999 for the 8 GB/128 GB variant.
