Gadgets Review | Realme 16 Pro: A Pocket Fashion Photographer That Loves Daylight More Than Darkness

Realme 16 Pro brings runway-ready portraits, wild brightness and a monster battery, but its camera magic works best under sunshine, not streetlights.

Realme 16 Pro price starts at Rs 31,999 and goes up to Rs 36,999.

Source : ABP Live/Shayak Majumder

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

Realme 16 Pro Review: The Realme 16 Pro, by its own admittance, doesn’t want to be your gaming buddy or your streaming partner. It wants to be your fashion photographer, your lighting guy, your Instagram editor, and your emergency power bank, all wrapped in shiny gold and purple shells inspired by "wheat field and pebbles" and "Indian festive flowers." Which sounds poetic until you realise it also means: this phone really wants to be seen.

Of course, GennieGPT, ABP Live's in-house AI review bot, has already memorised the spec sheet and is emotionally attached to the number 200. (Those who got this pun, get yourself a celebratory brownie. Those who didn't, check out Realme 16 Pro's primary camera specs). Let’s begin.

Realme 16 Pro Review: Quick Pointers

What Works:

• 200MP portrait-focused camera is genuinely fun in daylight
• Unique multi-zoom portrait modes actually add variety
• Massive 7,000mAh battery is a nice touch
• 6,500-nit display deals well with sunlight
• IP69 rating + long software support is rare at this price

What Doesn’t:

• Low-light camera performance drops sharply
• Dimensity 7300 Max is fine, not “Pro” fine
• Realme UI still feels busy
• Heavy gaming will chew through that big battery faster than expected

Runway Camera With Main Character Energy

✨ GennieGPT: 200 MEGAPIXELS! ALL-ZOOM PORTRAIT CAMERA! Fashion shoots! Group portraits! Golden portraits! Long-zoom portraits! This phone is basically Vogue magazine with a SIM card!

Shayak: Okay, lower your ISO, Dabboo Ratnani. Before I get into the shortcomings, I must admit that Realme has actually done something interesting here. Instead of just throwing megapixels at you and calling it 'innovation', it has created multiple portrait personalities.

1x Group Portrait gives you clean, social-media-friendly people shots. 3.5x Golden Portrait adds that warm, slightly dramatic look. 4x Long-Zoom Portrait lets you stalk your subject from a polite distance.

And in daylight? This camera is genuinely impressive. Realme’s proprietary LumaColor Algorithm (yes, TÜV Rheinland certified) boosts colours and brightness without turning faces into animated emojis.

It’s not competing with iPhones and Galaxies, but for the price? This camera punches surprisingly high.

Now, time for the dampeners. Low light is where the party lights go out early. Details fade, strange noise creeps in, and suddenly your "fashion shoot" becomes "I should've got a second-hand iPhone instead."

✨ GennieGPT: Master Gold! Pebble Grey! Orchid Purple inspired by Indian festive flowers and celebrations! This phone is a cultural icon!

Shayak: We reviewed the Orchid Purple variant, and it really does look festive. It’s bold, shiny, and not pretending to be minimalistic Scandinavian furniture. If you like your phone to double as an accessory, you’ll enjoy this.

It’s also IP69 rated, which is rare and reassuring, meaning this thing can survive rain, dust, and probably your clumsy dancing moves after a tipple or two.

Battery That Refuses To Die Politely

✨ GennieGPT: 7,000mAh battery! 80W fast charging! Infinite power!

Shayak: Infinite? No. Generous? Absolutely.

This battery comfortably lasts a full day of medium-to-heavy use. Heavy gaming will drain it in under 12 hours, but honestly, that’s still respectable for a phone pushing a 6,500-nit display and a big camera sensor.

The 80W charger tops it up quickly, which makes the big battery feel even less like a burden.

✨ GennieGPT: 6,500 NITS! BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN!

Shayak: Slight exaggeration. But yes, this display is insanely bright. Outdoors, under harsh sunlight, it barely flinches. Streaming, doomscrolling, and editing your 27th AI portrait edits all look crisp and colourful.

✨ GennieGPT: AI Edit Genie 2.0! Cartoon mode! Window shadows! Modelling photoshoots! The future is now!

Shayak: AI Edit Genie is actually fun. You can switch moods, lighting, and effects easily, and it’s clearly aimed at social creators who want shoot > edit > post without opening ten apps.

But let’s be honest: this is creative seasoning, not a creative revolution.

The Dimensity 7300 Max is smooth for daily use, decent for gaming, and polite about heating, but “Pro” is a little generous as a title here. It’s capable, not heroic. 

Realme UI 7.0 (based on Android 16) is stable but still busy. You’re getting three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, which is quietly one of the strongest long-term promises in this segment.

Realme 16 Pro Review: Final Verdict

The Realme 16 Pro is not trying to be minimal, subtle, or quietly premium. It’s trying to be your personal fashion photographer, lighting guy, battery backup, and AI editor, all in one shiny purple slab that knows it looks good.

In case you were wondering if this is "premium" enough, it doesn’t beat flagships. But then again, at least it doesn't pretend to. 

But for the price (Rs 31,999 for the base 8GB +128GB model and up to Rs 36,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant), it gives you a wildly fun camera, a monster battery, a ridiculous display, and more creative tools than most people will ever fully use.

And honestly? I appreciate that. 

Should You Buy Realme 16 Pro?

• Yes, if you love portrait photography, social content creation, and bold designs.
• Maybe, if gaming performance is your top priority.
• No, if you shoot mostly at night or want stock-Android purity.

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