Products

Realme 16 Pro, the mid-range challenge: the author's portrait becomes democratic

The Chinese brand focuses on the 200 megapixel system for portraits and signs the design with Naoto Fukasawa. Prices from 399 euros

by Marco Trabucchi

20 March 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

In a smartphone market increasingly polarised between top-of-the-range models costing over a thousand euros and entry-level models often lacking a true technological identity, Realme is trying to build a third way. In fact, the new Realme 16 Pro series, consisting of the 16 Pro and 16 Pro+ models, aims to move some typical flagship features towards the mid-range: advanced photography, designer design and hardware for intensive use.

The message from the Chinese brand is clear: democratise functions that until a few years ago were the prerogative of premium devices. The main lever of this strategy is photography, with a 200-megapixel system designed especially for portraits, a choice that reflects a trend that is now well established in the mobile industry, where innovation is increasingly passing through computational image processing.

Photography at the centre: the LumaColor system

At the heart of the 16 Pro series' photographic compartment is the 200 megapixel main sensor, combined with a software processing platform developed in-house and brought together under the name LumaColor Image. The aim is to improve colour rendition and light management, with a focus on skin tones and colour consistency in the scene. The system includes a number of dedicated algorithms - including HyperRAW, InstantSnap and Anti Distortion - designed to maintain greater detail and reduce distortion at the edges of the image, even under dynamic shooting conditions.

The optical architecture also includes a multi-focal kit for portraits - the FullFocal Portrait Lens Kit - found on both models in the series. In the case of the 16 Pro+, however, the system is enhanced with a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 3.5× optical zoom, which expands the flexibility of portrait and zoom, alongside 4K HDR multi-focal video recording.

Confirming the centrality of the visual language in the project, realme also started a collaboration with the School of Photography of the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, which will use the device as a teaching tool in courses starting in April.

Design and materials: the signature of Naoto Fukasawa

On the aesthetic front, the 16 Pro series bears the signature of Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, one of the world's most recognised designers. The formal language chosen is called Urban Wild Design, a philosophy that combines minimalism and textures inspired by natural elements. The result on the 16 Pro+ is the use of a bio-based organic silicone shell made from plant fibres, while the 16 Pro adopts a velvet matte finish designed to improve grip and reduce fingerprints. The colours - Master Gold and Master Grey - also follow a minimalist logic consistent with the design approach.

Hardware and autonomy

On the technical side, the Realme 16 Pro+ integrates the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor coupled with LPDDR5X memory, while the 16 Pro model uses the MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Max 5G.

Both share a 6.8-inch curved Amoled screen with 1.5K resolution and refresh rate up to 144 Hz, a level generally reserved for higher-end devices. The panel also supports a claimed peak brightness of 6,500 nits, designed to improve visibility in bright light conditions.

On the autonomy front, Realme introduces a 7,000 mAh battery with silicon-carbon technology and 80 W fast charging, a capacity well above the category average and designed to support extended usage sessions between photography, gaming and streaming.

The software is based on Realme UI 7.0, built on Android 16 and enriched with some artificial intelligence-based photo processing and assistance functions.

Prices and availability

The series is already available on the Italia market. Launch prices, valid until 31 March, start at €399.99 for the realme 16 Pro in the 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage configuration, while the realme 16 Pro+ starts at €479.99 in the same configuration.

The most complete version of the Pro+, with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of memory, comes in at EUR 599.99 at major electronics retail outlets - including Unieuro, MediaWorld, Euronics, Trony and Expert - with a EUR 70 cashback.

At the same time, the company also unveiled the Buds Air8, true wireless earphones also designed by Fukasawa, equipped with 'Ultra Depth' active noise cancellation and offered at EUR 89.99, on launch promotion for EUR 79.99 online.