Realme 16 First Impressions

Realme has finally entered the compact smartphone segment in 2026. The brand has launched Realme 16, a new mid-range smartphone that can be officially tagged as a compact smartphone. The latest handset features a sleek design, a new camera setup, a large battery, and more. That said, does it make sense to go with the device given the competition in this price segment? I got the chance to use the device for a short while, and here's what you need to know. 

Let's start with the pricing. The Realme 16 price in India starts at Rs. 31,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The 8GB + 256GB model is priced at Rs. 33,999, while the top-end 12GB + 256GB variant comes with a price tag of Rs. 36,999. The smartphone will be available for purchase from Flipkart, Realme.com, and offline stores across the country. 

The Realme 16 features a sleek design. The device measures 8.10mm in thickness and weighs 183 grams.

Talking about the design, the Realme 16 looks different from the brand's usual products. The phone comes with a new ‘Air Design' that, to be honest, looks more like an iPhone Air iteration. That said, the handset feels sleek in your hand. The device is 8.10mm thick and weighs 183 grams. However, due to the glass back, it does feel a bit slippery. The phone is available in Air Black and Air White colour options. I got the Black colour option for the review, and it sure feels decent enough, though I preferred the White colour option. 

The back panel comes with a camera island on the top panel with a horizontal camera module. You also get a mirror right next to it so that you can take selfies using the rear camera. The idea is decent, and I was able to click a few photos using the mirror. But that said, it does not provide the kind of framing you would normally use with a front camera. Moving on, the company has tried to include everything possible, with IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications.

The smartphone features a 6.57-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz screen refresh rate.

Coming to the display, the smartphone features a 6.57-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1080x2372 pixels. The display also features a 120Hz screen refresh rate, up to 4200nits of peak brightness, 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut, and DT Star D+ glass protection. The display looks good during the brief testing period, though I felt that it was a bit reflective in nature. 

Moving on, talking about the rest of the features and specifications. The handset is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6400 Turbo processor. The device is loaded with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The device runs Android 16 with Realme UI 7.0 on top. The phone also packs a massive 7,000mAh battery with 60W wired fast charging support. 

The handset packs a dual-camera setup on the rear with 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor.

In terms of optics, the Realme 16 packs a dual-camera setup on the rear panel. You get a 50-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture, along with a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor with f/2.4 aperture. The device also features a 50-megapixel shooter with an f/2.4 aperture. We will discuss the camera performance in detail in our upcoming review. 

That said, the latest smartphone will surely face stiff competition from the likes of OnePlus Nord 5, Nothing Phone 3a Pro, Motorola Edge 70, and more.

So, stay tuned with us for an in-depth review of the Realme 16 5G.