realme 16 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S26
25.3Performance81
71.1Display60
37.9Camera47.3
75.6Battery62.1
57.3Features94.7
6 spec wins — realme 16 5G7 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 50.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+56) and features (+37). realme 16 5G still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the realme 16 5G
- Stronger display score: 71 vs 60
- Stronger battery score: 76 vs 62
- 317% higher Front camera: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- 140% higher Wired charging: 60 W vs 25 W
- 63% higher capacity: 7,000 mAh vs 4,300 mAh
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 25
- Stronger camera score: 47 vs 38
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 57
- 431% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 10,824 vs 2,040
- 271% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 2,995 vs 807
Display
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.57 ″+4% | 6.3 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1080x2372 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 397 ppi | 411 ppi+4% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 4,200 nits+62% | 2,600 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 93 %+3% | 90 % |
Performance
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 6400 Turbo | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTu | — | 3,064,672 |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 807Bottom 21% | 2,995+271%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 2,040Bottom 20% | 10,824+431%Top 4% |
| Wild Life Extreme stability | 98 %Top 44% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 3 x |
| Max video | 1080p@60fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 50 MP+317% | 12 MP |
| OIS | — | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 7,000 mAh+63% | 4,300 mAh |
| Wired charging | 60 W+140% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | — | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 15.3 h |
Design
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 183 g | 167 g+9% |
| Thickness | 8.1 mm | 7.2 mm+11% |
| IP rating | IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K | IP68 |
| Frame material | — | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| NFC | — | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 16 (realme UI 7.0) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 7 years+133% |
Audio
| Spec | realme 16 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |