With premiumisation on one side and rising costs on the other, Indian smartphone consumers could be re-evaluating what constitutes good value. Realme, which has been a brand associated with value, is also adapting and realigning. On the sidelines of the Realme 16 5G launch, we spoke with Francis Wong, Realme CMO, on the brand’s plans for us in the coming months.
With the realme 16 5G launch, how is your retail strategy evolving to convince offline buyers to move into the ₹25,000–₹35,000 mid-premium segment rather than sticking to budget C-series devices?
We are designing our retail strategy in a way that retailers are getting more incentives in selling Number series, brands are investing more on marketing for Number series, pushing more POSMs in the stores and we give longer terms of software support for number series and we spend more time on building the products of number series. So realme’s market share in the mid-range was increasing since 2021. The actual problem we are facing in 2026 is that even budget C-series will move to ₹20,000, and even ₹25,000 by end of the year. We will see a major price hike from all major brands in April. Price surge is an industry wide phenomenon in the smartphone industry today and not limited to realme. You can see all brands are increasing prices of both their existing and new products. Entry-level devices that once sat at ₹8,000-10,000 are now getting increased by more than 35%. In the mid-range, the ₹20,000-25,000 sweet spot has moved closer to ₹25,000-30,000, an increase of about 20% – 25%. Even the flagships in the ₹80,000 segment are up roughly 25%. What’s changed alongside pricing is the consumer mindset. As per a Counterpoint report, customers are willing to pay a premium for faster processors, along with large battery life and 5G connectivity.
Align with the changing market dynamics, we are strengthening our number series which already boasts a strong legacy in camera and design. In realme 16 5G, apart from the slim design and immersive camera system, it also delivers a big battery with 6 years commitment and long-term usage smoothness, together offering users a holistic package that easily lasts for years.
Additionally, transformation is hitting offline retail too. We have moved past the era of convincing consumers to spend more. The real work now is helping them understand what the value actually is. Which is why we are more focused and investing on our retail strategy. We are empowering store teams to clearly communicate total ownership value and not just features anymore. We want them to help customers walk out of a store confident they made the right call for the next three to four years.
How are you balancing rising costs without alienating your core youth audience?
It’s not easy to say that we will not lose any young audience this year, as our pre-planned budget-friendly phones are forced to move to mid-range segment, mid-rangers are forced to move to flagship prices. It’s hard for consumers to accept. It will take time. What we can do is quickly adjust our product roadmap, strengthen our online presence and improve on those selling points that consumers care about. For example, periscope on 16 Pro series and slim design with big battery on 16 5G and 10,000mAh realme P4 Power. We will continue to deliver competitive products and you will see the value of realme 16 5G after the price hike of all major brands happening in April soon.
At realme, our principle is simple – if prices move up, the value must move up even faster. We are not chasing the lowest price. We are focused on delivering the strongest value at every price point for our young audience.
While competitors are catching up on high battery capacities, how does your AirCraft Structure and the new 4-year battery health guarantee change the conversation from just ‘bigger capacity’ to long-term ownership reliability for Indian consumers?
Starting with the last few years realme has started to democratise battery capacity by offering our customers a massive 7,000mAh+ battery pack. We were among the first to recognize the power demands of today’s youth and respond with meaningful capacity upgrades. But when we talk about battery innovation, we believe modern users don’t only look into the number of battery sizes, they also expect slimness and long-term reliability.
That’s the philosophy behind the realme 16 5G. It carries a 7,000mAh battery, with real engineering achievement underneath. Our AirCraft structure enables a high-density internal layout, allowing us to fit a large battery into a phone that remains slim and light enough for everyday comfort. Striking that balance isn’t easy, and that’s precisely where the innovation lies.
In 2026, a device worth buying isn’t just one that performs on day one, it’s one you can depend on for the long haul. And that’s the ownership conversation we want to lead.
Is the new selfie mirror for creators a one-off experiment, or does it signal a broader shift in how realme will design hardware for the Gen Z moving forward?
We are bold on trying new things but we never stick to any one of them, we keep introducting new features, that’s how realme works. realme has consistently been at the forefront of smartphone camera innovation, either hardware or software. We were among the first brands to democratize 200MP camera, and the first to launch periscope camera in mid-rangers, not to mention India’s first 10,000mAh phone that are well-received.
With the introduction of the rear selfie mirror on the realme 16 5G, what we want to show is that no matter how small the user pain point is, we will still identify and design meaningful solutions around them.
We observed a lot of GenZ are taking selifes with rear cameras and posting them on Instagram. We recognised that while rear cameras deliver superior image quality, users often struggle to frame themselves accurately and maintain full control while taking selfies. Hence, we added the rear selfie mirror, a small tool with a significant impact. It allows users to confidently frame their shots using the main camera, with complete creative control.
