Chinese phone maker realme launches a Harry Potter-themed smartphone

Chinese smartphone maker realme has released a limited-edition collectible Android phone, the realme 16 Pro Harry Potter Edition, made in collaboration with film studio Warner Bros. It is the company's second partnership with the studio. Last year, realme launched a Game of Thrones version of its Realm 15 Pro. The new phone arrives ahead of the long-awaited Harry Potter television series on streaming service HBO Max.

Design and what's in the box

The phone comes in "Magic Brown" with an argyle pattern and a leather-like finish. A golden Hogwarts crest sits in the center and, according to the company, uses the world's first quadra light-sensing color-changing technology: under UV light, each house crest lights up in its own colors. The body is 8.47 mm thick, and a laser-engraved "Welcome To Hogwarts" banner runs across the frame.

The package is a small leather suitcase containing an acceptance letter, a book list, a train ticket, character postcards, four house crest bookmarks and a crest pin that unlocks a bonus: Harry Potter-themed realme Buds T500 Pro earbuds. A protective case, charger, USB cable, SIM ejector tool and a guide are also included. The interface is customized too, with a Hogwarts castle wallpaper, a boot animation, a special fingerprint effect and 30 redesigned apps.

Specifications

The phone has 12 GB of RAM, a 6.78-inch 144 Hz AMOLED display at 1272x2772 resolution, and a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Max 5G chipset. Its cameras include a 200 MP main camera, a 112-degree wide camera and a 50 MP selfie camera. The battery lasts up to 22 hours of streaming and charges via an 80 W cable.

The first batch sold out within minutes, so realme made a second one available on its website. The phone sells there for about $657.