realme 12 5G review
The Realme 12 5G is an affordable variant of the Realme 12 series, offering a more budget-friendly option for those looking to upgrade from their older devices. While its sibling models feature a vegan leather design, the base variant boasts a gradient finish that still exudes premium looks. The phone's build quality is solid, with a metal frame and IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. The Realme 12 5G features a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate and 915 nits of peak brightness. While not an AMOLED panel, the display still delivers decent picture quality and a good viewing angle. The phone's cameras are its strongest feature, with a 108MP main camera, 2MP depth sensor, and 8MP selfie shooter. Image quality is impressive, with vibrant colors, decent sharpness, and good dynamic range. The Realme 12 5G runs on a Dimensity 6100+ chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Performance is snappy, with no issues handling games or multitasking. The phone's battery life is also commendable, lasting around 7 hours for casual use and 4 hours for gaming. One notable omission is the lack of stabilization feature in video recording, which limits its capabilities in this regard. Charging time is respectable, taking about 1 hour and 20 minutes to fully charge with a 45W charger. At a price point of PHP 14,999, the Realme 12 5G offers good value for those seeking an affordable smartphone upgrade. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of its pricier siblings, it still delivers on performance, camera quality, and design. Overall, it's a solid choice for those looking to take their first steps into the world of high-end smartphones without breaking the bank.
Build Quality and Design
The Realme 12 5G's build quality and design are a notable departure from its pricier counterparts, the Realme 12 Pro+ 5G and Realme 12 Plus 5G. While those devices boast a vegan leather design, the base variant takes a different approach with a gradient finish. The Realme 12 5G's back features a soft-feeling surface that is resistant to fingerprint smudges. This is a welcome improvement over some of its predecessors. The protruded camera module, though prominent, is positioned vertically and doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic. The device also boasts an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance, which is reassuring for those who value durability in their smartphones. At 188 grams, it's lighter than the first two devices mentioned, making it a comfortable fit for most users. Color options include the Twilight Purple variant that we reviewed, which still manages to look impressive despite lacking the vegan leather design. The gradient finish gives off a premium feel, even if it doesn't quite match the more expensive variants. The metal frame around the device provides an added layer of strength and helps to front fingerprint smudges. While not as flashy as some other designs on the market, the Realme 12 5G's build quality is solid and should withstand daily wear and tear with ease. For those looking for a more affordable option without sacrificing too much in terms of design, the Realme 12 5G delivers.
Battery Life
One aspect that stood out in our review of the Realme 12 5G is its battery life. Despite not having an AMOLED panel, which are known to be battery-efficient displays, the phone still managed to deliver a decent performance. In our video loop test, the device lasted for approximately 9 hours and 45 minutes, which is impressive considering its price point. Casual use also yielded around 7 hours of juice, while full-on gaming drained the battery to about 4 hours. Another positive aspect is the phone's fast charging capabilities. Using a 45W charger, we were able to top up the device from 0-100% in just 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is quite quick considering the capacity of its 5,000mAh battery. While not spectacular, the Realme 12 5G's battery life is more than adequate for a smartphone in this price range. It should be able to get most users through a day with moderate use, and the fast charging feature ensures that you can quickly top up the device when needed. Overall, we're pleased with the phone's battery performance, which adds to its overall value proposition.
Display
The Realme 12 5G's display is an interesting aspect of the device, particularly when compared to its more expensive variants. Unlike the AMOLED panel found in the Pro Plus variant, the base model features a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 915 nits. While it may not offer the same level of picture quality as an AMOLED panel, the Realme 12 5G's display still delivers decent results for both productivity and entertainment use. The colors are vibrant, and the display has a good viewing angle with no noticeable color shift when viewed from a distance. One notable feature is the extra brightness mode, which allows users to extend the display's brightness even further. This can be particularly helpful in brightly lit environments or during outdoor use. Overall, the display holds its own against more expensive options and provides a solid experience for everyday tasks. It's worth noting that while the display is good for general use, it may not excel in specific areas such as gaming or video playback where high-quality displays are often preferred. However, for most users, the Realme 12 5G's display should meet their expectations and provide an enjoyable viewing experience. In terms of specifications, the display has a full HD+ resolution and supports HDR10 content. While it may not be on par with more premium devices, the Realme 12 5G's display is still a solid offering for its price point. Overall, the Realme 12 5G's display provides a good balance of features and performance at an affordable price. It's worth considering if you're in the market for a budget-friendly device with a decent display that can handle everyday tasks.
Camera
The Realme 12 5G is one of the latest smartphones to hit the market, and while it may not have all the bells and whistles of its more expensive variants, it still packs a punch in terms of camera capabilities. In this review, we'll take a closer look at what this device's cameras can do. The Realme 12 5G boasts a dual-camera setup, with a whopping 108MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and an 8MP selfie shooter. The first thing that struck us about the camera performance was its ability to capture impressive results in various lighting conditions. The photos taken using the primary camera are punchy, vibrant, and full of details. We were particularly impressed with the device's wide dynamic range, which resulted in no deep blacks or excessive shadows. One of the standout features of the Realme 12 5G's camera is its portrait mode. This feature works incredibly well, delivering decent subject-to-background separation, good color distribution, and sharp details. However, there were some instances where the edges appeared soft, making them appear unrealistic. Selfie photography was also a highlight of our experience with the Realme 12 5G. The camera is capable of capturing decent images with good colors and sharpness. However, when taking photos in brightly lit environments, we noticed overexposure issues. In terms of video recording, the Realme 12 5G can shoot up to 1080p at 30 FPS without any stabilization feature. While this might not be ideal for some users, the quality of the footage was still decent and enjoyable to watch. Overall, the camera performance on the Realme 12 5G is impressive considering its price point. The device's ability to capture well-lit photos with good details and vibrant colors is a major plus. While there are some minor issues with selfie photography and video recording, these are easily forgivable given the device's overall strengths. If you're in the market for a budget-friendly smartphone with a great camera experience, the Realme 12 5G is definitely worth considering. Its affordable price tag, coupled with its impressive camera performance, make it an attractive option for those looking to upgrade their old phone without breaking the bank.
Price and Value
The Realme 12 5G may not be the most luxurious or feature-packed device in its series, but it's definitely an attractive option for those looking to upgrade from their previous phone. Priced at 14,999 pesos, this device offers a lot of bang for your buck. One of the standout features of the Realme 12 5G is its display. Although it's not as vibrant or color-accurate as some of its more expensive counterparts, it still delivers decent picture quality that's good for both productivity and entertainment use. The IPS LCD panel may not be the best, but it gets the job done. The camera performance of the Realme 12 5G is also impressive, especially considering its price tag. The dual-camera setup delivers punchy colors, decent sharpness, and a wide dynamic range that's perfect for everyday photography. Even the selfie camera takes decent shots, although some may find it to be overexposed in bright environments. Under the hood, the Realme 12 5G runs on a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 6100 Plus processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. This configuration handles most games without issues and didn't heat up during our testing. The device also runs on Android 14 out-of-the-box, which is a plus. Battery life-wise, the Realme 12 5G delivers around 7 hours of casual use and about 4 hours of full-on gaming, which is not bad for its price. Charging the device with the 45W fast charger takes just over an hour and a half to get it back up to speed. Overall, the Realme 12 5G offers great value for its price. It's not the most feature-packed or luxurious device in its series, but it delivers decent performance and battery life that's perfect for everyday use.
Performance
The Realme 12 5G is a decent smartphone that delivers good performance for its price. Powered by a 6nm Mediatek Dimensity 6100 Plus, the device handles most games with no issues and minimal lags. We didn't encounter any heating problems during intense gaming sessions, even with multiple apps running in the background. In terms of processing power, the Realme 12 5G performs adequately, thanks to its 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration. It can handle multitasking with ease, making it suitable for everyday use. However, we did notice some slight stutters when switching between demanding apps, but overall performance was satisfactory. Our benchmark results show a decent score, indicating that the Realme 12 5G is capable of delivering smooth performance in various scenarios. The device's operating system, Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0, offers a seamless user experience and allows for easy uninstallation of pre-installed apps. The Realme 12 5G comes equipped with a 5000mAh battery, which is paired with 45W fast charging capabilities. While the device may not offer exceptional battery life, it still manages to deliver around 7 hours of casual use and approximately 4 hours of full-on gaming. In our video loop test, the Realme 12 5G lasted for an impressive 9 hours and 45 minutes, considering its IPS LCD display. Fast charging capabilities also help top up the battery quickly, taking just over an hour to reach 100%. The Realme 12 5G is a solid performer that delivers decent performance, adequate battery life, and quick charging capabilities for its price. While it may not excel in every aspect, it's still a good choice for those looking to upgrade from the Realme 11 4G.