realme 12 Pro review
The Realme 12 Pro Plus is the latest mid-range phone that packs a punch in terms of features and performance. This sleek device boasts a periscope telephoto camera, rare among mid-range phones, and is powered by the latest Snapdragon 7S Gen 2 chip. The 6.7-inch OLED screen offers impressive visuals with vibrant colors and high brightness levels. With its unique blue and gold color scheme, premium leather-like material, and excellent camera capabilities, this phone is a standout in its price range. In this review, we'll dive deeper into the Realme 12 Pro Plus's features, performance, and overall value.
Build Quality and Design
The Realme 12 Pro Plus boasts an impressive build quality and design that sets it apart from its mid-range counterparts. The device is wrapped in a sleek and thin body, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods. The color scheme of the phone is a rare and unique blue and gold hue, reminiscent of a natural lapis lazuli pigment. This distinctive color combination adds a touch of premiumness to the overall design. The leather-like material used on the back gives the phone a luxurious feel, while the curvature of both the screen and the body provides a comfortable grip in the hand. The camera module, inspired by Realme's GT5 Pro, features a blue hue that is both elegant and eye-catching. The co-branded effort with Olivia Savio has paid off, resulting in a more refined look for the camera module. One notable aspect of the design is the use of plastic for the frame, which helps maintain a decent weight while housing the super-spec camera module. This decision may raise some eyebrows, but it's hard to argue with the results. The phone feels solid and premium, despite the relatively affordable price point. The 6.7-inch OLED screen, featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, is a major highlight of the design. It boasts vibrant colors, excellent brightness (up to 800 nits), and impressive peak brightness (950 nits). This ensures that daily use is not only enjoyable but also visually stunning. In terms of build quality, the Realme 12 Pro Plus has managed to strike a perfect balance between form and function. The device exudes a sense of premiumness without breaking the bank, making it an attractive option for those seeking a high-quality mid-range smartphone.
Battery Life
One of the most critical aspects of any smartphone is its battery life. In this review, we'll delve into the performance of the Realme 12 Pro's power cell. The Realme 12 Pro boasts a respectable 5,000mAh battery capacity, which is ample for daily use. Paired with an OLED screen and the excellent power consumption control provided by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip, this phone promises decent battery life. Our tests confirmed that the Realme 12 Pro can easily last a day with moderate to heavy usage. While the charger bundled with the device supports up to 67W fast charging, we found it to be more than sufficient for topping up the battery. However, if you're using a lower voltage (100V-130V), the maximum power will be reduced to 55W, which might take a bit longer to reach full charge. In our testing, the Realme 12 Pro's battery life was consistently good, with minimal degradation over time. The phone managed to last us through a day of heavy use, including gaming, video streaming, and social media scrolling. While it's not exceptional, the battery performance is certainly adequate for most users. The Realme 12 Pro's battery life is a solid aspect of this mid-range device. With its large capacity, efficient chip, and decent charging speed, you can expect a full day of use without needing to rush back to the charger.
Display
The Realme 12 Pro Plus 5G boasts an impressive display that sets it apart from its mid-range counterparts. The phone features a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it perfect for gamers and those who enjoy fast-paced visuals. One of the standout aspects of the display is its vibrant color output. With a peak brightness of up to 800 nits, the Realme 12 Pro Plus can produce colors that are almost as vivid as what we see in real life. This makes it an excellent choice for watching movies or gaming on the go. In terms of display technology, the Realme 12 Pro Plus uses a 2160Hz PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) feature at low brightness levels, which is ideal for preserving battery life. At medium to high brightness levels, the screen employs DC dimming, ensuring that it remains smooth and fluid. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures that animations are silky-smooth, making it a joy to use. Whether you're scrolling through social media or playing games, the Realme 12 Pro Plus's display delivers a seamless experience. Additionally, the phone's screen is capable of reaching an impressive 950 nits window peak brightness, making it easily visible in bright environments. While some may find the lack of higher refresh rates (such as 144Hz) a limitation, the 120Hz display still provides more than enough fluidity for most users. Overall, the Realme 12 Pro Plus 5G's display is one of its strongest features, offering an excellent balance of color accuracy, brightness, and smoothness. It's a testament to the phone's commitment to delivering a premium experience without breaking the bank.
Camera
The Realme 12 Pro Plus is a mid-range phone that boasts a periscope telephoto camera, which is a rare feature among its peers in the same price range. The camera design, co-branded with Olivia Savio, adds an elegant touch to the phone's overall aesthetic. In terms of performance, the Realme 12 Pro's camera is a significant upgrade over other mid-range phones. The periscope telecamera offers exceptional detail and accurate white balance in various lighting conditions. In photos taken with similar focal lengths, the Realme 12 Pro Plus consistently outperforms its competitors, including the Redmi Note 12 Pro. One notable advantage of the Realme 12 Pro's camera is its ability to capture detailed highlights and shadows, resulting in more natural-looking images. When shooting at night, the phone's camera performs exceptionally well, thanks to support for optical image stabilization (OIS) on both the main camera and telephoto camera. The 3x telecamera, in particular, stands out as a game-changer for portrait photography. With an equivalent focal length of around 71mm, it can effectively reduce clutter within the frame or create a cleaner background. This feature is perfect for capturing stunning portraits with minimal distraction. Furthermore, the Realme 12 Pro supports a pro HDR display effect, which enhances the visual quality of photos taken on the phone. The camera's capabilities are further complemented by its ability to capture excellent low-light images, making it an excellent choice for users who frequently take night-time shots. Overall, the Realme 12 Pro's camera is a significant strength that sets it apart from other mid-range phones in its price range. Its periscope telecamera, combined with OIS on both cameras and excellent image quality, makes it a compelling option for photography enthusiasts and casual users alike.
Price and Value
The Realme 12 Pro Plus is a mid-range phone that packs a punch above its weight class. With a periscope telephoto camera, a powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip, and a stunning OLED screen, this phone is an excellent choice for those seeking high-end features at an affordable price. Priced in the mid-range bracket, the Realme 12 Pro Plus offers incredible value for its specifications. The phone's sleek design and premium build quality make it stand out from other mid-range devices. The unique blue and gold color scheme is particularly eye-catching, making this phone a style statement. One of the standout features of the Realme 12 Pro Plus is its camera system. With a periscope telephoto lens that rivals high-end flagships, this phone takes stunning photos with excellent detail and accurate white balance. The main camera also produces great results, especially in bright lighting conditions. In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip provides smooth and efficient processing, even when running demanding apps or playing games like PUBG Mobile. The battery life is also impressive, with a 5,000mAh cell that easily lasts a day and a half with moderate use. Considering its price point, the Realme 12 Pro Plus offers exceptional value. It's one of the few mid-range phones to feature a periscope telephoto camera, making it an excellent choice for those who want high-end features without breaking the bank. Overall, the Realme 12 Pro Plus is a solid mid-range phone that delivers more than expected in its price bracket, making it a great option for anyone seeking a capable and stylish smartphone without paying flagship prices.
Performance
The Realme 12 Pro Plus 5G boasts an impressive array of features that set it apart from its mid-range competitors. One of the standout aspects is its performance, driven by the latest Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip. Compared to the familiar Qualcomm 778 SoC, the 7s Gen 2 processor has a higher core frequency and a more advanced 4nm process-based 700-series GPU. This translates to slightly improved CPU performance and a 15% boost in graphics processing power. In our testing, we found that the Realme 12 Pro ran smoothly even with demanding games like PUBG Mobile set to very high graphics settings. The game's visuals were crisp and engaging, making for an enjoyable gaming experience. However, it was when pushing the phone to its limits that the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip truly shone. With less stressful games, the Realme 12 Pro handled the graphics with ease, producing smooth performance without any lag or stuttering. The camera upgrade on the Realme 12 Pro is another notable feature, boasting a periscope telephoto lens not commonly found in mid-range devices. This upgrade provides impressive results, especially when compared to similarly priced rivals like the Redmi Note 12 Pro. In our tests, the Realme 12 Pro's main and telephoto cameras delivered better detail, with more accurate white balance. When shooting at night, the phone performed well, with both cameras supporting optical image stabilization (OIS). Overall, the Realme 12 Pro Plus 5G offers impressive performance that sets it apart from other mid-range devices on the market. Its powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip and feature-rich camera system make it an excellent choice for those seeking a high-end smartphone experience without breaking the bank.
Pros
1. The phone has a periscope telephoto camera, which is very rare on mid-range phones.
2. It's powered by the latest Snapdragon 7S Gen 2 chip, which provides slightly ahead performance compared to 778 and a 15% better GPU in some games.
3. The camera part is the biggest upgrade, with a periscope tele camera that has much better detail and accurate white balance compared to other phones in the same price range.
4. The phone has a 120 Hz, 6.7-inch OLED screen which is pretty good in terms of real-world viewing with vibrant colors and high brightness.
5. The battery capacity is 5,000 mAh with excellent power consumption control chip, ensuring no need to worry too much about battery life.
Cons
1. The frame is plastic, but this helps the phone maintain a decent weight while having a super spec camera module.
2. There's only support for maximum 67 W charging power at a voltage of 200-240 volt, which will be reduced to 55 W if you're in an area using 100-130 volt.
3. The charging speed at 67 W is not extremely fast, but it gets the job done.
4. It's hard to find other phones in the same price range that can match the camera performance of Realme 12 Pro Plus
5. No mention of any additional features or upgrades beyond what was mentioned