The mid-range or sub-$500 smartphone section continues to be a bustling one particularly in price-sensitive markets like India. Realme has managed to carve a distinct segment for itself right here by regularly delivering new choices with improved specs and nice designs. The latter facet has at all times been the model’s signature recipe for any new smartphone, and that’s nonetheless going robust in 2024. The Realme 12 sequence is the most recent quantity providing from the Chinese model and already, we now have about 5 totally different fashions starting from $150 to about $400. The one on check at present is the Realme 12 Plus 5G, which sits someplace in the course of the pack and but, manages to cram some fairly spectacular options. Realme claims it’s the primary within the section to get a 50MP Sony LYT-600 major digital camera sensor, together with IP54 water resistance with “Rainwater Smart Touch” remedy for the show, and a 120Hz AMOLED show with extremely excessive peak brightness. These options, coupled with a complicated design and aggressive pricing makes it a really tempting proposition. It’s time to search out out when you ought to certainly think about it over the competitors. Realme 12 Plus 5G: Price and availability(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The Realme 12 Plus 5G is offered in lots of Southeast Asian nations like India, Malaysia, and the Philippines. I acquired the Indian retail unit of the top-end variant, priced at Rs. 21,999 ($265), which comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The base variant isn’t less expensive at Rs. 20,999 ($253) and has the identical quantity of RAM however 128GB of storage. Needless to say, it’s best to get the 256GB variant immediately when you’re contemplating this telephone, because it’s the most effective worth for cash. The 12 Plus 5G is available in two colours, Pioneer inexperienced and Navigator beige. The latter is extra of a impartial shade and can go properly with any apparel, however the inexperienced variant actually has its personal allure and appears equally placing. Swipe to scroll horizontallyRealme 12 Plus 5G specs ClassRealme 12 Plus 5GOSRealme UI 5.0 (Android 14)Display 6.67-inch AMOLED, FHD+ (2,400×1,080), 120Hz refresh fee ChipsetMediaTek Dimensity 7050RAM8GBStorage128GB, 256GBAudioStereo speakersConnectivity5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2SecurityIn-display fingerprint sensor Protection IP54 water and dirt resistanceBattery5,000mAh, 67W SUPERVOOC charging CamerasRear: 50MP Sony LYT-600 with OIS major + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro; Front: 16MP Dimensions162.95 x 75.4 x 7.87mmWeight190gColorsPioneer Green, Navigator BeigeRealme 12 Plus 5G: What I like (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The whole 12 sequence is constructed across the identical design language in partnership with luxurious watch designer Ollivier Savéo. The single, round rear digital camera dial, vegan leather-based again panel, and the diamond-patterned stripe operating vertically by means of the middle of the telephone are all mentioned to be impressed by luxurious watches. The Pro fashions within the sequence get extra intricate patterns, however for what it prices, I believe the Realme 12 Plus appears fashionable and distinctive. The fake leather-based again additionally means there’s no fear of cracks when you drop it or ugly fingerprint smudges. The telephone doesn’t really feel too heavy at 190g regardless of packing a big show and battery. Realme has included a headphone jack for individuals who nonetheless want wired audio, and the second slot of the dual-SIM tray can accommodate a microSD card when you want extra storage. The Redmi 12 Plus can be IP54-rated for mud and water resistance, which is a giant deal on this section. It’s not waterproof, however it ought to simply survive a heavy drizzle or mild splashes of water. (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The show on the Realme 12 Plus can be superb for its section. It’s a flat 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a FHD+ (2,400×1,080) decision and a dynamic 120Hz refresh fee. The protecting glass has 3D-curved edges throughout so it’s mild in your fingers when performing gestures. Color copy is vibrant and the display screen has a peak brightness of as much as 2,000 nits (600 nits typical). Thanks to this, content material was at all times simply seen, even below the cruel Mumbai summer time warmth. The vibrancy of colours might be adjusted within the Settings app, however I discovered the default Vivid profile to be fairly correct. I additionally didn’t discover any main colour shift when viewing the show off-axis, which is an efficient signal.(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The 12 Plus 5G’s show additionally will get one thing known as a Rainwater Smart Touch function. This is meant to take care of correct contact response even when water falls on the show and likewise retains the in-display fingerprint reader useful with moist fingers. This form of works to an extent, however not at all times. For occasion, the show nonetheless registers phantom touches when positioned below operating water, however as soon as eliminated, it’s really usable even with large droplets nonetheless on the display screen. Using the fingerprint sensor in such situations was hit and miss, because it labored typically however struggled to register in any other case. (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The efficiency of the Realme 12 Plus 5G has been a easy affair within the two weeks I’ve been utilizing it. It’s backed by a decently highly effective MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, which is a little more potent than a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 however on par or little behind one thing like a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 in benchmarks. If you’re an informal cellular gamer like myself, then you definitely’ll take pleasure in taking part in video games like Asphalt 9: Legends or Call of Duty Mobile (with low to medium graphics) on the 12 Plus. The visuals are nice, the framerate is usually stable, and the sound from the stereo audio system will preserve you engaged for hours. Some portion of the body and the rear digital camera bump get a bit heat after, say, 30 minutes of taking part in, however by no means overly sizzling. The display screen has a typical 240Hz contact sampling fee, which I discovered to be sufficient. (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The Realme 12 Plus 5G labored properly on the 5G networks right here in India. The telephone helps a complete of 9 5G bands, a few of that are additionally supported by all the main U.S. carriers, which implies you possibly can simply use the telephone in your travels to the U.S. NFC shouldn’t be current, however you get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.Battery life is kind of spectacular, too, with the 5,000mAh capability simply lasting for as much as two full days on one cost. Even with a little bit of gaming and heavy digital camera testing, I used to be nonetheless capable of go previous one full day of use. The 12 Plus 5G may also be charged rapidly, because of 67W SUPERVOOC quick charging. In apply, you may get a 50 p.c cost in slightly below 20 minutes. The neatest thing about Realme telephones is that the charger comes bundled within the field. (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The major digital camera on the Realme 12 Plus 5G is fairly good for the section. The 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor is optically stabilized (OIS) and has an aperture of f/1.9. Photos are saved at roughly 12.5MP decision by default, however you possibly can take a full 50MP photograph if that you must. Landscapes and close-up images typically have good sharpness, vivid colours, and first rate particulars in daylight. The ultrawide additionally manages some first rate pictures right here below vibrant daylight. Low-light pictures from the primary digital camera are pretty detailed, autofocus is fast, and you may get away with capturing single-handed in Night mode (with a one-second delay) because of OIS.Image 1 of 11(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)The giant sensor additionally allows you to do a 2x lossless zoom (in-sensor crop). Some fascinating capturing modes embrace Street, which helps you to toggle an auto-zoom function. Once you faucet your topic, the app tries to aesthetically body the shot by zooming in on it. You additionally get the same old choice of capturing modes like slow-mo, timelapse, and so on. The 12 Plus 5G may shoot movies as much as 4K 30fps, however with none stabilization.Realme 12 Plus 5G: What I did not like(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)Apart from the primary digital camera on the 12 Plus 5G, the remainder are fairly run-of-the-mill sensors that fail to impress. The rear digital camera dials make it seem like there are 4 cameras, however one in every of them is only a dummy to finish the symmetry. The 8-megapixel ultrawide digital camera fares properly in daylight, with minimal barrel distortion, however colours and particulars are weak in comparison with the primary digital camera. In low mild, Night mode helps keep an honest publicity, however peek a bit nearer, and you will discover colours and particulars are merely missing. There’s a 2MP macro digital camera within the dial, too, however it’s not nice and finest left unused. Sadly, the 16MP selfie digital camera isn’t a lot to shout about both. You can count on satisfactory selfies below good lighting however common ones in low mild. There’s a display screen flash to help in low-light pictures, however it could possibly solely achieve this a lot. The high quality of recorded video is pretty common too from the ultrawide digital camera. You can solely file as much as 1080p 30fps with it, however when you start recording with the primary digital camera at this decision, there’s no technique to change to the ultrawide mid-shooting. Image 1 of 5(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)(Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)My major gripe with the 12 Plus 5G is the bloated nature of Realme UI 5.0 itself. It’s a derivation of Oppo’s ColorOS, which has additionally acquired touches of OnePlus’ OxygenOS alongside the best way. This model is predicated on Android 14, and Realme claims that it’s going to get three years of software program updates. Unfortunately, there are merely means too many redundant and spammy apps which can be preinstalled, and even once you first arrange the telephone, it seems like somebody has been utilizing it for a month. (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)You additionally must be conscious to skip prompt app installs throughout preliminary setup, or else you’ll be saddled with much more apps earlier than you even start. What makes it worse is the continuous notifications from a few of them that muddle your notification shade. Thankfully, you possibly can reduce this by disabling a lot of the ideas throughout the apps, however it’s nonetheless annoying having to take care of it within the first place. My different little niggle is with the telephone’s always-on show (AOD) function or the truth that you possibly can’t precisely have it at all times on. There’s normally an choice to allow this, however it’s absent from the 12 Plus 5G. This means the AOD disappears when you place the telephone down and solely prompts once more when you get a notification or transfer it a bit. (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)Finally, the 12 Plus 5G is a big telephone and whereas that 190g of whole weight is distributed properly, the flat nature of the body shouldn’t be essentially the most comfy to carry and use, particularly with one hand. The shiny end of the facet rail can be a ache to maintain clear and because it attracts mud and fingerprints nearly instantly. Realme 12 Plus 5G: Competition (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As spectacular because the options are of the Realme 12 Plus for its section, there are different gamers with equally spectacular rivals. The Poco X6 5G begins at roughly the identical worth however presents double the storage, and it even has a 512GB variant with 12GB of RAM for not far more. It packs a stronger Snapdragon SoC and Gorilla Glass Victus, whereas staying aggressive in all different areas with Realme. The iQoo Z9 is one other latest providing with a function set much like the 12 Plus 5G. It, too, incorporates a very succesful Sony major digital camera sensor and a extra power-efficient 4nm MediaTek SoC. Realme’s personal premium fashions are usually not too far off, both. By spending a bit extra, you may get the Realme 12 Pro 5G, which has a extra premium design, curved-edge show, a greater chipset, and a portrait digital camera with 2x optical zoom. There’s additionally the superb Nothing Phone 2a which has the distinctive clear again with programmable notification lights and excellent all-round efficiency. Realme 12 Plus 5G: Should you purchase it? (Image credit score: Roydon Cerejo/ Android Central)You should purchase this if… You need a unique-looking telephone with out spending loads You need licensed water resistance You need a vivid show and nice battery life You should not purchase this if… You need a lean model of Android You need high quality selfie and ultrawide cameras You play quite a lot of heavy video games The Realme 12 Plus 5G is a stable funds providing that checks off a lot of the bins when you’re purchasing on this section. Design has at all times been one in every of Realme’s robust fits, and it’s on full show right here. The vegan leather-based end and luxurious watch-inspired digital camera dial on the again is bound to show heads, because it makes it look costlier than it really is. It’s additionally waterproof, helps expandable storage, and has a headphone jack. The efficiency is first rate, the show is vibrant and punchy, the battery life is nice, and the primary digital camera is dependable regardless of the time of day. A few issues that you just won’t like is the annoying fluff in Realme UI. The redundant apps and their tendency to spam you with adverts and unsolicited ideas get annoying in a short time. The secondary cameras might have been loads higher, too, particularly in low mild. Finally, when you’re within the U.S., then you definitely’re out of luck attempting to get this. In reality, Realme hasn’t but launched the 12 sequence exterior a handful of Southeast Asian nations. Not to fret, as there are many good low cost Android telephones which can be extra simply accessible.
An actual cut price
For a telephone priced below $300, the Realme 12 Plus 5G get s loads proper, from the surprisingly good major digital camera sensor to the vegan leather-based end on the again. Casual cellular avid gamers may also be blissful to know that they’re going to be capable to get away with greater than a day of use with the good thing about 67W quick charging.