realme Philippines has just launched the realme 12 5G series, with both phones in the lineup—the 12+ 5G and Pro+ 5G—offering features comparable to flagship handsets.
The phones’ rear camera system, which features Sony’s new line of lenses with high light intake, is paired with a striking design inspired by luxury watches.
While both devices have great potential, the realme 12+ 5G is one you might want to consider if you’re looking for a stylish, feature-rich phone with a more pocket-friendly price tag.
If you’re curious about what this device has to offer, read on.
Design & construction
As with any smartphone, the first thing that you’ll notice on the realme 12+ is its back cover—and this one is out to give you a show.
The focal point of the back of the phone is the three-camera module that features a polished black sunburst dial and polished PVC edges. Complementing the setup is the golden 3D jubilee bracelet that extends across the device’s rear. Enhancing the luxurious feel of our Navigator Beige variant is its premium vegan leather cover.
The device exudes elegance, and it’s no surprise as realme partnered with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo to craft a design inspired by high-end watches.
When it comes to physical buttons, the realme 12+ is pretty straightforward. The left side of the device doesn’t contain any, while the right edge has the volume rocker and power switch. At the bottom is the card slot for two nano SIMs, USB-C port, and main speaker, while at the top is the 3.5mm audio jack and a secondary audio output.
In addition to being a stunner, the realme 12+ is a pleasure to hold even over a prolonged period. The device’s vegan leather cover is nice to the touch and its flat panel edges provide a good grip. Besides that, the device is lightweight, weighing only 190g. It’s only 7.87mm thick but still feels sturdy and durable.
Display & multimedia
The realme 12+ 5G sports a 6.67-inch flat display with a 2400 x 1080 pixels FHD+ resolution. And because it’s SUPER AMOLED, you can expect vivid picture quality—from static photos on Facebook to HD movies on Netflix. Scrolling through social media and switching between apps is quick and seamless, thanks to the display’s 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate.
Even if your hands are wet, you can expect to get the same speedy response when scrolling apps. That’s because the device supports Rainwater Smart Touch, which detects if there is liquid on the screen and improves its touch accuracy. The phone is also IP54 dust- and water-resistant, which means added protection against dust and spills.
A slight hiccup, though, is that it wasn’t working as fast as expected when we were trying to unlock the phone through its in-display fingerprint scanner.
The bezel around the display may seem a bit thick at around 3mm, especially if you’re used to bezel-less phones, but it’s nothing you won’t get used to over time. Plus, its 92.65% screen-to-body ratio makes binge-watching shows trouble-free and pleasurable.
The display remains bright even on a sunny day outdoors, thanks to its peak brightness of 2000 nits and Sunlight Display technology that improves picture quality under direct sunlight.
As for the audio, realme built this device with two speakers—at the bottom and top—to provide users with a more immersive sound. As promised, listening to music and streaming movies is enjoyable as the audio is clear, crisp, and loud. To appreciate the balanced, solid output even better, go jam with your headphones.
Camera
The realme 12+ 5G has a 50MP Sony LYT600 OIS main shooter. This camera is part of Sony’s latest sensor lineup, designed to capture well-lit photos by efficiently gathering a significant amount of light.
In addition, the device also has an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP macro lenses. True enough, the entire setup produces stunning photos that are brighter and more vivid compared to other flagship smartphones.
The camera produces brilliant photos in various conditions, be it day or night, indoors or outdoors. But the camera’s ability to brighten up any image can be further improved like, let’s say, when capturing sunsets from afar. Based on our test, the camera tends to flush out the colors, making the sunset’s purple-to-orange gradient hardly visible.
Unless you’re a sunset lover, the realme 12+ 5G is an impressive photography partner both for its power to liven up any scenario and other features, like its night mode that keeps photos sharp even in the dark, as well as street mode which allows you to switch between 16, 26, and 52mm lenses.
The rear camera system is paired with a 16MP selfie camera, which realme claims to take “cinematic” snaps. As promised, the photos we took are brightly colored and removed blemishes on the skin without making the shots look too filtered.
Check out the photos we took using the realme 12+ below:
In addition to taking beautiful photos, the realme 12+ can capture vivid and sharp videos with 4K resolution @ 30fps. The quality remains the same when using the phone’s Dual View Video feature, which allows you to use both the front and rear cameras at the same time. Audio quality still needs to be enhanced, though, as we had to turn up the volume to hear the sounds recorded in the videos.
Performance & battery
The realme 12+ 5G is packed with a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset with 5G connectivity and dual SIM support. The octa-core processor delivers speedy and smooth performance—from doing everyday tasks and binge-watching shows to playing graphics-intensive games like Asphalt 9.
More importantly, the device works without lags even when multiple apps are running at the same time, thanks to this rugged processor paired 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
In addition, the realme 12+ runs the realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. It offers a delightful user experience with a clean and user-friendly interface, along with features that enhance phone security, personalization, and performance.
Keeping the lights on is a 5000mAh battery that juices up using a fast-charging 67W SUPERVOOC power block. The massive battery can keep the device running for three days max with casual use of apps and cameras. Meanwhile, the charger can power up the phone from 14 percent to full in as fast as one hour.
Speed says
With all its promising features, the realme 12+ 5G is out to prove how a midranger can beat a flagship. Its rear camera system, in particular, produces vivid and crisp photos that are livelier than those produced by some flagship phones.
The device also boasts a vibrant SUPER AMOLED display, a lag-free MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor, plus a stylish and attractive design. It’s a competitive device that’s worth considering, especially with its affordable price of P19,999.
The realme 12+ 5G is available in realme stores and online via Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
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