realme 12 Pro Plus 5G is a great mid-range smartphone with a premium design, a good display and a flagship-level camera system.
The competition in the mid-range smartphone market is immense. Over the past few years, the smartphone market has significantly evolved as manufacturers vie for customer attention. Some companies, like Samsung, OnePlus, and Vivo, adhere to traditional, familiar designs and gradually refine their latest offerings. However, realme seems to be taking the opposite approach: the recently released realme 12 Pro Plus 5G surprises with its periscope telephoto lens, making it truly intriguing compared to its competitors.
The Chinese smartphone brand realme often refers to itself as a democratizer of technology. While this claim may not apply to all models, the flagship model in its latest series is undoubtedly a compelling argument.
After its announcement on January 29, 2024, the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G caught my attention, as it promised an excellent balance of price and quality in the mid-range price segment. Curious to see if it lives up to its promises, I eagerly agreed to test it out. I have a penchant for unique and unconventional gadgets, and this smartphone certainly looked intriguing, with its unconventional design and promising technical specifications. Let’s delve into it further to understand if it truly stands out in its price range.
Read alsо: Realme 11 Pro+ review: Truly extraordinary
Why is the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G interesting?
The new flagship smartphone from realme, the 12 Pro Plus 5G, boasts significant improvements across practically all key features, including the cameras, which now include a periscope telephoto lens. It’s worth noting that the camera setup used in this smartphone is unique for mid-budget devices.
The realme 12 Pro Plus 5G is a worthy successor to the popular smartphones from the well-known Chinese company. It features the same display, eco-leather design, and a 5000mAh battery as the realme 11 Pro Pro. However, it’s worth noting that the new model is equipped with a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC processor, complemented by 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Additionally, the cameras have been upgraded, including a 50MP IMX890 with a 6x built-in zoom and a 64-megapixel periscope OV64B with a 3x optical zoom. However, the realme 12 Pro Plus comes at a significantly higher price point.
The only model available on the electronics store shelves so far is the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 memory. Other configurations are expected soon. The novelty will cost you $520.
The price is quite attractive considering the technical specifications and functional capabilities of the new product from realme. I am confident about this from my own experience, which I’ll describe below. But for now, let’s stick to the dry figures of the technical specifications.
realme 12 Pro Plus 5G specifications
- Screen: AMOLED, 6.7 inches, 2412×1080, 21:9, 120 Hz, 394 ppi, Gorilla Glass protection, HDR10, up to 950 nits
- Processor: octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4 Cortex-A78 cores at 2400 MHz and 4 Cortex-A55 cores at 1950 MHz), 2.4 GHz
- Graphics chip: Adreno 710
- Memory: 12/512 GB, no memory card support
- Battery: 5000 mAh, fast charging 67 W
- Cameras:
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- Main camera 50 MP: Sony IMX890 OIS, 1/1.56”, f/1.8, F 24 mm, OIS
- Wide-angle module 8 MP: 112°, Hynix Hi846W 1/4, F 16 mm, f/2.2
- Telephoto camera 64 MP: 120X Periscope SuperZoom module, OmniVision OV64B, 1/2”, f 2.6, F 80 mm, OIS
- Front camera 32 MP: f/2.5, 22 mm
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- Data transmission: 5G, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
- Operating system: Android 14, realme UI 5.0 interface
- Dimensions: 161.6×73.9×8.7 mm
- Weight: 196 g
- Additional features: under-display fingerprint scanner, parental controls, gyroscope, compass.
Read also: Realme C67 4G review: stereo sound, IP54 and battery life
What’s in the package?
The smartphone is packaged in the standard bright yellow cardboard box typical for realme devices. I appreciate the minimalist design of the box – just the device name and brand, and that’s it.
Inside, along with the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G itself, there’s a 67W power adapter and a USB Type-C cable.
They also included a transparent protective case for the smartphone, a SIM card tray ejector pin, and various paper instructions and warranty card. It’s worth noting that a protective film is already applied to the smartphone screen.
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Interesting design
The design of the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G is quite interesting, although I wouldn’t call it unique or outstanding. However, it’s worth noting that it was worked on by the renowned Swiss watchmaker Olivier Savio.
First and foremost, it is worth emphasizing that realme did not collaborate with the luxury watch brand Rolex. However, its golden fluted bezel and accents, inspired by luxurious watches, give it a touch of premium quality. Developed in collaboration with the renowned watchmaker Olivier Savio, who collaborates with prestigious Swiss brands, the phone reflects a blend of craftsmanship and modern technology.
The realme 12 Pro Plus features vegan leather in its design, while the camera block design resembles a luxurious watch, partially echoing the design of last year’s realme 11 Pro Plus. However, there are still some changes in the smartphone’s appearance. For instance, a new color variant has been added, as well as an updated camera module, contrasting edges, and much more, enhancing its aesthetic appeal.
I had the opportunity to review the Navigator Beige variant of the phone. It is also available in Submarine Blue and Explorer Red colors.
The design is so impressive that finding a case that doesn’t conceal its attractiveness is very challenging. By the way, the company includes a transparent case in the device package, but it fails to replicate the same pleasant feeling as holding the smartphone without a case.
The textured back panel of the device is complemented by a vertical golden seam, which seems to connect the two halves of the gadget. The smartphone appears quite compact and lightweight. With dimensions of 161.6×73.9×8.7 mm, it weighs only 196 g. This makes the realme 12 Pro Plus comfortable for prolonged use.
Interestingly, the company has taken care to ensure practicality in usage by making the external coating of the device quite easy to clean, thanks to its low surface tension and hydrophobic properties, capable of dealing with 30 different types of stains. Although my beige variant didn’t conceal stains very well, so I constantly used a protective case, hiding such a luxurious design. The smartphone also received an IP65 dust and water resistance rating. This doesn’t mean it can be submerged in water, but splashes and raindrops are easily withstood by the realme 12 Pro Plus without any issues.
Although the round camera module protrudes slightly above the surface, it is protected by a metal rim, reminiscent of a watch bezel – an interesting design solution.
It’s worth noting that thanks to its shape, the realme 12 Pro Plus doesn’t wobble when placed on a table, and the curved edges of the screen provide a comfortable grip in hand.
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Ports, controls, and usage
Despite being quite large in size, holding and operating the realme 12 Pro Plus with one hand is quite convenient. This is thanks to the rounded, curved shape not only of the display but also of the back panel. The smartphone sits comfortably in the hand, with a pleasant weight and ease of use.
The volume control button and the power button are located on the right side of the phone, positioned where the index finger naturally rests when you hold the device.
There’s nothing on the left, which adds to the convenience of holding a smartphone.
On the bottom edge, there’s a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer, a grille for the main speaker, and a SIM card tray that supports two NanoSIM cards. MicroSD memory cards are not supported.
The top edge features an additional speaker, which, along with the main speaker, forms stereo sound, another microphone for noise cancellation during calls and stereo sound recording.
I was very impressed with the tactile sensations of the smartphone when holding it in my hands. The premium materials of the body, everything fits well, nothing squeaks, bends, or wobbles. You really marvel at the wonderful smartphones available in the mid-range segment these days. It’s almost like a flagship device, although some elements may be considered excessive – the luxury, embellishments, leather. Yes, some may really like it while others may find it annoying, but it won’t leave anyone indifferent.
A few words about the high-quality tactile vibration. In most cases, I rarely pay attention to this, but in the first few minutes of using the realme 12 Pro Plus, I was pleasantly impressed. I haven’t even turned it off, and I don’t regret it. The tactile vibration in realme devices is based on O-Haptics technology and has its own section in the phone settings called “haptic feedback.” Here, you can activate or deactivate O-Haptics and adjust the vibration intensity.
It’s worth noting that the O-Haptics technology also operates in other elements of the realmeUI system. For example, when adjusting the screen brightness, volume, reaching the end of a menu list, typing on the keyboard, viewing previously launched apps, and so on.
Thanks to tactile feedback, you get a positive experience of interacting with your smartphone. I recommend it, it’s a really cool feature!
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Display
The realme 12 Pro Plus boasts a curved 6.7-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution (2412×1080), a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz. By default, the display’s refresh rate is set to automatic mode. This means that the device will automatically switch between 60 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz depending on the content. These are the same display characteristics as its predecessor. By today’s standards, the screen is not the brightest, with a peak brightness of 950 nits. While this is decent, AMOLED displays in the new Redmi Note 13 series demonstrate brightness levels of 1200-1300 nits in manual mode and up to 1800 nits in automatic mode.
While the display itself exhibits excellent color reproduction, boasting a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. You can choose from three color modes: “Vivid”, “Natural”, and “Pro modes “.
A distinctive feature of the realme’s new release is the curved edges on the long sides. Although the curvature is slight, it enhances the immersive effect and makes full-screen content more appealing. The bezels around the display are also thin, providing an excellent screen-to-body ratio.
The realme 12 Pro Plus implements a high-frequency brightness adjustment technology of 2160 Hz, so PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is practically absent. The display is certified by TÜV Rheinland for flicker-free operation and low blue light emissions, reducing eye strain during prolonged use.
The new release also boasts HDR 10 support, which works on YouTube but, for some reason, does not work with Netflix. The Pro-XDR technology enhances HDR content, displaying intricate details and vibrant colors.
In addition, the smartphone is equipped with two Hi-Res speakers with precise Dolby Atmos tuning, providing an immersive experience for listening to and viewing content.
Some may be unpleasantly surprised by the absence of a notification LED in the smartphone. However, there’s always the Always-On Display (AOD) feature, which shows contextual information and notifications throughout the day or according to a schedule.
Using the smartphone in bright sunlight is also convenient. The display automatically adjusts brightness so that even when you’re under the midday sun, the content remains easily readable. The realme 12 Pro+ 5G also has TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification, ensuring that the OLED screen maintains color accuracy regardless of brightness.
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Unlocking methods
The smartphone, like all others, supports various unlocking methods – PIN code, facial recognition, fingerprint scanner. The most convenient of these is, of course, the fingerprint scanner. In the realme 12 Pro Plus, the fingerprint scanner is located on the screen at a convenient height, ensuring quick and flawless unlocking.
Most users prefer this placement of the scanner, considering it more convenient than placement in the power button, as inaccurate touches sometimes hinder device unlocking in the latter case. You won’t have any questions about the scanner’s performance itself. It works flawlessly, quickly unlocking the smartphone almost instantly.
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Performance
The realme 12 Pro Plus runs on a 4nm SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, making it one of the first smartphones to use this new mid-range chipset. This processor has nothing to do with the more powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 found in the gaming smartphone POCO F5. Instead, it could be considered a development of the popular Snapdragon 778, to which it is very close in terms of performance.
Although the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 boasts an octa-core processor configuration with 4 high-performance Cortex A78 cores and 4 power-efficient Cortex A55 cores, as well as the Adreno 710 GPU for graphics processing. With options for up to 12GB of RAM, the phone easily handles everyday tasks and demanding activities such as gaming with stable maximum performance. Comparative testing shows impressive results both in CPU and GPU tests.
The phone is available in three configurations: 8/128, 8/256, and 12/256(512) GB. The storage capacity is fixed, as there are no options to expand it using a microSD card. This is somewhat disappointing because 256 GB is not very much nowadays. Therefore, I would recommend opting for the 512 GB version.
During everyday use, the performance was always sufficient. The smartphone easily handles demanding applications in multitasking mode. However, gaming isn’t as smooth as it is on some other devices. After all, the realme 12 Pro Plus is not a gaming smartphone; it’s oriented towards regular users who aren’t particularly interested in gaming.
I didn’t notice any issues with overheating or freezing during normal use or gaming. Everything works stably, smoothly, and productively, even despite the fact that the processor is not flagship-level.
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Connectivity and communication
The new realme offering is equipped with all the necessary modern connectivity modules, providing support for Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, and dual SIM (with two nanoSIM slots, unfortunately, eSIM support is absent).
You’ll also have access to almost all location services: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS. And you can make contactless payments in stores using the NFC function. It’s a modern smartphone equipped with all the necessary communication and connectivity features.
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realme UI 5.0 software on Android 14
realme 12 Pro Plus comes with the latest software, realme UI 5.0, based on Android 14. The manufacturer promises two OS updates for its smartphone, which is decent for a mid-range device. The user interface offers several customization options such as themes, icon packs, always-on display mode, and more. Key aspects like the notification panel, quick settings toggles, and the app drawer remain faithful to the standard Android version.
Yes, the user interface itself has slightly changed, becoming more optimized and faster. Compared to last year’s realme 11 Pro Plus, there are fewer pre-installed apps here. Additionally, most of the apps can be removed if you don’t need them.
There are several convenient additions, such as the File DOTS feature, which provides quick access to recently opened images, videos, and documents. The PC Connect package also allows for convenient screen mirroring of the phone to a Windows PC.
With its user-friendly interface and practical features, the software of the realme 12 Pro Plus enhances overall user interaction, making it an attractive choice in its segment.
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Battery life
The realme 12 Pro Plus boasts a 5000mAh battery, which remains the same as the previous year’s realme 11 Pro. On average, the mobile device delivered 8 hours of screen time during very active usage, including streaming, web browsing, gaming, and social media engagement.
Even with more intensive usage, this modern smartphone should last at least a day. In the PCMark battery test, the realme 12 Pro Plus showed an impressive result of 14 hours and 37 minutes.
When it comes to charging speed, the realme 12 Pro Plus doesn’t impress with any records. The smartphone charges from 0 to 100% in one hour with the included 67W charger. This is an average charging speed for smartphones in this segment.
Read also: Realme C33 review: what to expect from a $140 smartphone?
Camera with 120X periscope SuperZoom module
I really liked that the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G takes a bold approach to photography, foregoing the megapixel race in favor of a more versatile setup. So it’s safe to say that this device stands out in the mid-budget segment with its cameras.
The company took a bold step with the release of the realme 12 Pro Plus 5G by replacing the 200-megapixel camera in the 11 Pro+ 5G with the main Sony IMX890 sensor at 50 MP. Additionally, it features a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto lens (which is one of the most advertised features of the phone) and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. Why is this a bold move? Because while a 200-megapixel camera doesn’t necessarily guarantee excellent image quality, it’s still an attractive specification on paper that can impress some users.
Moreover, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+, which is a direct competitor to this smartphone, also boasts a 200 MP main sensor and advertises it as one of its main advantages. On paper, the main camera at 50 MP compared to the main sensor of the realme 11 Pro Plus 5G at 200 MP may seem somewhat inferior. However, during real-world testing, I found that realme may have made a smart move.
In addition to the main Sony IMX890 sensor with a resolution of 50 MP f/1.8 and optical image stabilization, the new model has a 64 MP telephoto lens with a 120X periscope SuperZoom module, OmniVision OV64B, 1/2″, f 2.6, F 80 mm, OIS, and a “modest” 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with a 112° field of view, Hynix Hi846W 1/4, F 16 mm, f/2.2. It’s quite an interesting and unconventional set for the main camera. At the front, in a special opening at the top of the display, we have a 32-megapixel Sony IMX615 camera for selfies.
It’s worth noting that the smartphone supports ProXDR technology, which analyzes the image captured by the camera, optimizing photos to enhance brightness and dynamic range.
The main 50 MP sensor delivers excellent results compared to its counterparts, both in daylight and in low-light conditions.
While the colors may appear slightly oversaturated, the level of detail and sharpness is excellent. The sensor effectively exposes the image to capture details even in shaded areas.
ORIGINAL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS CAN BE FOUND HERE
But I found the second camera more intriguing. The 64-megapixel OV64B sensor boasts a large 1/2-inch size, which is rarely seen in smartphones in this price category. As a result, this camera captures an impressive amount of detail even at 3x zoom. The periscope-style lens arrangement with prism optics provides 3x optical zoom without loss. This results in great zoomed-in shots that retain clarity and dynamic range on par with regular shots. You can also utilize digital zoom up to a 6x hybrid range using the high-resolution sensor, with results almost as good as optical zoom. In the maximum supported 20x digital zoom range, the shots understandably become softer but still retain enough detail to be usable.
The OV64B sensor captures an excellent dynamic range and maintains a low level of noise even in challenging lighting conditions. This allows you to capture nighttime zoom shots with good exposure. Additionally, the lens boasts optical image stabilization, which reduces blurring from camera shake.
Despite being able to zoom in up to 120X, the image quality at such magnification may not be the best.
The third 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera allows capturing a wider field of view – perfect for landscapes. It features autofocus support, which is not typically found in budget ultra-wide cameras. Therefore, the focusing remains fast and consistent across the entire frame.
The details and dynamic range are decent, but understandably not as impressive as with the main cameras. Distortion correction in the images is also not as refined. However, overall, the ultra-wide sensor provides additional flexibility for group shots and shooting in confined spaces.
The night mode is useful, but its processing takes several seconds. There’s also a special tripod shooting mode with even longer exposure.
The front-facing 32-megapixel Sony camera captures high-resolution and detailed selfies. It has a wide 90º field of view.
The main camera can record video at 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. You get highly detailed videos with excellent color reproduction and contrast. The stabilization works well.
The portrait video mode is limited to 1080p, but this is a standard situation with many realme smartphones.
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Conclusions
The realme 12 Pro Plus 5G meets many of the requirements that potential buyers have when choosing a smartphone in this price range, but it does have some drawbacks. The smartphone has a great, quite unusual design, a quality display with good ergonomics and smoothness of operation, making the content viewing experience enjoyable. The cameras are mostly good and will surprise you if you’ve never used a periscope camera on a phone before. The clarity and level of detail in the photos will definitely impress. The processor is decent enough, but don’t expect it to be the fastest in its price segment. Battery life is another plus for this device.
Nevertheless, for those seeking first-class aesthetics in design and excellent camera capabilities at an affordable price, the realme 12 Pro Plus will be a great choice.
Advantages of realme 12 Pro Plus
- Functional and user-friendly software
- 67W charging adapter included
- Unconventional and unique design
- Amazing large 120Hz AMOLED display
- Long battery life and fast charging
- Impressive photos from the main camera module
- Pleasant price
Downsides of realme 12 Pro Plus
- Performance could be better
- Lack of wireless charging
- No significant improvements compared to previous models
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