Realme 12+ 5G review

Buying a smartphone today is no less than a challenge, with multiple brands offering everything good spanning across a wide range of budgets. And tech enthusiast or not, flagship phones don’t always have a justifiable price tag. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on the features that are important to you. Mid-range phones are capable of providing you with a powerful experience without having you dive into your savings.

Smartphone makers today have ensured a flagship-grade performance on a relatively modest budget with their mid-range phones. Realme recently brought forth its latest offering within the segment, the Realme 12+ 5G, with an attempt to reimagine ‘mid’ as the new premium. We had the opportunity to put it to test, and here’s our Realme 12+ 5G review.

Realme 12+ 5G design

The Realme 12+ 5G’s design will immediately catch your eye, and there’s a good reason for it. The leather-inspired back panel is striking and sports a PVD stainless-steel plated frame. The Pioneer Green shade, for one, exudes just the right amount of elegance and style, especially for those who like a bit of bling on their phone. Of course, the metallic sides might invite fingerprints if you don’t plan to use a case with it.

ALSO READ: Realme 12 5G, Realme 12+ 5G bring premium designs to the affordable segment

There’s the circular camera island at the back, but it does not make the device bulky, and it is surprisingly comfortable and lightweight to hold owing to its rounded edges. What may seem off, to say the least, is its SIM card tray placement at the bottom and the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, which you’re most likely to miss. Apart from this, the brand has provided sleek volume and power buttons on the right and a speaker grill and microphone at the bottom.

Realme 12+ 5G display

The Realme 12+ 5G gets a 6.67-inch AMOLED display (2400 × 1080 pixels) with minimal bezels (except the slight chin). The circular punch-hole rests in the middle of the screen, and there may be times you find it annoying, more so when you try to game.

The 120Hz refresh rate is responsive and snappy, but what stands out is its brightness, which does not take a backseat even when you’re dealing with it on a sunny day. We tried playing a high-res video, and the colours didn’t disappoint.

You might occasionally miss the sharpness in your video, but it doesn’t seem like a hurdle when you compare it alongside the price you’re actually paying for the phone.

Realme 12+ 5G performance

The Realme 12+ 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset and is coupled with 8GB of RAM, 256GB storage capacity. The specifications are adequate for not-too-heavy, routine usage. There were no notable glitches or lags during the time we reviewed the phone; however, we did find the YouTube app crashing a couple of times when we tried playing a higher-resolution video on maximum brightness.

The device runs Android 14-based Realme UI 5.0, which is colourful and intuitive. That said, be prepared to turn a blind eye to bloatware, as the interface is full of it, and there’s certainly no way around it.

The 5,000mAh battery doesn’t have you running from post to pillar for a charger. Even after using the phone for games, quite extensively, on max brightness.

Realme also gives you a 67W SUPERVOOC fast charging support for the phone, and it does a pretty good job at powering up to 50 per cent within 20 minutes of charging.

Realme 12+ 5G camera

The triple-camera rear setup at the back consists of a 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro sensors. In the front, you get a 16MP punch-hole selfie camera.

The rear camera does an exceptional, near-flagship job at capturing details. Its night mode is remarkable, and does not compromise on the vibrancy. And if that’s not enough, the OIS truly gives you a blur-free result. You have the option of 20x digital zoom, and while your final photo will definitely lose details, it really doesn’t disappoint, again, considering the phone’s cost.

We had no complaints with the selfie camera; however, the portrait mode could’ve certainly been slightly more accurate, as we didn’t find the results blurring the background enough.

Unboxed Take: Who should get the Realme 12+ 5G?

We used the Realme 12+ 5G for a few days and there wasn’t a lot that we had a concern with. It manages to capture the essence of luxury at a rather affordable Rs 20,999 and Rs 21,999 price tags, respectively.

ALSO READ: Realme 12 5G review

Other options within the price range are the Oppo F25 Pro 5G or the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G. That said, despite having similar specs, the Realme 12+ 5G definitely gives you a premium, vegan leather-back design. So, if you’re someone who wants a bit of everything but doesn’t want to spend a fortune, there couldn’t be a better phone for you.