Realme 12 Plus Review: Should you buy this phone?
Realme 12 Plus complete review after use:
Looking for a new phone that won’t break the bank? The Realme 12 Plus might be the perfect choice for you. I’ve been using it for a while now, and here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know to decide if it’s the right fit.
Design and Build: Looks Good, Feels Good (Mostly)
The Realme 12 Plus comes in two colors, brown and green, and both look pretty snazzy. The back is made of glossy plastic, but it has a leather feel that makes it look more premium. It’s not the lightest phone out there at 195 grams, but it’s comfortable to hold. Build quality feels good overall, especially considering the price. Plus, it has an IP54 rating, so a little dust or splash won’t hurt it.
Fingerprint Sensor and Display:
The fingerprint sensor hidden under the display is super fast and accurate, unlocking your phone in a flash. They also included an always-on display feature, which is cool, but a bit of a bummer. It only stays on for 5 seconds. A permanent option would have been much better
The display itself is a real treat. It’s a smooth 120Hz panel, making scrolling and swiping through everything a joy. Here’s a heads-up though: I noticed that some apps seemed stuck at 60Hz even when I set the display to 120Hz. Hopefully, they’ll fix that with an update.
The bezels around the screen are average-sized, with the bottom one being a bit thicker than the top. Some phones have slimmer bezels these days, but the Realme 12 Plus makes up for it with fantastic outdoor visibility. The screen can get super bright, at 2000 nits (although that’s only for HDR content), so you’ll have no problem seeing it even on a sunny day.
Sound Quality and Media:
Let’s talk entertainment! The stereo speakers on this phone are awesome. They pump out clear and crisp audio, and even at high volume, the back of the phone doesn’t rattle. Big win for movie marathons and music lovers.
Speaking of visuals, the phone supports HDR10+, so you’ll get stunning picture quality for HDR content on YouTube. Just a note: I couldn’t find HDR working on Netflix, but YouTube looked fantastic.
Performance: Handles Anything You Throw at It:
The Realme 12 Plus packs a punch under the hood. It has a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 5G chipset, which is power-efficient and keeps the phone cool. It also scored a very respectable 598400 on AnTuTu, a benchmark test. Basically, this phone can handle anything you throw at it, from everyday tasks to demanding games. The 8GB of RAM helps you multitask like a champ, and the UFS 3.1 storage ensures everything runs smoothly.
Gaming: Not a Beast, But Holds Its Own:
This isn’t exactly a gaming phone, but you can definitely play some games on it without any issues. I tested PUBG Mobile, and the phone held a steady 56-59 FPS with the hardware gyro support working great. Compared to another phone with the same chipset (Oppo Reno 11F), the Realme 12 Plus kept the frame rate much more stable, so it seems like the phone is well-optimized for gaming. I also tried COD Mobile and had no complaints.
Battery Life: Could Be Faster Charging, But Lasts All Day:
The 5000mAh battery provides decent battery life. With heavy use (120Hz refresh rate and mobile data), I got over 5 hours. If you’re using Wi-Fi and taking it easy, you can expect to squeeze out more than 8 hours. The phone supports 67W fast charging, which is great, but it takes a little longer than expected to charge fully. It took about 1 hour and 5 minutes in my tests. Ideally, a 67W charger should get you to 100% in 45-50 minutes.
Camera System: Takes Great Photos, Videos Are Just Okay:
The Realme 12 Plus has a triple-camera system on the back: a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. The pictures I took looked really good, but the phone tends to boost the colors a bit in processing, making them look more vibrant than real life. Skin tones look natural though, and overall, the photos are close to reality without being overly saturated or unbalanced.
Portrait mode works well, but sometimes it struggles a bit with detecting the edges of your hair or clothes. Ultrawide photos are just average, but low-light performance is decent. You can get usable indoor shots, and night mode does a good job of capturing details.
As for videos, the Realme 12 Plus can record in 4K at 30 FPS or 1080p at 60 FPS. The main sensor videos were good, but the optical image stabilization (OIS) wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped. Selfies came out sharp and colorful, but the front camera can only record videos at 1080p at 30 FPS. So, the camera takes great photos, but video recording is a bit of a mixed bag.
Should You Buy It?
Overall, the Realme 12 Plus is a compelling option in its price range. It has a stylish design, a smooth 120Hz display, great speakers, and a powerful processor that can handle anything you need it to do. The camera takes fantastic photos, and the battery life is decent, although the fast charging could be a bit faster.
Pros
- Stylish design with two color options
- Smooth 120Hz display
- Excellent speakers
- Powerful processor for great performance
- Fast in-display fingerprint sensor
- Very good camera for photos, especially in good lighting
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Always-on display only lasts 5 seconds
- Some apps might be stuck at 60Hz refresh rate
- Fast charging could be faster
Summary:
If you’re looking for a stylish and powerful phone that won’t break the bank, the Realme 12 Plus is a great choice. It takes fantastic photos, has a long-lasting battery, and can handle all your daily tasks and even some gaming. However, if you’re a videography enthusiast, you might want to consider other options. Ultimately, the decision depends on your priorities and budget. But based on my experience, the Realme 12 Plus is definitely a contender in its price range.