Realme’s number series has been seeing several members for a while now. The usual drill is that it launches the Pro models first, followed by the standard ones. The current Realme 12 series also follows the same pattern.
While we already have reviews of the Pro series live (check, Realme 12 Pro+ review), the newer Realme 12+ tries to impress with a 120Hz AMOLED display, exciting design, the latest software version, and much more. On paper, this looks like the option (especially for a young audience) but is it? While our review is in the works, let’s take a look at my first impressions of the Realme 12+.
Realme 12+ 5G: Price and Availability
The Realme 12+ is available in two configurations via Flipkart and Realme’s online store. Here’s the pricing.
8GB+128GB: Rs 20,999
8GB+256GB: Rs 21,999
Realme 12+ 5G: Design
Realme has been doing well in the design department and the Realme 12+ is an example. It looks a lot like its expensive siblings. I had the Pioneer Green colour variant with me, which has a leather finish at the back. This is a good departure from the usual monotonous design and also helps with the grip. The lightweight nature of the phone adds to the overall feel and makes it easier to carry around.
The big circular camera bump looks equally polished and it doesn’t protrude, which can be well suited for gaming. The phone’s middle frame has a glossy finish, which tries to balance out the leather look with a shiny element. However, this is prone to smudges and dust and requires constant cleaning.
That aside, the Realme 12+ appears like a solid and good-looking phone and can be a good conversation starter too. And hey! It’s IP54-rated, which keeps it safe from accidental water spills and dust too.
Realme 12+ 5G: Display
Upfront, you get a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a center-placed punch hole. The bezels are thin and you get support for a 120Hz refresh rate, something which has safely become a standard in this price range. It supports up to 2000 nits of peak brightness, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a screen resolution of 2400×1080 pixels.
It also includes an in-display fingerprint scanner and the Rainwater Smart Touch feature, which will help avoid any accidental touches when water is detected. While all this needs a little more testing, my initial impression of the Realme 12+ display is pretty good. The AMOLED nature of the display calls for bright colours, resulting in a decent viewing experience.
Realme 12+ 5G: Cameras
The cameras are one of the main highlights of the Realme 12+. It banks high on portrait images with the cinematic 2x portrait mode and supports features like in-sensor zoom, OIS, various camera filters, and more. You get a 50-megapixel primary shooter with a Sony LYT-600 sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The selfie shooter stands at 16-megapixel.
My initial time with the cameras has been good, but you’ll have to wait for the full review to figure out if this phone fits your profile.
Realme 12+ 5G: Hardware and software
The smartphone gets its power from the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset and supports up to 8GB of RAM (along with an additional 8GB of virtual RAM) and 256GB of storage. The standard 5,000mAh battery is onboard with support for a 67W SuperVOOC fast charger. Realme has also included the 4357mm2 stainless steel vapour chamber cooling system to keep things on the cooler side when dealing with intensive apps.
On the software part, there’s Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. The phone is promised to get three years of software updates. One bothersome thing is the amount of bloatware we get with the phone. The good thing is that you can choose to keep only the apps you want but this needs to be enabled while setting the phone up.
Final Thoughts
The Realme 12+ 5G, at a starting price of Rs 20,999, seems to have it all. An attractive design, decent cameras, and a lot of impressive features make it a compelling option for under 25k. With fierce competition from the POCO X6, OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, and iQOO Z7 Pro, the Realme 12+ looks to stand out. Does it?
I am yet to conclude and see how the phone fares and for this, you will have to wait for a few more days. So, stick around for our Realme 12+ review!
