realme 12 Pro+ 5G Review – Outstanding Value with Refined Experience

realme always strive to bring something disruptive in their number series to become innovative and have a captured unique appeal in the market. In this case the realme 12 Pro+ brings a periscope camera to more consumers at a price point of Php25,999.

Designed to be appreciated

The refined design of the realme 12 Pro+ shouts simplicity by standing out from the rest, using refined materials like vegan leather back and gold accent bezels within the camera module.  One hold of the device you know that you know it feels like a smartphone but completely different if you look at directly thanks to the meticulous details they poured into the body.

Holding the smartphone is solid on the grip, though just a heads up that the bigger camera module cause of the periscope camera added some weight into the top part of the device. When placed flat at its back the camera bump is noticeable at most, good thing that it doesn’t wobble in any way at all.

Their choices of materials and attention to small details made all the difference to have you another look at the smartphone. We personally like the blue and gold color way as this look is really new and appealing for us.

Entertainment Centric 

At the front the 6.7″ OLED premium display with bright 950nits and bouncing vibrance is inviting to watch and consume content as you please. Added with the standard 120Hz high refresh rate the fluidity in motion of graphics really feels like a flagship smartphone.

We’re glad that the realme 12 Pro+ has strong stereo speakers to pair with the immersive display. The sound quality is loud with clear reproduction towards high tones with a bit of trembling felt for bass effect when you are actually holding the device.

Stand Out Camera Performance 

Now hear us out, this smartphone is still priced for less than Php30,000 which is a very competitive and consumers in this price bracket are particularly picky when it comes about camera performance. The main camera is a 50MP Sony IMX890 combined with a a 64MP Portrait Periscope Camera with 3x Optical Zoom, this captures photos that have consistent focus, vibrance and sharpness.

We particularly like the experience of the improved software implemented, the interface is responsive to adjust in zooming, exposures and even switching of camera modes. Most of the time around 9/10 the shutter speed is snappy as expected, it just encounters some stuttering in moments of drastic change of exposure in the camera.

Simba the cat loving snugglesIn result, the realme 12 Pro+ is a camera powerhouse to capture with confidence tight, portraits, scenery, and even close up macro shots. In all of our shots that we took, the realme 12 Pro+ was able to adjust to well lighted and even challenging night scenarios.

In some scenarios of using the x3 zoom mode in the camera, we just noticed a slight white hue overlay in the photo which decreases the vibrancy of the color. But more important is that the zoom was fast to act and adjust and take the proper focus for sharp captured photos when in a distance.

At the front the 32MP Sony IMX615 Selfie Camera captures good color accuracy and highlights including bright environments.

Performance – It Can Do Everything without the Heat

Powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 Processor the SOC is both a curse and a gift. To some they will rant out that this is too weak in performance for such a capable smartphone, but on the other side of the story… this is a smartphone that is well capable of doing everything efficiently.

What others don’t realize is that this processor is a stable SOC in thermals, making it less prone to thermal throttling thus giving you a consistent performance in any scenario.

Plus with a large 512GB Storage and 12GB RAM, we think there isn’t any bottleneck among overloading the phone in tasks it can handle. We were able to multitask in social apps, juggle through media videos and even capture photos and videos in between without annoying stuttering or hiccups.To be able to do 90% of your tasks without experiencing your smartphone heating up in your pocket is a reason why we like the realme 12 Pro+.

For smartphone users who will demand intense graphics processing such as gaming, you might have to rethink this smartphone if this is the one for your fit. Or you can always set to either medium or low graphics settings in games like Genshin Impact to make the experience ideal.

Battery and Charging – Do it all over again 

realme really spoiled us by making 5000mAh a standard battery experience, and 67W SuperVOOC to charge up in less than an hour. At most days we can last with around more than 30% battery left when we get home, while its once in a blue moon to encounter a heavily drained battery scenario in the middle of a day with the realme 12 Pro+.

Our Concerns…

1. Stale Looking UI – Seeing realme smartphones since the very first realme C1, I just can’t help to observe but say that….the User Interface hasn’t significantly changed since the early days of the brand. From the icons and layout, I just feel that even with the latest Android and realme UI overlay, the look just feels the same as the realme 6 series back in 2020. We wish that the brand can notice this and give the UI a much needed fresh look.

Vegan Leather Back will take some adjustment – the back texture of the vegan leather is rough in the beginning as what characteristics of a leather should be. In due time, it will soften more and give a smoother and silkier feeling. Though at the start the back panel will be a magnet for dust mites due to this material, so make sure to wipe off with a clean cloth properly to maintain it.

Better than the realme 11 Pro+ ?

If you are asked the same question as well then you’re not alone, being similar in looks the two cannot be helped but compare. For this scenario you shouldn’t be with any regret if you purchased the realme 11 Pro+ already as the camera solution of that smartphone is completely different to the realme 12 Pro+. The 200MP camera sensor of the realme 11 Pro+ has a different processing solution even for zooming concerns.

Conslusion – Everything You Need for Php25,999

It’s rare to see a well balanced and valued smartphone as everything with the realme 12 Pro+ 5G is delightful. We particularly like the unique design and the strong flagship camera capabilities of the smartphone, all while being the only one with a periscope lens for Php25,999 (12GB + 512GB).

We have to admit that the realme 12 Pro+ 5G is a stand out smartphone even if you make a comparison sheet among other smartphones in its range side by side. realme just made another smartphone that is stunning to look, hold, and be confident to use with ideal performance that won’t disappoint on the inside. In short…the only deal breaker you will see in this phone are either you hate the design, or simply the processor isn’t a match for your needs.