Design and Build
The Realme 12 5G features a sleek design with a gradient finish, particularly striking in the Twilight Purple variant. Despite its plastic back, the shiny metal frame and large circular camera island give it a premium look. However, the frame tends to attract fingerprints, and the side-mounted fingerprint scanner, while responsive, can sometimes lead to accidental unlocks.
Display
The phone sports a 6.72-inch LCD display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. Although it lacks the vibrant colors of an AMOLED panel, the display is bright and sharp, making it suitable for outdoor use and media consumption. The “Extra Brightness” mode enhances visibility under direct sunlight, which is particularly useful for outdoor activities.
Performance and Battery Life
Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset, paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, the Realme 12 5G handles day-to-day tasks and gaming quite well. It can smoothly run games like Call of Duty Mobile and BGMI at medium graphics settings without noticeable lag or overheating.
The 5,000mAh battery ensures a full day of usage with moderate activities such as video playback, gaming, and photography. In our testing, the battery lasted 24 hours and 1 minute on a video loop test and 16 hours and 58 minutes on the PCMark Work 3.0 battery test. The 45W SuperVOOC charging support allows the phone to charge from 0 to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Camera
The Realme 12 5G is equipped with a dual-camera setup featuring a 108MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. While the primary camera captures decent detail, it struggles in brightly lit conditions, often overexposing images and producing weak contrast. Portraits tend to have softened edges, and color reproduction can be oversaturated. The 8MP front camera is sufficient for selfies and video calls, but don’t expect top-tier performance.
Software and Connectivity
Running on Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14, the Realme 12 5G comes with a significant amount of pre-installed bloatware, which may need to be removed to free up space. Connectivity options include 5G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, and GPS, ensuring that you stay connected wherever you go.
Conclusion
The Realme 12 5G is a well-rounded budget device offering a solid performance, decent battery life, and an attractive design at an affordable price. Priced at around PHP 14,999, it is a compelling option for those looking for a budget-friendly smartphone with 5G connectivity. However, if you prioritize camera performance and a better display, you might want to consider the Realme 12 Pro+ or other alternatives like the Redmi Note 13 5G.
Pros:
- Capable chipset
- Attractive design
- Decent speakers
- Affordable
Cons:
- Camera performance could be better
- LCD display instead of AMOLED
- Pre-installed bloatware
The Realme 12 5G is a great choice for budget-conscious buyers who need a reliable and stylish phone for everyday use.
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