Realme 12 Pro+ Review: A Mid-Range Smartphone With a Premium Telephoto Camera
Realme has cemented its place in the mid-range smartphone market, consistently delivering strong contenders. The Realme 12 Pro+ made a splash at launch, boasting a sleek design, capable performance, and impressive cameras – all at an attractive price point. However, the mid-range landscape has evolved significantly in the past year, introducing powerful contenders with innovative features like 200-megapixel cameras, IP68 water resistance, and super-fast charging. With this increased competition, can the Realme 12 Pro+ still hold its own? I’ve spent several weeks using the Realme 12 Pro+, and here’s my comprehensive assessment.
Realme 12 Pro+ Review: Price in India
The Realme 12 Pro+ is available in three stylish colors: Submarine Blue, Explorer Red, and Navigator Beige. It also comes in three variants:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs. 29,999
- 8GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs. 31,999
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs. 33,999
My review unit was the 12GB + 256GB variant in Submarine Blue. Given the slight price differences between the variants, I recommend stretching your budget a bit to grab the top-end model for the best overall experience.
Realme 12 Pro+ Review: Design
While the Realme 12 Pro+ doesn’t introduce a revolutionary new design language, it subtly refines the aesthetic from its predecessor, the Realme 11 Pro+.
The Realme 12 Pro+’s curved edge design gives it a slim profile
I particularly appreciate the watch-inspired design, which features a golden fluted bezel around the circular rear camera module. This, coupled with the vegan-leather back, creates a luxurious and sophisticated feel reminiscent of high-end timepieces or designer handbags. However, the phone does feel unexpectedly heavy at 196 grams, likely due to the metal accents and the chunky camera module.
The tacky stitching found on the Realme 11 Pro+ is gone, but I’m not a fan of the golden insert with a diamond pattern that runs across the back. It’s supposed to mimic a metal watch strap, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Love it or hate it, the overall design of the smartphone is undeniably striking. The vegan-leather back offers a firm grip, and my review unit remained in perfect condition despite being placed on various surfaces (stone, rocks, wooden tables). This is a notable contrast to Apple’s Finewoven cases, which have a reputation for being prone to wear and tear.
The tacky stitches on the rear panel of the Realme 11 Pro+ have been replaced by a more subtle metal strip
It’s not just about looks; the premium design also boasts an official IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, making it resilient against splashes. While this rating falls short of the IP68 rating offered by the Redmi Note 13 Pro+, which can withstand submersion in water, it’s still a welcome addition to the Realme number series.
The soft, champagne gold finish of the camera ring extends onto the plastic frame. It’s finished well, with no sharp edges or cutouts. I also appreciate how Realme has maintained the polished look on the sides for added grip, while the flattened top and bottom edges of the frame are kept matte. Adding to the curvy design is the 6.7-inch curved-edge display, boasting a thin bezel that elevates the premium feel.
Realme 12 Pro+ Review: Specifications and Software
The Realme 12 Pro+ is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, fabricated using a 4nm process and offering a maximum clock speed of 2.4GHz. This processor delivers power efficiency comparable to premium smartphones, but it’s not as fast as top-tier premium (sub Rs. 50,000) devices. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, a Type-C port, and a SIM card tray with space for two nano SIM cards. The phone supports a variety of 5G bands (n1/3/5/8/28B/40/41/77/78) and offers dual 5G-standby. The power source is a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged with the included 67W charger.
It’s impressive to see Realme offer Android 14 with its Realme UI 5.0 out of the box. Realme UI 5.0 incorporates features inspired by Oppo’s ColorOS, including Flash Capsule. This feature is also known as Fluid Cloud on OnePlus’ OxygenOS and Aqua Dynamics on Oppo devices, all functioning in the same way, delivering Dynamic Island-like notifications.
The Realme 12 Pro+’s Flash Capsule feature is identical to OnePlus’ Fluid Cloud
Start a timer using the clock app, and you’ll see it minimising into a capsule on the left of the status bar when you switch to another app or the home screen. A long press on the capsule animates it, expanding into a smaller card revealing more buttons (pause, stop). Tapping the capsule expands it into the clock app, filling the entire screen.
While I appreciate the practicality of Flash Capsule, these intuitive interactions are limited to select native apps and only two third-party apps. Zomato and Swiggy are currently supported, allowing you to track deliveries using the Smart Suggestions feature, which relays real-time updates from these apps to the always-on display (AOD) on the lock screen. This eliminates the need to pick up your phone, unlock it, and open the delivery app for updates.
Other handy software features include File Dock, offering access to recently used files via a pop-out console; Smart Touch, for extracting text from screenshots; and Smart Image Matting, for isolating people or objects from images. These features, described in detail in my Oppo Reno 11 Pro review, add valuable functionality.
The Realme 12 Pro+ has a vegan leather back but for the first time brings along an official IP65 rating for its number series
However, the software experience is marred by the presence of bloatware and preinstalled third-party apps. While many of these can be uninstalled, there are several that remain stubbornly persistent. The abundance of doppelganger apps can be confusing, especially for new smartphone users, or those accustomed to a straightforward near-stock Android experience. There are two app stores, two web browsers, two file browsers, two SMS apps, two photo gallery apps, and two apps for managing games (Games + Game Centre). These apps are also uninstallable, forcing you to tolerate them even if you never intend to use them.
Realme 12 Pro+ Review: Performance
Despite the bloatware and double-apps, software performance is a non-issue with this mid-ranger. My review unit, equipped with 12GB of RAM, never exhibited lag or stuttering. Multi-tasking was effortless, and recalling recently used apps from memory was a breeze, with minimal app restarts.
The display is remarkably bright (at 800 nits global brightness), capable of handling outdoor use under direct sunlight. While the Vivid color mode delivers vibrant colors by default, you may prefer the Natural color mode for more muted, true-to-life colors. The full-HD+ display resolution provides sharp image and text display.
Despite being branded as "ProXDR" (which is helpful for viewing Ultra HDR photos), the display lacks support for Dolby Vision or HDR10+ for streaming applications. Nevertheless, streaming content appears sharp due to the phone’s Widevine L1 certification (full-HD playback) on Netflix. The 120Hz refresh rate is dynamic when using the Auto-select setting, switching between 30, 60, 90, and 120Hz based on the displayed application. This results in modest battery savings from the dynamic refresh rate technology.
The Realme 12 Pro+’s curved edge display sure looks the part but isn’t HDR10 or Dolby Vision certified for video streaming
The gaming experience was generally enjoyable. The phone handled casual games effortlessly, and more demanding titles with a slight compromise. Despite having 12GB of RAM, games such as Call of Duty: Mobile didn’t offer settings above High graphics and Max Frame rate (capped at 60fps). I also observed some lag in the 240Hz touch sampling rate while playing the FPS game. The large VC cooling system performed well while using the camera and playing graphic-intensive games.
Benchmarking results revealed a score of 6,43,951 in AnTuTu and 929 and 2,792 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, respectively. These scores are largely in line with the competition, although Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 13 Pro+ achieved better overall scores, managing 7,21,512 in AnTuTu and 1,122 and 2,598 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests. Graphic performance also appears to be about half as good as the Redmi Note 13 Pro+, which explains the limited graphics and framerate options in most games.
The Realme 12 Pro+ has three rear cameras two of which have optical image stabilisation
Battery life on the Realme 12 Pro+ is excellent. The phone easily lasted a day and a half on a single charge, including an hour of gaming, half an hour of camera usage, and regular use of social media and office apps. In our standard video loop battery test, the phone achieved a commendable 26 hours and 46 minutes, impressive for a mid-ranger prioritizing design. This is a trait we’ve come to expect from Realme devices at this price point.
Charging isn’t a concern either. The phone’s 67W charger charges the battery to 72 percent in 30 minutes and completes the charging process in exactly one hour.
Realme 12 Pro+ Review: Cameras
The Realme 12 Pro+ boasts three rear-facing cameras:
- Sony IMX890 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS
- Omni Vision OV64B 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera
- 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera
Selfies are handled by a 32-megapixel camera that lacks autofocus.
The primary camera produces photos with natural color tones and good dynamic range, translating to plenty of detail in the shadows. It captures a considerable amount of detail, resulting in sharp, high-resolution images. This allows for pixel peeping and cropping images without sacrificing resolution. In low-light shooting scenarios, the OIS system excels at maintaining excellent detail and sharpness. The camera captures fine details from a distance, a testament to its hardware and software optimization. Surprisingly, the images at 2X magnification (cropped output from the primary camera) aren’t exceptional, appearing slightly washed out. Fortunately, you’ll rarely need to use it due to the excellent 3X optical camera, capable of focusing on nearby objects.
Realme 12 Pro+ daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Ultra-wide camera, primary camera, telephoto camera (3X optical zoom) (tap images to see full size)
The telephoto camera is the undisputed star of the Realme 12 Pro+. It utilizes the same 64-megapixel periscopic telephoto camera found in the OnePlus 12, OnePlus Open, and several other premium devices. However, unlike those high-end smartphones, this camera isn’t paired with a top-end ISP found on a high-end processor.
Fortunately, little is lost in the translation. The camera captures exceptional detail in textures, making people and objects appear sharp. Good dynamic range ensures ample detail in both bright and dark areas of the scene. Most impressively, Realme has meticulously tuned the telephoto camera to match the color and white balance of the primary camera, achieving a level of consistency unheard of in this price segment. The magic continues at night, with the camera producing good detail when zooming in on landscapes or shooting close-ups. I was also able to capture sharp-looking portraits at the native 3X focal length. Shooting at 6X zoom also results in good quality images, but performance drops significantly beyond that, likely due to the mid-range processor.
The telephoto camera combined with its lossless in-sensor zoom captures detailed close-ups in the absence of a macro mode
The ultra-wide camera falls short of the primary and telephoto cameras in terms of detail and dynamic range. Photos exhibit average detail in textures. While the dynamic range delivers decent details in the shadows, the colors appear washed out compared to the other two cameras. In low-light conditions, images appear soft and largely unusable.
The phone lacks a macro camera or dedicated macro mode. However, the 3X telephoto camera with its 6X in-sensor lossless zoom enables capturing detailed close-ups. Even in low light, close-ups come out exceptionally well with plenty of detail and sharpness.
Selfies in daylight appear sharp and exhibit good edge detection when using Portrait mode. However, the camera struggles in low light. Thankfully, Night mode compensates, producing decent image quality.
Realme 12 Pro+ Low light camera samples: Top: Primary camera, bottom: telephoto camera (3X optical zoom) (Tap images to expand)
4K 30fps video recordings exhibit slight shakiness, but offer good detail and minimal noise, even in street-lit, low-light conditions. 1080p 30fps and 60fps video recordings aren’t as sharp or detailed as the 4K footage, but they boast a rock-solid framerate and impressive stabilization in all lighting conditions.
Realme 12 Pro+ Review: Verdict
The Realme 12 Pro+, with its redesigned aesthetics, upgraded core hardware, and highly capable telephoto camera, easily stands as a worthy upgrade, even if you own last year’s model. However, when pitted against competition like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+, it falls slightly short in terms of specifications on paper.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ boasts a superior IP68 rating, faster 120W wired charging, and a massive 200-megapixel camera sensor, commanding a higher starting price of Rs. 31,999 (for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant). These features might tempt you if raw performance is your primary concern. However, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ lacks certain features that the Realme 12 Pro+ excels at.
The Realme 12 Pro+ offers a class-leading telephoto camera that rivals even high-end devices, like the Pixel 7a. The phone delivers exceptional consistency between the primary and telephoto cameras, a rarity in the mid-range.
However, the rest of the smartphone isn’t a letdown. You get a decent IP65 rating, a high-quality curved-edge AMOLED display, compelling software features (for a mid-range device), excellent battery life, and fast charging. And then there’s the irresistible price, lower than its competitors. At Rs. 29,999 (for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant), it should be a top contender on your list when purchasing a mid-range smartphone in 2024, particularly if cameras are a priority.
If only Realme could address the bloatware issue, we would have a perfectly balanced mid-ranger.
