The realme 12 5G is for users of all ages desiring to level up their usage and high-tech experience with smartphones, for either mobile phone camera photography or smooth digital connectivity.
Before unboxing a realme 12 5G for an Upgrade Magazine product review, I asked, “Will the realme 12 5G be a good fit for me? Am I its target market?”
How about you? Do you belong to Yuppies and Gen Zers desiring “Accessibility, Aesthetics, Camera Quality, 5G Connectivity”; the Seasoned Workforce and Millennials preferring “Price Range, Aesthetics, Camera Versatility and Feature Set”; or the Early to Middle Aged such as parents and high rank executives?
Let us take a deep dive into the product offering of realme 12 5G and understand why it is a good smartphone for everyone.
HIGHLIGHTS
The major highlights of the realme 12 5G are the camera, display, storage, battery power and connectivity.
CAMERA. This is the heart of realme’s photographic prowess. It encourages the user to “Be the Portrait Master”. The 108MP ultra clear 3x Zoom plus 2MP dual rear cameras and 8MP selfie camera on the front lead the way. The 3x in-sensor zoom aids in closing in on a subject as it maximizes the sensor size of the main camera.
A luxurious watch-like camera island with a polished sunburst dial pattern design stands out in the rear panel. This is complemented by “3D Jubilee bracelet and polished PVD edges” elements that give a touch of elegance.
With the 108MP Main Camera with advanced photography features that includes autofocus capability, images are captured on a f/1.8 Aperture, 24mm focal length (wide angle). The 8MP camera with a sensor size of ¼ inch, an aperture of f/2.0, 26mm focal length (wide) does the same thing. Both cameras record up to 1080p @ 30 fps on video.
Shot under various environments and lighting conditions and modes, the sample photos accompanying this article speak for themselves. I employed Point and Shoot and Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) on most of the photographs I took. Those with less zooms stood out, I observed. Overall, the results were decent, good and acceptable, particularly by amateur shutterbugs. With a little post-editing, the images could be improved further.
DISPLAY. 6.72-inch Full HD LTPS LCD Display (1080 x 2400 Pixels, 391 ppi) with 120Hz Refresh Rate, 950 nits (HBM) max brightness. The display has an IP54 Dust Water Resistance protection. It is certified with the assurance that small solid particles and accidental splashes will not damage the device severely. Note that it is Water Resistant only, not Waterproof; is not submersible.
STORAGE. Its large and ample storage of 256GB can store at least 1,000 TV Series episodes, or 60,000 songs, or 60,000 photos based on an average of 250MB for each 720p HD video episode, and 4MB for each song or photo, said realme. In addition, the realme 12 5G uses up to 8GB of internal storage to act as Virtual RAM (of up to 16GB), helping improve total performance of keeping multiple apps running smoothly in the background and overall multitasking.
BATTERY USAGE. 34W SUPERVOOC Charge (wired) on a large 5000mAh, non-removable battery to go fast full charge at a breeze.
“(The) long-lasting battery has up to 590.8 hours of standby, 33.6 hours of phone calls, 17 hours of YouTube video streaming, 21 hours of WhatsApp, 18 hours of Twitter, 86.4 hours of music, 5.5 hours of FPS games such as Free Fire and 10.4 hours on MOBAs such as Mobile Legends”, detailed a realme 12 5G specs sheet.
Power Saving Mode, Smart Charging and Stop Charging at 80% are three features worth utilizing. If you are a frequent user, then you will appreciate the “Intelligent Services” of Smart Charging because it notes your charging habits and adjusts charging patterns accordingly. An option is, of course, to switch on “Stop charging at 80%” to slow down battery aging.
Still on the subject of battery power, you can activate a Low Battery Alert by switching on this feature in Emergency Sharing. By doing so, an SMS message with your location information is sent to your emergency contacts when your device’s battery falls below 15%.
It would be nice when it is also the other way around…to receive a notification that your device has reached 100% charge. This way, unintended overcharging could be minimized.
CONNECTION AND SHARING. Android Auto. Realme 12 is motorist-friendly. Direct your attention to “Android Auto” to choose to show and use your apps on the car display. Use this to access navigation tools, make hands-free voice commands to call and text, and start music automatically. The Day/Night mode for maps is automatic.
SPEAKER. Dual Stereo Speakers are found at the bottom of the phone. The retention of a 3.5mm audio jack is significant for users who prefer traditional wired headphones or earphones. It is certified with a 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res Audio for crisper sound quality. It also has an “Ultra Volume Mode” that pushes the speakers to 200% volume for media, ringtones, alarms, and notifications.
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen
6.72-inch FHD LTPS LCD Display (1080 x 2400 Pixels, 391 ppi) with 120Hz Refresh Rate, 800 nits (typ), 950 nits (HBM) max brightness
OS
Android 14 with realme UI 5.0
Chipset
Mediatek Dimensity 6100+ (6 nm)
CPU
Octa Core (2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6.2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU
Mali-G57 MC2
Memory
No Card Slot; Internal is 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM
SIM Card
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand by)
Cellular
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G Networks
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE
USB Port
USB Type-C 2.0
Sensors
Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Accelerometer, Fingerprint (side-mounted)
Dimensions
165.6 x 76.1 x 7.7 mm (6.52 x 3.00 x 0.30 in)
Weight
188 grams (6.63 oz)
#BeThe PortraitMaster
#realme125G
