realme 12 5G review: Flashing with style and versatility 

Recently realme completed the number series with the launch of the realme 12 5G. As mentioned in our first impressions article, all variants exhibit elegance, resembling luxury watch designs. But what do we get beneath the surface? Will this base model impress on all fronts to give you a well-rounded package?

Design and build 

What makes realme smartphones stand out is aesthetics. And realme hasn’t had misses if coming up with a striking design is the goal. For the realme 12 5G, it’s able to seamlessly combine contrasting design languages: minimalism and flashiness. The execution was great. 

It has a youthful vibe, which will attract young consumers, but also possesses versatility to lend itself to more mature tastes. 

I’m still dazzled by the shimmering and finger-print proof finish of the Twilight Purple we’re reviewing. The Woodland Green is also a solid choice for earthy tone lovers. 

It’s an easy grip with the boxy frame; however, it’s not as smooth around the edges so you’ll feel it slightly digging on your palms. On a positive note, it’s able to compensate with its light and slim body as it only weighs 188g and measures 7.69mm. 

Display

The viewing experience was quite pleasurable with the 6.72-inch FHD+ display. It’s built with a 91.4% screen-to-body ratio, which allows you to maximize the nearly bezel-less screen while streaming on-the-go. My idle moments consist of Netflix series-bingeing so count me in. 

Other things that add to the fun factor is the snappy front panel (120Hz refresh rate) with sufficient brightness and vividness across various lighting settings.

And finally, the Mini Capsule 2.0 is starting to become a staple to amplify the front appeal of realme smartphones. The realme 12 5G is no exception and it does make things more interesting as it signals flagship status. My favorite would be the music playback control animation, but the battery status is handy too. 

Camera

Charm can only get you so far and it pays to have something to hook users. Thankfully, the realme 12 5G has exactly that. Beyond the bling of its watch-looking camera layout, it exhibits impressive capabilities that should get good points from enthusiasts. 

It was effortless to take photos amid good lighting. The details were sharp and the colors pop out, giving life to every snap of your travels. What’s quite surprising is how it fared when shooting dark scenes. The quality of the image was compromised completely; in fact, it showcased adequate details with minimal noise. Just make sure you have steady hands though. 

Selfie queens can take advantage of the 8MP selfie camera. It can produce images that are Instagram worthy even without edits. Not bad for those who want to keep their followers updated. 

Performance

Under the hood the realme 12 5G is powered by the Mediak Dimensity 6100+ processor. After the breezy encounter I had while setting up and getting to know the device, I had expectations that it can sustain its performance under heavier loads. It didn’t disappoint. 

Running titles like Asphalt 9 and Mobile Legends proved that the realme 12 5G will put its best foot forward when the situation calls for it. I didn’t encounter any hiccups along the way, neither did I while multitasking. 

The realme 12 5G is also built with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The fusion of the two makes it a great companion for job jugglers and photo hoarders. 

Battery and charging

Whole day battery is one of the realme 12 5G’s strongest suits as well. It keeps you powered from your 9 to 5 work schedule up until your de-stress sessions including series-bingeing, mobile gaming, among others. 

The 45W SUPERVOOC charger wasn’t so bad either. In my experience, I was able to power it up from 0 to 45% in just 30 minutes. 

Verdict

Overall, the realme has unmistakably proven its versatility, which aside from flashiness in design is what most users are after in a budget-friendly package. It has a large screen for doom scrollers to enjoy, a highly capable camera for day and night adventures, and a battery life that won’t give up until the end of day. 

For the price point of PHP14,999, it’s a solid choice if you’re looking for a dependable smartphone for your daily hustles, all while looking stylish with an accessory-like device.