Realme 12 Pro review – Mid-range smartphone with a premium design

• The Realme 12 Pro 5G is the latest smartphone from the company in India targeting the ‘affordable’ market.
• The Realme 12 Pro 5G is priced starting at ₹25,999 in India and is available in two variants.
• Here’s my review of the Realme 12 Pro 5G that will help you decide if it's suited for your needs.

Realme has launched the Realme 12 Pro 5G, the company’s latest mid-range smartphone as part of the Realme 12 series. The company has launched the Realme 12 Pro 5G and the Realme 12 Pro+ 5G smartphones in India.

The Realme 12 Pro 5G has been designed in partnership with luxury watchmaker Ollivier Savéo and is the successor of the Realme 11 Pro 5G that was launched in India in 2023. The Realme 12 Pro 5G comes with an improved design, powerful hardware and improved cameras.

I have been using the Realme 12 Pro 5G for a few days now, and here is my review of the latest mid-range device from the smartphone maker.

Realme 12 Pro 5G price and availability

The Realme 12 Pro 5G is priced at ₹25,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and ₹26,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The device comes in Navigator Beige and Submarine Blue colour options.

It is available from Flipkart, Realme online store and authorised retail stores across the country.

In the box

• Realme 12 Pro 5G
• Charger
• USB Type-C cable
• Protective case
• SIM ejector
• Documentation

Realme 12 Pro specifications


Realme 12 Pro pros and cons

Pros

• Design
  
• Curved AMOLED display
  

Cons

• Bloatware
  

Design and display

Starting with the Realme 11 Pro, the company has been focusing on not just the hardware but also the design. The Realme 12 Pro continues the tradition, with the company partnering with luxury watchmaker Ollivier Savéo for the smartphone.

The Realme 12 Pro comes with a vegan leather made using dirt-resistant high-end silicone material. This gives the device a premium touch and it feels good to hold. The device is available in two colour options – Navigator Beige and Submarine Blue. I tested the Submarine Blue colour variant.

The device features a large circular camera module at the back with gold accents around it. It also comes with a large gold strip from top to bottom, which gives it a unique look.

The device comes with a curved back and a curved display, making it easier to hold. Also, you don’t have to worry about fingerprint smudges on the smartphone.

The curved design, along with its 190 grams weight, allow you to easily use it with one hand.

The large circular camera module houses the triple camera setup and the LED flash. You also get the Realme branding at the bottom.

On the sides, it comes with a plastic frame. The left side is plain and the right side is equipped with volume rockers and the power button.

On the top, you get the speaker and grille and a microphone.

On the bottom, you get the SIM tray, a microphone, USB Type-C port and a secondary speaker grille.

Coming to the display, the device features a large 6.7-inch Full HD+ curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 950 nits brightness. While the resolution and the refresh rate are normal for this segment, it is good to see a curved AMOLED display, which is usually reserved for premium smartphones.

The display offers a good visual experience with ample brightness, even in direct sunlight. It offers a good visual experience while watching videos. The display hasn’t really changed when we compare it to its predecessor.

Software and performance

In terms of software, the Realme 12 Pro 5G runs on Android 14 out of the box with the company’s realme UI 5.0 on top. For those unaware, Realme UI offers a highly customised user experience and allows users to customise a lot of things on the device as per their preference.

Realme continues to offer its smartphone with a lot of bloatware. While setting up the device, you will be greeted with a recommended apps screen, filled with advertisements of different applications for you to install. While you can skip this, the device comes with bloatware installed such as Facebook, FinShell Pay, Linkedin, Sharechat and more. These apps can be uninstalled easily.

The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset, which offers decent performance at this price point. It is available with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage, allowing it to handle multitasking easily. I tried Call of Duty: Mobile on the device at 60 FPS and was able to handle the game smoothly, without any stutters.

The Realme 12 Pro 5G is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support, just like its predecessor. The smartphone can be fully charged in around 51 minutes and lasts for a day with normal calling, some browsing, streaming and casual gaming.

Camera

The Realme 12 Pro 5G is equipped with a triple camera setup at the back. The device comes with a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 32MP telephoto lens. The camera has received a big boost when compared to the Realme 11 Pro 5G.

The new 32MP telephoto lens offers 2x optical zoom and 4x in-sensor zoom.

The Realme 12 Pro is able to capture good photos in daylight conditions with good colour consistency in both primary and telephoto sensors. The Realme 12 Pro captures good images with minimal noise and accurate colours, making it a good option for those looking for a good camera setup.

In low light conditions, the device is able to capture decent images, but some images felt a little saturated.

The smartphone is able to capture decent portraits with proper edge detection.

Verdict

Overall, the Realme 12 Pro is a good smartphone that offers a good display, design and decent cameras at a good price. The device is a good upgrade over its predecessor. However, do note that the device still has a lot of bloatware that you need to deal with.

If you are looking for a mid-range smartphone that offers a good value, the Realme 12 Pro is worth considering.

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