Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus Smartphones Review – The Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus were both released in January 2024. Both smartphones have been launched globally and will be available in many countries. These new smartphones are Realme’s latest offering for the premium smartphone market, so they bring new and exciting features, including 5G connectivity.
On top of that, the new smartphones come with new color choices that increase their appeal. The design of the new smartphones is in line with Realme’s previous iteration, Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro Plus. But should you buy the new smartphones considering the other premium options that already exist? Let’s begin with a detailed review of both Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus and see if the new smartphones are worth purchasing.
Table of Contents
Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus Smartphones Review
Highlights
- Both Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus feature the same 6.7-inches AMOLED display with 120Hz high refresh rate support.
- The Realme 12 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm SM6450 Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 5G chipset, which is capable of reaching clock speeds of 4×2.2 GHz. The Realme 12 Pro Plus is powered by the Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 5G chipset, which is capable of reaching clock speeds of 4×2.4 GHz.
- Both smartphones come pre-loaded with Android 14 out of the box with Realme UI 5.0 user interface for better customization support.
- The Realme 12 Pro features a 50MP rear camera system, while the Realme 12 Pro Plus also features a 50MP triple rear camera system with a 64MP telephoto lens. On the front, the Realme 12 Pro has a 16MP selfie camera, while the Realme 12 Pro Plus has a 32MP selfie camera.
- Both Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus have a 5000mAh long-lasting battery along with support for 67W wired fast charging.
Design and Display
The design of the Realme 12 Pro and the Realme 12 Pro Plus are not too different from its predecessor. They have the same design with similarly curved sides and display. The only difference seems to be in the camera distribution in the camera module. We were hoping to see a new design but it is what it is.
But a smartphone is not just its looks. A lot goes into making a premium smartphone, from the use of materials to the hardware it has inside. The new smartphones promise to excel in both of them. It has a premium vegan leather finish that is not only soft to the touch but also feels excellent to hold. On top of that, both smartphones are protected by IP65 dust and water resistance.
On the front, both smartphones have the same 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with 120Hz high refresh rate support. This allows for a smooth user experience. The display also supports up to 1 billion colors. This enhances the viewing experience. The display panel can also get plenty bright at 950 nits during peak sunlight moment.
Memory and Internal
The Realme 12 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm SM6450 Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 5G chipset, which can reach clock speeds of 4×2.2 GHz. The Realme 12 Pro Plus is powered by the Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 5G chipset, which can reach clock speeds of 4×2.4 GHz. In terms of raw performance, both chipsets can run almost anything smoothly but technically, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is more powerful.
Both chipsets also have more than enough power for gaming. Both chipsets can run all your favorite games such as PUBG Mobile, Summoners War, Genshin Impact, and CODm with the highest graphical options. The new smartphones are running on Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0 user interface for better customization support.
For RAM and storage, the Realme 12 Pro can be purchased with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. While the Realme 12 Pro Plus can be purchased with up to 8GB/12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage.
Camera
Both Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus smartphones feature similar triple camera setup. The main 50MP camera is the same on both smartphones and it is capable of taking some great pictures. These pictures have high details, a high dynamic range, and a natural color tone. The 8MP ultra-wide camera is also the same on both smartphones and takes good shots with a decent level of detail and maintains the perfect color tone.
The third camera is the telephoto camera and this is where you will see the major difference between the two smartphones. The 32MP telephoto sensor in the Realme 12 Pro takes some good shots at 2x zoom, but the 64MP periscopic telephoto sensor in the Realme 12 Pro Plus far better shots even at 3x zoom. The night mode of both smartphones is also quite good and capable of capturing more light.
On the front, the Realme 12 Pro has a 16MP selfie camera, which managed to capture great details in the subject’s face. But the 32MP sensor in the Realme 12 Pro Plus excels the one in the Realme 12 Pro and produces even better selfies. When it comes to video recording, both smartphones can record videos at a maximum resolution of 4K@30FPS from the rear camera while the selfie camera maxes out at 1080P@30FPS. The rear cameras also support OIS and gyro-EIS for better video stabilization during a video recording session.
Battery and Others
Both Realme 12 Pro and Realme 12 Pro Plus have 5000mAh long-lasting battery. So, both smartphones should last 1 – 2 days with low to medium usage that includes social media apps, cameras, watching videos, et cetera. But with heavy usage that includes gaming, the battery will drain the battery faster and the smartphones may not last a full day.
Both smartphones also support 67W wired fast charging, which can charge the smartphones to 50% in about 19 minutes. Apart from that, both smartphones have Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, an under-display fingerprint scanner, GPS, NFC, high-res stereo speakers, and USB Type-C. As for pricing, the Realme Realme 12 Pro is available starting at $312 (Rs 25,999 in India) approx. While the Realme Realme 12 Pro Plus is available starting at $360 (Rs 29,999 in India) approx.
Realme 12 Pro Plus Pros and Cons
Realme 12 Pro Plus Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Realme 12 Pro Plus smartphone.
| Specifications | Realme 12 Pro Plus |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | January 2024 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.36 x 2.91 x 0.35 inches |
| Weight | 196 g |
| Size | 6.7 inches |
| Display | AMOLED 1B colors 120Hz 800-950 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~394 PPI density |
| Protection/Others | IP65 dust/water resistant |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2412 pixels |
| OS | Android 14, Realme UI 5.0 |
| Chipset | 4nm – Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 |
| CPU | Octa-core 4×2.40 GHz Cortex-A78 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Adreno 710 |
| Card slot | No |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Internal | 128GB, 256GB |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), multi-directional PDAF, OIS 64 MP (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 8 MP (112Ëšultrawide) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 4K@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie | 32 MP (wide) Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (stereo speakers) |
| 3.5mm jack | No 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | 5000 mAh 67W wired |
| Colors | Submarine Blue, Navigator Beige, Explorer Red |
| Expected Price | $360 (Rs 29,999 in India) approx |
Conclusion
Both Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus provide what they claimed and that is a premium user experience. This premium experience can be seen everywhere, including its leather design, superb display, speedy chipsets, excellent cameras, and great batteries. These are its greatest strengths. On top of that, the curved nature of the displays further enhances the premium experience of the new smartphones.
However, there are some cons as well, especially if you consider the prices of the two smartphones, which are not cheap by any means. One of the major cons is the lack of any display protection. In the premium smartphone category, this is a must. The second would be the lack of wireless charging, which is not a must but would have been nice to have. It would have certainly set it apart from others in the market. Right now, the new smartphone doesn’t offer much that its competition in the same price bracket doesn’t already offer, except for the cameras.
The cameras of the Realme 12 Pro and Realme 12 Pro Plus are indeed better than the competition. So, if cameras are a priority, then these new smartphones could be perfect for you. But if cameras are not a priority for you, then other smartphones in the same price bracket could be a better match for you. The Xiaomi Poco X6 and X6 Pro smartphones are the better alternatives that come with better specs and processing speed, but they will cost a little more. However, the final decision is up to you, so it is better to choose a smartphone based on your requirements and needs.
