Full Reviews of Realme 12 Pro Plus:

The Realme 12 Pro Plus packs some seriously impressive specs and features into its midrange body. With its unique zoom camera system, vibrant 120Hz display, sophisticated design and fast performance, it aims to redefine the value of the smartphone space. As more details and early reviews emerge, here’s a comprehensive look at what the phone brings to the table and how it compares to rivals.

Pros

• Premium and unique camera design with up to 6x optical zoom
• Vibrant 6.7” 1200 nits OLED display with slim bezels
• Curved finish with faux leather gives sophisticated look
• Latest Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 delivers fast performance
• 5,000 mAh battery supports 65W rapid charging
• Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support

Cons

• Camera bump protrudes quite a bit
• No formal IP rating for dust/water resistance
• Charging speed not as fast as dedicated fast charge phones
• Low light photography lags behind flagship phones

Release Date: January 29, 2024

Estimate price for Realme 12 Pro Plus $274 (8GB+256GB)

Design and Standout Style Realme 12 Pro:

The Realme 12 Pro Plus sports a truly unique design made to turn heads. Its large circular camera island and faux leather back panel give it a distinctive style not found on any other device.

With curved sides made of polycarbonate and measuring just 7.99mm thin, the phone feels ergonomic in hand. The aluminum mid-frame also adds to the structural rigidity. On the front is a 6.7-inch flexible OLED panel with slim uniform bezels all round and 120Hz high refresh rate capabilities.  The display can also hit a searing 1200 nits peak brightness for improved visibility under direct sunlight.

Weighing 188 grams, the phone has some heft but does not feel too heavy for the size. However the protruding camera bump means it does not sit fully flush when placed on a table.

With a premium glass and ‘leather’ sandwich design language, the Realme 12 Pro Plus looks like it belongs in a much higher price category.

Display – Vibrant Visuals

The Realme 12 Pro Plus is equipped with a 6.7-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution OLED panel. As mentioned earlier, it supports a fast 120Hz refresh rate for smooth animations and scrolling. The panel also has support for 10-bit colors and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut coverage.

In testing, the display quality impresses with excellent viewing angles, vibrant but natural looking colors, and plenty of brightness even outdoors under sunlight. The slim uniform bezels also immerse you further into whatever content you are viewing.

With OLED’s true blacks and nearly instant pixel response times, everything from web pages to videos look stunning. It may lack the extra sharpness of a QHD+ display, but at this price the panel quality is extremely competitive.

Gamers will also appreciate the 120Hz refresh rate which makes graphics and frame rates appear more fluid. So despite the lower resolution compared to flagships, the vibrant OLED display still manages to impress.

Performance and New Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 Sets Benchmark:

The Realme 12 Pro Plus is among the first phones to utilize Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 system-on-a-chip. Fabricated on an ultra-efficient 4nm process, this chip delivers substantially higher CPU and GPU performance versus last year’s Snapdragon 778G platform.

For example, early benchmarks show the 7 Gen 2 scoring over 850 points in single core tests. This makes it faster than the Pixel 6 powered by Google’s own Tensor chip. GPU benchmarks are equally impressive topping out above 3500 points.

What does this all mean in real world usage? You can expect seriously responsive performance whether scrolling web pages loaded with content, rapidly switching between multiple apps, or playing graphics-intensive games.

The phone remains fast and fluid through it all thanks to superb optimization by Realme. App load times are quick too thanks to fast UFS 3.1 storage and up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM. All in all, the Realme 12 Pro Plus sets a new level of power efficiency and speed at the mid-range price category.

Cameras – Revolutionary Zoom Capability

If the vibrant OLED panel didn’t already grab your attention, the Realme 12 Pro Plus cameras certainly will. Headlined by a unique dual telephoto lens configuration with up to 6x optical zoom, it brings impossible reach to a price point never seen before.

Here is a full overview of the rear quad camera stack:

• 50MP f/1.8 Wide, Sony IMX890 1/1.56′′ Sensor, OIS, PDAF
• 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide 118° FoV
• 2MP f/2.4 Macro
• 64MP f/2.6 Telephoto, 6x Optical Zoom, OIS, PDAF

The 50MP wide angle is a tried and tested Sony sensor seen on various other devices. So you can expect excellent detail, colors and shooting performance especially in daylight.

But all eyes are on the dual telephoto lenses that enable lossless zooming from 0.6x out to 6x optical magnification. This gives you far more compositional flexibility than competing phones. At the highest zoom levels, a built-in AI algorithm also helps sharpen details better.

By combining high res sensors with intelligent cropping and fusion, Realme manages to provide multiple focal lengths all the way from 16mm to 71mm equivalents. This covers everything from wide landscapes to distant portraits.

Image samples so far demonstrate incredible detail retention even at maximum zoom. There is also a very usable digital zoom range going from 1x to as high as 120x.

Video likewise impresses with 4K capture, toggleable zoom while shooting, dual recording modes and gyro-EIS for stabilization.

Suffice to say, no other phone at this price point can even come close to the 12 Pro Plus’ extraordinary hybrid zoom capabilities. For this feature alone, it is truly segment-redefining.

Battery and Charging

Keeping the lights on for the 12 Pro Plus is a beefy 5,000 mAh dual-cell Lithium Polymer battery. Combined with a power efficient OLED display and Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 chip, battery endurance is likely to impress.

While lab test results are pending, early hands-on reviews suggest the phone has sufficient capacity for 1.5-2 days of mixed usage. With judicious power management it may even stretch towards 3 days per charge.

When you do need to top up, there is support for blisteringly quick 65W SuperVOOC fast charging. As per Realme’s claims, you can recharge fully from 0 to 100% in under 50 minutes using the included brick. A 50% charge can be achieved in just 20 minutes as well.

So despite the lack of wireless charging, the large battery reservoir and super fast wired charging help keep the 12 Pro Plus running for long stretches while minimizing downtime.

Software: Realme UI 4 Based on Android 13

On the software side, Realme’s latest Android skin dubbed Realme UI 4.0 comes preloaded. This brings all the newest features from Android 13 alongside Realme’s own customizations for theming, always on display, game mode, audio tuning and more.

Realme UI has matured tremendously over the years to become one of the most refined third party Android forks currently available. The interface runs smoothly while offering plenty of personalization flexibility lacking even on Google’s own Pixel skin.

As one of the first phones launching with Realme UI 4 based on Android 13, users can expect a polished experience right out of the box. And regular feature drops as well as OS updates for 2 years down the line are also guaranteed.

Alternatives: How Does It Compare Against Rivals?

The midrange segment has grown extremely competitive lately. As such, the Realme 12 Pro Plus goes up against some stellar alternatives like:

OnePlus Nord 2T: very similar core hardware, clean software, 65W charging but no advanced camera features.

Xiaomi 12 Lite: sleek premium build, great cameras, slower charging.

Google Pixel 6a: Clean software, incredible cameras but slower performance

Compared to these options, the 12 Pro Plus stands out with its unmatched zoom camera capabilities, more vibrant display, and faster charging speeds compared to Pixel 6a and 12 Lite.

It lacks the polished software experience of OxygenOS. But otherwise brings more impressive design, hardware and cameras overall.

FAQs

Does the Realme 12 Pro Plus have wireless charging?

Unfortunately no, the Realme 12 Pro Plus does not support wireless charging. However, it does offer extremely fast 65W wired charging that can take the phone from 0-50% in just 20 minutes. For most users, this super fast wired charging should more than make up for the lack of wireless charging capability.

How is the gaming performance on the Realme 12 Pro Plus?

Thanks to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 chipset and up to 12GB RAM, gaming performance on the Realme 12 Pro Plus is excellent. The powerful CPU and GPU combo can handle demanding games like Call of Duty and Genshin Impact smoothly even at high settings. The 120Hz AMOLED display also helps make graphics more immersive. Overall, this is one of the best gaming phones available in the mid-range category currently.

Does it come with a headphone jack?

Yes, the Realme 12 Pro Plus retains a handy 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom edge. So you can use your existing wired earphones and headphones without needing an adapter or wireless Bluetooth earbuds. The phone also supports high resolution audio playback, making the headphone jack extra useful for audiophiles who rely on wired audio gear.

Final Verdict – Shakeup in Midrange Segment

With game changing zoom cameras, the latest processor technology, swift charging and refined software, Realme looks to have yet another winner on its hands with the 12 Pro Plus.

It manages to meaningfully push boundaries on what we can expect from sub-$500 phones. The hybrid zoom system especially introduces flagship grade versatility not seen anywhere else near this price bracket.

Of course some compromises had to be made including lack of wireless charging or formal waterproofing. But they seem fair tradeoffs for just how much cutting edge innovation the rest of the package delivers on.