Review Verdict: realme’s first plus model in its non-Pro numbered series is off to a good start, especially with the potential of its main camera. It retains the core design of the Pro series while having a boxy design that’s sleek and slim.

Pros

-Main camera is a big improvement

-Slim bezels make it look more premium

Cons

-Same processor as realme 11 Pro

-No upgrades on the other two cameras

 

The realme 12 series is coming to the Philippines soon with a twist: instead of a realme 12 Pro, we are getting a realme 12+ instead. This is the first time a plus model is offered on the non-Pro series, and it aims to be as good as the Pro models from previous generations.

realme 12+ Philippines: Unboxing and Packaging Contents

realme is consistent with the yellow boxes of its phones, and the same applies for the 12+. The branding in front is very minimalist with just the phone model in the middle and realme at the bottom.

Inside the box, you get the usual contents that include the phone itself, a USB-C cable, 67w SuperVOOC charger, and documentation.

 

realme 12+ Philippines: Design

Being part of the 12 series, the realme 12+ shares the same design as the realme 12 Pro+, with the main difference being its boxy frame. This translates to a flat back panel and a flat display.

Our review unit is in Pioneer Green, and you still get the same vegan leather treatment on the back panel, along with a silver accent strip running through the middle of the phone. The frame sides have a mirror gloss finish that attracts fingerprints like crazy, so we recommend using the included case to keep it as pristine as possible.

Despite its slim frame, the realme 12+ manages to keep the headphone jack on top. The bottom of the phone has the SIM tray, USB-C port, and speaker, while the right side has the power and volume controls.

 

realme 12+ Philippines: Display and speakers

The realme 12+ comes with a 6.7-inch 120hz AMOLED display that has symmetrical bezels across all four sides. The bottom bezel is significantly thinner than the one on the realme 11 and previous models, which is a good thing for the numbered series as it makes the realme 12+ look more premium.

As for the display itself, it has better colors and a higher brightness range compared to the realme 11. It’s safe to say that the realme 12+’s display is at par with the one on the realme 12 Pro+, with the only difference being that it is a flat display. You also get Widevine L1 on the realme 12+ to enjoy your favorite Netflix shows in Full HD, and you get an in-display fingerprint scanner as well.

The realme 12+ is not a complete plus model without stereo speakers, and the one used sounds decent. It’s way better than the single, bottom-firing speaker of the realme 11, and we like the fact that realme managed to keep the headphone jack as well. On top of that, the realme 12+ comes with an IP54 rating.

 

realme 12+ Philippines: Cameras

While the 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor are still present, new to the realme 12+ is a 50-megapixel LYT-600 main camera that we first saw on the OPPO Reno11.

We took a few photos with the realme 12+, and we noticed a big improvement, especially in low-light shooting. Photos taken at night are well-detailed for a mid-range phone, and the realme 12+ did a good job in toning down blown highlights.

The big improvements in the main camera become more evident when comparing photos taken with the ultra-wide camera. While both manage to keep colors consistent, the ultra-wide camera has less detail compared to the main camera. Don’t get us wrong: the realme 12+’s ultra-wide camera is fine for general use; it just happens that the LYT-600 sensor used on the main camera has significantly better performance especially in low-light.

For video recording, the realme 12+ can shoot 4K video on the main camera, while the 16-megapixel selfie camera is limited to Full HD video recording.

 

realme 12+ Philippines: Internals and Battery

The realme 12+ is powered by a Dimensity 7050 processor that’s paired with 12GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage. While we’re not getting any real upgrades on the internals, having more RAM on board means that the realme 12+ can handle multitasking better especially if you want to flip through one app and another.

The Dimensity 7050 is a tried-and-tested processor, and we’re confident that it can handle the usual productivity tasks and do light gaming as well.

The realme 12+ comes with Android 14-based realmeUI 5 out of the box. You get a 5000mAh battery that supports 67w charging, which is slowly becoming a de facto standard on several realme devices lately.

 

realme 12+ Philippines: Wrap-up and Initial Conclusions

The first plus model under realme’s non-Pro, numbered series is exciting especially with the performance of its main camera. It’s low-light performance is better than most of its rivals in its mid-range segment, and the realme 12+ also gets the same luxurious design as the 12 Pro+ in a sleek boxy body.

The big question right now is how much realme plans to price the 12+ in the Philippines. We really hope realme keeps the 12+ below Php 20k to make it a solid mid-range offering in the Philippines especially for those who are looking for top-notch camera performance. realme will reveal the pricing and availability of the 12 series on March 7.