Tag: Review

  • Impressive Design and Portrait Mastery: Review of Realme 12 Pro

    Impressive Design and Portrait Mastery: Review of Realme 12 Pro

    Capitalizing on the success of its predecessor, Realme has once again raised the bar in the mid-range smartphone market with the launch of the Realme 12 Pro series last month. Among the standout offerings, the Realme 12 Pro+ catches attention with its luxury watch-inspired camera deco design and groundbreaking periscope telephoto camera. Meanwhile, its counterpart, the Realme 12 Pro offers the same design language, and shines with its distinct feature—a powerful telephoto camera delivering up to 2x optical zoom. Here, in this review, let us have a closer look to see what the Realme 12 Pro has to offer.

    Realme 12 Pro 5G: What’s in the box?

    The Realme 12 Pro 5G’s retail package includes the following items:

    • Realme 12 Pro handset
    • 67W SuperVOOC charger
    • USB-A to USB-C cable
    • TPU case
    • SIM ejector tool
    • Safety Guide
    • Quick Guide

    Realme 12 Pro 5G review: Design and Display

    It goes without saying that the Realme 12 Pro exudes a “wow” factor with its design. While the Submarine Blue variant is undeniably eye-catching, the Navigator Beige edition of the device takes a more conservative approach. Personally, I lean towards the blue variant; its luxury watch-inspired design, stain-resistant vegan leather finish, and good accents, which are also available on the beige variant, accentuate its appeal even further. It appears that the brand has paid a lot of attention to offering the best possible design for its price. Readers should note that the rear texture easily attracts dirt (as seen in the images), though it is also easy to clean.

    The Realme 12 Pro’s front has a curved-edge display and a leathery finish on the back that improves grip and feels comfortable in the hand. Notably, the phone is IP65-rated for dust and water resistance, ensuring durability against environmental hazards. With a thickness of 8.75mm and a weight of 190 grams, it maintains a balanced profile, offering both substance and manageability.

    The Realme 12 Pro has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel delivering an FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming, and 10-bit color depth. Realme goes the extra mile by introducing the ProXDR feature, typically found in pricier smartphones, to enhance HDR photo details in various lighting conditions. Additionally, the O1 Video Colour Boost engine, available for select apps, upscales SDR content to HDR, enriching the viewing experience. Users can further customize their display experience with color profile options including Vivid, Natural, and Cinematic. As for protection, the device boasts a 0.5mm tempered high-strengthened glass.

    Realme 12 Pro 5G review: Performance and Software

    While Realme has not advertised it, the Realme 12 Pro is the first phone to feature the 4nm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip in India. The chipset is not designed for high-end gaming, but it does work just fine for casual gaming and day-to-day tasks. Users may experience some choppiness while playing demanding games, but the 12 Pro is not designed for pro-level gaming. The chipset is complemented by LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. And it also offers up to 16 GB of virtual RAM.

    The Realme 12 Pro can be juiced by using a 67W fast charger. It goes from 0 to 100 percent in under 50 minutes, and with typical use, the device can last for the entire day. The Realme 12 Pro runs on Android 14 and Realme UI 5. The phone is confirmed to get Android 15 and 16 OS upgrades and security patches for three years. While it seems that the brand has slightly reduced the number of preloaded apps, it does have some apps that cannot be uninstalled. The most recent security patch that the device received is from December 2023.

    Some of the highlights of Realme UI 5 include File Dock, Flash Capsule (iPhone-like Dynamic Island notifications), Smart Image Matting, and Phone Link (for Windows PC). The overall experience of the OS is quite smooth, with no noticeable hiccups. Here is how the phone performs on the benchmarking apps.

    Realme 12 Pro 5G review: Photography and other features

    The Realme 12 Pro has a Sony IMX882 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS support and a 26mm focal length. There is chatter that its new name is the LYT-600, which is available on the Reno 11 5G as the primary camera. The 12 Pro’s main camera is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, 4x in-sensor zoom, and 47mm focal length. The camera department has received a major upgrade, as the predecessor model featured a 100-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, the 12 Pro has a 16-megapixel Hynix Hi1634Q selfie camera.

    The Realme 12 Pro offers an extensive array of photography modes, including Pro mode, Panorama, Hi-Res mode, Timelapse, Long Exposure, Dual-View, Starry Mode, and more. Standard modes such as Photo, Video, Portrait, Night, and Street are also available. In Photo mode, users can select from options like 0.6x (ultra-wide), 1x (regular), 2x (optical zoom), 4x (in-sensor zoom), and up to 20x digital zoom. Additionally, the camera app features a new watermark feature that displays the main colors of the captured shot. The device also offers special camera filters, such as Journey, Maverick, and Memory, in collaboration with Claudio Miranda, a Chilean cinematographer who is best known for winning an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on “Life of Pi”.

    In daylight conditions, the photography skills of the Realme 12 Pro excel, particularly with its impressive 2x shots. The color consistency and details between the IMX882 and IMX709 lenses are commendable, though the ultra-wide lens may lack in this regard. The telephoto camera performs well in capturing portrait selfies with excellent background blur and subject focus, and it can also be used for macro shots.

    Regarding video shooting, the Realme 12 Pro can record up to 30fps 4K videos, with OIS-enabled shots limited to 60fps FHD videos. However, it lacks the portrait video feature, which is reserved for the 12 Pro+. Videos captured in daylight offer plenty of detail, but the results may be less desirable in low-light conditions.

    Furthermore, the Realme 12 Pro impresses with its haptic feedback, which can be adjusted via O-Haptics for intensity across the user interface, adding to the overall user experience. The device lacks NFC and a microSD slot. The fingerprint sensor works fine, but its position feels a bit low.

    Realme 12 Pro 5G review: Verdict

    Apart from the cameras, the Realme 12 Pro may not appear to be a significant upgrade compared to its predecessor, the Realme 11 Pro. However, the overall package it offers is quite impressive, particularly considering that there are no other phones in its price segment offering a telephoto camera. This feature will particularly appeal to users seeking a device priced around Rs 25,000 that can capture zoomed-in shots without sacrificing details. Regarding the price, the Realme 12 Pro has seen a Rs 2,000 increase over its predecessor. However, current bank offers allow users to avail themselves of a discount of Rs 2,000 using bank or coupon discounts. If you are considering purchasing the device, this could be an opportune time to do so.

    Realme 12 Pro’s only major rivals in the current lot are the Poco X6 Pro, which is a performance-driven phone, and the Redmi Note 13 Pro. Each has its pros and cons, but when it comes to versatile photography, the Realme 12 Pro can outshine its rivals.

    Realme 12 Pro 5G: Variants, Price and Availability

    In India, the Realme 12 Pro 5G is available in the following variants.

    • 8 GB + 128 GB: Rs 25,999 (~$315)
    • 8 GB + 256 GB: Rs 26,999 (~$325)

    Colors: Submarine Blue, Navigator Beige

    WHERE TO BUY

    Buy Realme12 Pro 5G @ Flipkart| Realme India website

    Disclaimer: All of the opinions in this Realme 12 Pro review are mine and based on my own experiences. There has been no editorial input from Realme.

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  • OnePlus 12 Reviewed: The OnePlus Phone with the Least Drawbacks

    OnePlus 12 Reviewed: The OnePlus Phone with the Least Drawbacks

    This year marks the 10th anniversary of OnePlus, and they have put all their efforts into creating their latest phone, the OnePlus 12. As someone who has reviewed many OnePlus phones, I can confidently say that the OnePlus 12 is the best OnePlus phone to buy in the past two years. I’m glad to see OnePlus back in action.

    Design

    The camera module design on the OnePlus 12 may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but personally, I find it unremarkable. When I first laid eyes on the phone, I immediately recognized it as a new OnePlus release.

    Some early adopters have reported a gap between the camera module and the back cover on their OnePlus 12. However, we did not encounter this issue with our unit. OnePlus CEO has addressed this concern, stating that it does not affect the phone’s waterproofing. Future phones will have this area filled with glue, so it should not be a significant problem.

    Speaking of waterproofing, it is disappointing that the OnePlus 12 only supports IP65. As a flagship phone, it would have been preferable for it to have an IP68 rating. This decision is quite perplexing.

    Fortunately, IP65 seems to be the only weakness of the OnePlus 12. The fingerprint area is conveniently placed, USB 3.0 makes a comeback, and the alert slider is still present. Additionally, the vibration motor is one of the best among Android phones. Overall, unless you are someone who frequently exposes their phone to water, the OnePlus 12 is an excellent choice.

    Display

    While the screen on the OnePlus 11 was decent, it was not particularly eye-friendly. The OnePlus 12 addresses this issue and does an excellent job of displaying and protecting your eyes simultaneously. Furthermore, the 4500nit peak brightness is impressive, and the full-screen brightness surpasses that of other phones.

    The ability to adjust the color temperature in the Display Setting provides more freedom, and a feature similar to True Tone is also available. The viewing angle of the panel is slightly inferior to TCL’s C8 but far superior to the Samsung E6.

    As an LTPO screen, the OnePlus 12 offers 2160Hz PWM dimming at low brightness and 360Hz DC-like dimming at high brightness. The black stripes on the OnePlus 12 are noticeably thinner, indicating better flicker control. If you value both display quality and eye protection, the OnePlus 12 is the ideal choice.

    Benchmark & Gaming

    The OnePlus 12 is powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which is familiar to many of us. It is unnecessary to delve into the details as the scores speak for themselves. It is worth noting that the OnePlus 12 does not seem to prioritize aggressive performance, as it starts downclocking in the fourth minute of the CPU Throttling Test and downclocks twice.

    However, in gaming scenarios, the OnePlus 12 will allow you to play continuously for 20 minutes before downclocking, which is normal for non-gaming phones. The frame rate is locked at 50fps, so if you are a dedicated gamer, you may want to consider a dedicated gaming phone for extended gaming sessions.

    Camera

    All three cameras on the OnePlus 12 are impressive, with none of the sensors being small in size. While they may not have the massive 1-inch sensors found in phones like the X100 Pro, they still capture decent photos.

    It is difficult to provide a detailed breakdown of the pros and cons of the OnePlus 12 cameras without a proper comparison. Therefore, we will be creating a video comparing the OnePlus 12 to the realme GT5 Pro. In that video, you will find all the information you need to know about the OnePlus 12 cameras. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    Battery & Charging

    The wired charging power of the OnePlus 12 remains unchanged at 100W, allowing for a full charge in just 23 minutes. However, the biggest surprise is the addition of wireless charging, which operates at 50W. Furthermore, the OnePlus 12 boasts impressive battery life. Compared to the K70 Pro, which also has a 2K screen, the OnePlus 12’s 400mAh larger capacity gives it a significant advantage. Well done, OnePlus.

    Conclusion

    Upon reflection, the OnePlus 12 stands out as a OnePlus phone with minimal flaws. Apart from the camera design and the IP65 rating, which may not concern many users, it is challenging to find any other faults. Furthermore, its price is relatively affordable compared to other flagship phones.

    While I hesitate to dub the OnePlus 12 as the new flagship killer of the year due to the realme GT5 Pro, it remains an incredibly worthwhile phone that is almost perfect. I hope you enjoy OnePlus’ 10th-anniversary gift to its fans.

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