realme 12 Pro Review: The Mid-Range Smartphone Re-Defined for the Indian Consumer
In the fiercely competitive Indian smartphone market, finding a device that balances exemplary design, compelling camera technology, and robust performance at an accessible price point is a genuine challenge. The realme 12 Pro enters this arena, not just as an iteration, but as a bold statement. Targeting the discerning Indian user who seeks both style and substance, this handset has been meticulously crafted to stand out from the crowd. Far more than a mere collection of features, the realme 12 Pro is an experience, focusing primarily on revolutionising the mid-range camera segment with a dedicated telephoto lens—a rarity at this price level.
Design and Display: A Touch of Class
The first thing you will notice about the realme 12 Pro is its unapologetically premium aesthetic, which immediately establishes its identity. Taking inspiration from luxury watch design, the device features a Golden Fluted Bezel surrounding a polished, circular camera module—dubbed the Polished Sunburst Dial. This meticulous craftsmanship, paired with a tactile, environmentally conscious Premium Vegan Leather rear panel, elevates the phone’s feel far beyond its pricing. The design is complemented by an IP65 rating, offering good protection against dust and water splashes—a practical necessity for the Indian climate.
Flipping the device over reveals a stunning visual canvas: a 6.7-inch, 120Hz Curved Vision AMOLED display. This Full HD+ (2412×1080) panel offers a 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, delivering rich, vibrant colours and deep, true blacks essential for an immersive content consumption experience. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures butter-smooth scrolling and fluid animations, while the 2160Hz PWM Dimming provides essential eye protection, earning it a TÜV Rheinland Eye Protection Certification. With a local peak brightness of up to 950 nits, outdoor legibility, even under the harsh Indian sun, is commendable, making it an excellent choice for entertainment and daily browsing.
Camera: The Portrait Master’s Edge
The primary selling point of the realme 12 Pro is its advanced camera system, which truly sets it apart from typical mid-range offerings. This is a phone built for those who value photography. The rear triple-camera setup is headlined by a 50MP primary sensor (Sony IMX882) with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), ensuring crisp, shake-free images even in challenging conditions.
However, the star of the show is the 32MP Telephoto Portrait Camera with the Sony IMX709 sensor. This inclusion of a dedicated 2x optical zoom lens is a massive advantage for portraiture. It allows users to capture professional-grade portraits with a natural depth-of-field effect without relying purely on software. The 47mm equivalent focal length is perfect for capturing realistic, beautiful images that rival those taken on more expensive flagships. The camera system is further boosted by the Omnifocal MasterShot Algorithm, which intelligently processes images across multiple focal lengths to maintain clarity and consistency. Completing the setup is an 8MP ultra-wide sensor for sweeping landscape shots.
In daylight, the main camera excels, producing highly detailed images with pleasing colour science. The 2x optical zoom is a revelation for capturing sharp subjects, and the portrait mode is easily class-leading for this segment. While low-light performance on the primary sensor is respectable thanks to OIS, the ultra-wide lens shows a more noticeable drop in detail. For selfies, the 16MP front camera provides clear, bright images perfect for social media.
Performance and Battery Life
Under the bonnet, the realme 12 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 5G chipset, built on an efficient 4nm process. This octa-core processor, paired with 8GB RAM (with support for up to 16GB Dynamic RAM), provides a consistently smooth experience for all day-to-day tasks, multitasking, and moderate gaming. The chipset is more than capable of handling popular titles, albeit not at the highest possible graphical settings, a perfectly acceptable trade-off for a phone focused more on camera and design than raw processing power. For the average Indian user, seeking reliability and smoothness over extreme benchmark scores, the performance of the realme 12 Pro is entirely satisfactory.
The longevity of the device is handled by a substantial 5000mAh Massive Battery. This large capacity easily provides all-day power, even for heavy users. When a top-up is required, the included 67W SUPERVOOC Charge technology ensures incredibly rapid charging, capable of getting you to 50% battery in approximately 19 minutes. This combination of an efficient chipset, a large battery, and fast charging alleviates any anxiety regarding battery life. The phone runs on realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14, which offers a clean, feature-rich interface right out of the box, although some users may wish to uninstall a few pre-loaded applications for a clutter-free experience.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Details |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| Display | 6.7-inch Curved AMOLED, 120Hz Refresh Rate, 2412 x 1080 (FHD+) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP OIS (Wide) + 32MP (2x Telephoto) + 8MP (Ultrawide) |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| RAM & Storage | 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB ROM (No card slot) |
| Battery | 5000mAh (Typical) |
| Charging | 67W SUPERVOOC Charge |
| OS | realme UI 5.0 (Based on Android 14) |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Dual Nano SIM |
| Other | IP65 Water Resistance, Stereo Speakers, In-display Fingerprint Sensor |
| Approx. Price in India | Starts at ₹19,999 |
The Verdict for India
The realme 12 Pro is an outstanding proposition in the mid-range segment. While performance is competitive, its true triumph lies in its sophisticated design and the inclusion of a 2x optical telephoto camera—features usually reserved for premium devices. For the Indian consumer who prioritises a beautiful, stylish phone that delivers consistently excellent daylight and portrait photography, the realme 12 Pro offers unparalleled value for money. It is a brilliant example of a brand listening to its users and delivering a masterfully crafted and highly specialised product. This phone is the design champion under ₹25,000.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is the realme 12 Pro a good phone for gaming?
A: The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset in the realme 12 Pro provides solid, stable performance for daily use and popular competitive games at moderate settings. It is capable, but not aimed at hardcore gamers who require flagship-level graphics.
Q: Does the realme 12 Pro support 5G in India?
A: Yes, the realme 12 Pro is a 5G-enabled device and supports multiple 5G bands relevant to Indian network deployment, ensuring you are future-proofed for the transition to next-generation connectivity.
Q: What is the main difference between the realme 12 Pro and the realme 12 Pro+?
A: The key distinction is the camera and processor. The realme 12 Pro features a 32MP 2x telephoto lens and the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, while the 12 Pro+ boasts a more advanced 64MP Periscope 3x optical zoom camera and a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset.
