Realme C12 Review: A Good Buy In The Sub 10K Segment

 

Realme C12: Design And Display

The Realme C12 is a doppelganger of the Realme C15. With a plastic unibody design, the device has a matte-textured rear panel with geometric lines. The fingerprint scanner is placed towards the centre-top of the back panel with an ideal positioning for fast unlocking. Similar to the C15, the C12 also features a square-shaped camera module. 

The volume key along with the power button is on the right edge, while on the left you get a dedicated microSD card slot. The microUSB port is housed in between the speaker grille and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.

It comes in Power Blue and Power silver colour options. We received the former and it looks vibrant even with a matte finish. But, it is bulky and single-hand operability could be a hassle for people with small palms.

The display here is a 6.5-inch HD+ panel that offers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. It has a U-shaped notch being termed mini-drop by the brand. The notch is small than previous-gen models.

Also, the bezels are thin (except for the chin). You wouldn't find any major differences between the display of the C12 and the C15. The color production, viewing angles, and brightness levels are identical. Since this is a 720p panel, it isn't able to stream 1080p videos on streaming platforms. But, the overall viewing experience is satisfactory.

Realme C12: Hardware And Battery Performance

Realme has used the same MediaTek Helio G35 processor which powered the Realme C11 here. The octa-core chipset comes with 2.3GHz base frequency and is paired with IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU to render all the graphics.

The smartphone comes in a solo 3GB RAM and 32GB storage configuration. There is a dedicated microSD card slot that supports up to 256GB additional storage. The entry-level processor works well as a daily driver. This means it is apt to handle tasks like calling/ texting, web browsing, and occasional media consumption.

It can even handle small gaming sessions without warming up. But, don't expect a top-notch performance with high-end games such as PUBG and others at the highest settings.

The battery here is the star performer. The Realme C12 gets a massive 6,000 mAh battery. The company has packed the same unit on the Realme C15 as well. The device comes with reverse OTG charging support and turns as a power bank for accessories such as smartwatches.

The device goes on for more than a day on a single charge. Instead of 18W fast charging as the C15, the Realme C12 has a standard 10W charging. It takes around 2 hours for the device to charge from zero to 100 percent.

Realme C12: Software And Benchmark Performance

Realme C12: Software And Benchmark Performance
The Realme C12 runs on Android 10 OS. It has pre-installed Realme UI skin on top. The UI is also identical to the C15. It has all the Android 10 elements like the dedicated night mode, gesture-based navigation, and more.

This device also has some pre-loaded bloatware. You can to the app-drawer by a swipe-up gesture on the homescreen. The circular icons are like a mimic to the stock Android experience. But, there's a long way to go.

Coming to the benchmark performance, we ran PCMark and 3Dmark gaming benchmark tests on the Realme C12. In the former's Work Performance 2,0 test, the device managed to achieve 6019 points.

On the other hand, it logged 457 points in the 3DMark's Sling Shot Extreme test. The scores are decent for an entry-level smartphone. We already have discussed the handset's performance above. It is good for daily tasks.

Realme C12: Camera Performance

Realme C12 is a sub Rs. 10,000 smartphone, yet the company has packed three rear cameras. The device has a 13MP primary sensor with an f/2.2 aperture paired up with a 2MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture for macro effects, and another 2MP sensor which has an f/2.4 aperture for depth mapping.

The rear camera comes with PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) and is backed with AI. It can click images in HDR mode and also has Portrait, Panorama, and Ultra Macro shooting modes.

There is an integrated Google lens as well and also support for Slow-motion video recording and Time-lapse. The cameras here perform well for a budget price. The 13MP primary sensor captures a good amount of detail. You won't find the images going too grainy.

The colours are sharp and the shots do look vibrant when are clicked with ample brightness around. The bokeh effect is decent so is the Ultra-macro mode. It isn't the clearest but does its job fine. The low-light images turn out to be noisy at times. There is a Night Mode as well which enhances the night shots to some extent.

At the front, there is a 5MP selfie camera. The front camera does a good job of capturing self-portraits. Something, you would love to flaunt on social media platforms. Similar to the rear cameras, the selfie-camera also clicks vibrant pictures. Also, you can click software-based portrait shots using the front camera.

Realme C12: Verdict

Realme has been getting a stronghold on the budget segment off lately. The company is amongst the most proactive brands when it comes to budget smartphone launches. With every new launch, the brand is experimenting with a newer set of hardware being offered at a cheap price tag.

The Realme C12 is a good example of such a product. Available at an asking price of Rs. 8,990, it makes for a feature-packed handset. You get a good set of cameras and a humongous 6,000 mAh battery which can last for more than one day on a single charge easily. This is a safe bet if you don't want to burn a hole in your pocket and need a budget smartphone primarily for day-to-day tasks.