realme India just launched its latest midrange smartphone – the realme 12x 5G in India and it has pretty much more to offer for its price (₹10,999 onwards with offers). After the recently introduced realme 12+ 5G and realme 12 5G, the realme 12x 5G is the newest addition to the mid-range smartphone lineup. The highlights include an ultra-slim 7.69 mm IP54 water-resistant design, MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ octa-core SoC, 120 Hz display with Rainwater Smart Touch Technology, dual cameras with 50 MP primary camera, 45W fast charging for the first time in this segment, and runs on the Android 14 with realme UI 5.0 interface. Here’s what we have to say about the smartphone in our realme 12x 5G review.
realme 12x 5G Specifications & Features
- Display & Design: 6.72-inch IPS LCD display, Full HD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels), 120 Hz refresh rate, 950 nits peak brightness, Rainwater Smart Touch technology, IP54 dust and splash resistant, 7.69 mm slim, 188 grams
- Software: realme UI 5.0, Android 14
- CPU: 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ octa-core SoC clocked up to 2.2 GHz
- GPU: ARM Mali-G57 MP2 Graphics
- Memory: 4 GB OR 6 GB OR 8 GB RAM LPDDR4x RAM, up to +8 GB RAM Expansion
- Storage: 128 GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, microSD card support (SIM2)
- Main Camera: Dual Cameras (50 MP main + 2 MP portrait), 1080p video recording (30 fps), LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 8 MP
- Others: USB Type-C, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, Rainwater Smart Touch technology, Air Gesture feature
- Cellular: 5G network, dual-SIM, dual VoLTE
- Battery & Charging: 5,000 mAh, 45W fast charging, 50% charge in 30 minutes
- Colors: Twilight Purple, Woodland Green
- Price: ₹11,999 (4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage), ₹13,499 (6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage), ₹14,999 (8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage)
- Availability: 2nd April 2024 at 6 PM on realme.com/in and Flipkart.com
- Offers: ₹1,000 discount with select banks (4 GB + 128 GB), additional flat ₹500 off (6 GB + 128 GB), no-cost EMI, and Wireless 2 Neo worth ₹1,299 at ₹899
Design, Display, & Build Quality
The realme 12x 5G stands out with its 7.69 mm sleek design that resembles its siblings, it doesn’t use a Vegan Leather back, but rather plastic, although it shares the design elements from the realme 12 Series 5G. The smartphone is lightweight about 188 grams and has an ultra-slim 7.69 mm body which is also the thinnest in the segment. The realme 12x 5G offers IP54 dust and splash resistance and is available in two color options – Twilight Purple, and Woodland Green, we got the Twilight Purple as you can see in the images shared below.
On the front, the smartphone sports a 6.72-inch IPS LCD with Full HD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels), a 120 Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 950 nits, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, not under the display. The overall display quality is very good, it comes with high brightness (close to ~1000 nits) given the price.
Another highlight of the realme 12x 5G is the innovative Rainwater Smart Touch technology for its display to enhance the user experience. Users can interact with the screen even with wet fingers, the touchscreen also works if your fingers are wet or sweaty. The same Rainwater Smart Touch technology is also seen on its AMOLED counterpart siblings – narzo 70 Pro 5G – the first smartphone debuting this feature followed by the realme 12+ 5G.
As for the sides, connectivity, and audio, the right side has a power button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and volume controls, while the left side remains plain. The bottom has a USB Type-C port, stereo loudspeakers, a microphone, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The top side has another microphone and a hybrid dual 5G SIM tray that supports dual SIM slots with the microSD slot on SIM2. The phone has dual stereo speakers for louder volumes and to enhance the overall audio experience.
Software, User Interface, & Features
Like the realme 12 Series 5G lineup, you can see the new realme UI 5.0 running on it, the realme 12x 5G is also equipped with the Android 14 operating system and the realme UI 5.0 interface which is seamlessly integrated for a better user experience especially those who have been familiar with the realme smartphones. The smartphone comes with an Android security patch of 5th January 2024.
Built on the Android 14 operating system, the realme UI 5.0 marks a substantial improvement over its predecessors (realme UI 4.0 and older). The interface has been revamped for an optimized UI experience, improved privacy and security features, and various other enhancements.
The realme UI 5.0 comes with a host of customization options, allowing users to tailor the look and interface according to their preferences. The realme UI 5.0 also enables you to use the additional perks from the realme UI 4.0 interface. Noteworthy features include the Mini Capsule, and Auto Pixelate chats for enhanced privacy.
A unique feature called Air Gesture promises users a new level of interaction and convenience. The Air Gesture promises users a new level of interaction and convenience. It enables users to control various phone functions without physically touching the screen. With over ten gesture options, it replicates standard screen interactions all achieved through intuitive hand gestures. The Air Gesture feature helps in everyday situations where physical contact with the phone may not be feasible or convenient, whether the hands are wet, during meal times, or when the hands are soiled.
Aside from the usual apps from realme and Google, you get a selection of pre-installed apps such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Amazon, Snapchat, Spotify, Netflix, Agoda, etc.. You can remove these apps if they are not required. Additionally, you get a folder for Hot Apps and Hot Games as seen on other realme smartphones.
Hardware, Performance, & Gaming
Moving to the internals, the realme 12x 5G is powered by a MediaTek Diemsity 6100+ octa-core SoC clocked up to 2.2 GHz paired with ARM Mali-G57 MP2 (2-core) Graphics, up to 6 GB LPDDR4x RAM, up to 128 GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, and a 3D Vapour Chamber Cooling solution for heat dissipation.
The MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ is a 6nm midrange SoC consisting of eight ARM Cortex cores clocked up to 2.2 GHz – 2x ARM Cortex-A76 performance cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and 6x ARM Cortex-A55 power efficient cores clocked at 2.0 GHz.
You get to choose from two RAM options, either 4 GB RAM or 6 GB RAM with extended RAM up to +6 GB (6 GB RAM variant) while the storage can be expanded via a microSD card on SIM2 slot. The price for the 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant is ₹11,999 and for its 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant is ₹12,999.
For gamers, the ARM Mali-G57 MP2 offers a decent level of gaming, expect the games to run on medium graphics settings. For thermal concerns, the realme 12x 5G comes with an efficient 3D Vapor Chamber Cooling System equipped with Graphite sheets for effective heat dissipation.
Cameras
The realme 12x 5G is equipped with a dual camera setup on the rear side i.e. 50 MP + 2 MP while the front has an 8 MP camera for selfie and video calling needs. The 50 MP is the primary camera which the smartphone mainly relies on while the secondary camera is a 2 MP depth for portraits. The rear camera module may look like it has three cameras, but it’s just a part of design, don’t be confused.
The primary camera is fairly a good snapper in this segment capturing images with great details. You can see the shots that we have attached below to show you the quality. The overall camera performance is so far great in its class, better than many smartphones out there. You don’t get any wide-angle and macro features on the phone, but the primary camera works like a charm.
The camera interface offers a bunch of features and modes, including Night Mode, Photo Mode, Street Mode, Portrait Mode, HDR, Hi-Res, Pro Mode, Film, Dual-View Video, Panorama, Slo-Mo, Text Scanner, Time-Lapse, Tilt-shift, Beauty Mode, Interval, Timer, Filters, and more.
realme 12x 5G Camera Samples
Battery Runtime & Charging
The realme 12x 5G packs a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging, the fastest charging speed in its class with 5G connectivity as far as we know, the company even highlights it’s the only 5G smartphone with 45W charging in the segment (less than ₹12,000). We haven’t yet seen a smartphone in this price range to offer 45W charging till now and this is where the realme 12x 5G outclasses the competition.
With the 45W charger, you can expect the battery to be charged from 0% to 50% in ~30 minutes and fully 100% in about an hour and a few more minutes. The 5,000 mAh battery ensures a decent battery life combined with the realme UI 5.0 and Dimensity 6100+ CPU optimizations. It delivers up to 645 hours of standby, 15.9 hours of YouTube playback, 34.2 hours over phone calls, and 81.3 hours of music listening, expect up to 2 days of backup depending on your usage patterns.
Verdict – realme 12x 5G
The realme 12x 5G is a solid package for its price, you get 45W fast charging, fast performance (Dimensity 6100+), a slimmer design (7.69 mm), a smooth and bright 120 Hz display in its segment, and a bunch of other perks such as RainWater Smart Touch, Air Gestures, IP54 water-resistant design, stereo speakers, as well as features from realme UI 5.0. For those looking for a smartphone in the ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 price range, the realme 12x 5G is the most reasonable smartphone you can get for its offerings in the midrange segment. The price starts at ₹11,999 for its 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant which can be grabbed at a flat ₹1,000 discount using the launch offers (i.e. ₹10,999).
realme 12x 5G – Where To Buy
The realme 12x 5G is priced at ₹11,999 for its 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant, ₹13,499 for its 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant, and ₹14,999 for its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant. The phone is available for purchase starting today i.e. 2nd April 2024 at 6 PM (early bird) on realme.com/in and Flipkart. The launch offers include ₹1,000 discount with select banks (4 GB + 128 GB), additional flat ₹500 off (6 GB + 128 GB), no-cost EMI, and Wireless 2 Neo worth ₹1,299 at ₹899.
