Review: realme C12

By Sylvester Sy
10 Min Read
realme C12

The realme C12 is the company’s newest budget smartphone with features that could surely wow even the demanding consumers with limited budget. Equipped with a massive 6,000 mAh battery that allows the device to keep up with heavy online activities, a 13MP AI triple-camera setup for high-quality snaps, 5 MP Selfie Camera for a crystal clear selfie, and an immersive 6.5-inch extra-large screen for an excellent game, audio and visual experience.

Unboxing/Accessories

The realme C12 arrived with the familiar yellow box with the big “C12” model printed on the front part of the box and a small realme logo at the lower portion of the box. The box contains realme C12 handset, 5V/2A USB wall charger, USB-A to micro USB data/charging cable, paper documentations and the SIM ejector tool.

realme C12
What’s Inside?

We also noticed that it already has a pre-installed screen protector. Unfortunately, there’s no earphones and transparent silicone case included in the package.

Build Quality/Design

The realme C12 sports an eye-catching geometric gradient design with a kind of textured matte finish at the back and is made from polycarbonate plastic while the front panel is protected by Gorilla Glass though the version is not mentioned on the realme website. The smartphone does feel heavy at 209 grams due to its massive 6,000mAh battery but I really like how it feels in my hands.

On the right side of the smartphone, we have the volume rocker above the power key and on the left side is where you will find the SIM tray. This triple-slot tray makes it more convenient for users who need to use two SIMs but want to expand the storage using a microSD card.

 

On the bottom you will see a 3.5mm audio jack, mic, micro-USB port and the speaker grills. For security, the realme C12 is equipped with a fingerprint sensor mounted at the back of the smartphone.

The realme C12 has a 6.5 inch 2.5D curved protected IPS (LTPS) screen w/ HD+ 1600 x 720 resolution at 269 ppi. It is a decent screen for media consumption as long as you are using it indoors.

Multimedia Experience

For a budget phone, the screen of this handset is really not bad. It has a 6.5-inch, 2.5D curved glass panel IPS display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 at 269 ppi.

realme C12 - Netflix
Netflix and Chill with the realme C12

I tried watching some of my favorite Netflix movies with this phone and I was amazed as I was able to consume more than 9 hours of video content with the volume level to the highest and brightness level set to its maximum and still have enough power to play games before it reached 0% battery.

The screen is big enough to enjoy your favorite video content on your smartphone and its massive battery capacity let’s you enjoy your favorite video contents longer without having to worry about recharging which is perfect when you are traveling.

Camera

In front, it uses a large 6.5 inch 2.5D curved protected IPS (LTPS) screen with a dewdrop notch. It has a 5 megapixel front camera setup with f/2.0 aperture.

realme C12
5 MP Selfie Camera for a crystal clear selfie.

While at the back shows the square-shaped camera module that houses a 13 megapixel primary camera with f/2.2 aperture, a 2 megapixel monochrome sensor with f/2.4 aperture, and another 2 megapixel macro lens with f/2.4 aperture.

realme C12
a 13MP AI triple-camera setup for high-quality snaps.

Performance

The realme C12 is powered by MediaTek 12nm Helio G35 octa-core processor coupled with the PowerVR GE8320 GPU. The new HyperEngine Technology features multiple optimization and also enhances gaming performance significantly.

realme C12 - AnTuTu
AnTuTu Benchmark.

realme C12 with MediaTek Helio G35, scores 107277 on AnTuTu Benchmark.

realme C12 - Geekbench scores
Geekbench scores.

The Helio G35 is an entry level gaming processor which means it is capable of handling all your daily tasks with ease. But of course, don’t expect any groundbreaking performance.

For storage, the realme C12 is equipped with a 32GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 256GB for more storage space through a dedicated slot. Hence, we highly recommend that you get a microSD card for more storage especially if you take a lot of photos.

realme C12 - Call Of Duty
Playing Call Of Duty on realme C12

When it comes to mobile games, playing games like PUBG ran at low settings by default but it ran smoothly and I did not experience any lag. To be honest, I’ve been using the realme C12 for almost 2 weeks now playing Call of Duty and I was really impressed with the battery life. I was also able to install and play Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and NBA 2K20, not bad for a budget smartphone.

Related Article: Month-long realme Fan Fest ends strong with new realme C12

Battery

The realme C12 is equipped with a 6,000mAh battery, by far the biggest battery capacity I’ve used on a smartphone. Unfortunately the charger only has 10W charging, which proves to be a challenge for such a capacity, particularly with the battery charge time of three and half hours from a zero percent to 100 battery level.

It also supports reverse charging, meaning you can use your smartphone and turn it into a power bank to power your other devices.

realme C12 - PCMark Work 2.0 battery life
PCMark score battery life

Pros

  • Massive battery capacity
  • Solid and Stylish Design

Cons

  • Slow charging considering its massive battery capacity

Verdict

Overall, the realme C12 is an adequate choice as an entry-level smartphone. I’m honestly impressed with the realme C12 and to be honest, it’s my first time to try a realme device. I was really surprised with the build quality and design for its price.

realme C12 Specs

Display: 6.5-inch 2.5D curved protected IPS (LTPS) screen w/ HD+ 1600 x 720 resolution at 269 ppi
CPU: 2.3GHz 12nm Helio G35 octa-core processor
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 3GB
ROM: 32GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 13MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 mono + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 5MP
Battery: 6,000mAh w/ 10W charger
OS: Android 10.0 w/ realme UI 1.0
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, FM Radio, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, P2i splash resistance, and Dirac HD Sound.
Colors: Marine Blue and Coral Red

Related Article: realme C12 Unboxing and First Impressions

Price and availability

The realme C12, the latest of realme Philippines in its battery-powerhouse C-series, is officially available in all realme stores, kiosks and partner mobile stores nationwide starting today for PhP 5,990.

realme C12 officially available natiowide

Shopee purchasers may also use the voucher code GADGETZONE8 upon check-out to bring down the price of the realme C12 eight percent further, a promo valid on September 03 only. With the one-day Php 100 discount and the eight-percent voucher code, realme customers can slash a total of Php 600 off of the realme C12 price tag. Shopee will also be hosting flash sales for the device today from 12:00 p.m. to 4:59 p.m.

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