I tested the cheap mid-range phone you should buy if you think you don’t need 5G connectivity yet

After launching the realme 12 last May, the company has also decided to bring it to the market a version of the same device, but with 4GThis is an option that some manufacturers continue to bet on in Europe, and that allows users who do not hesitate to give up 5G connectivity to enjoy better features.

Much of the current mid-range already has 5G, but it is true that there are regions in which these networks do not have much coverage, so there may be people who, for one reason or another, do not need compatibility with these networks. This realme 12 4G, for a price of 249.99 dollarsis one of the best possible options.

It is a balanced device, with a good panel that is ideal for watching hours of content and it benefits from a high level of brightness, in addition to having enough battery to finish the day without problem.

Identification design

Chinese society is maintain the same aesthetics in this device as in other mid-range models that it recently launched, such as the realme 12 Pro, although it is true that it is closer to the realme 12 5G. The most recognizable thing is the presence of a circular camera module located in the center of its rear part. In this case, it is quite large and has four sensors, in addition to the LED flash.

Its back is completely flat, as are the edges.like most current mobile phones on the market. A design that suits you well and makes it quite rectangular, without being uncomfortable to hold in your hand, far from it. The volume and power buttons are located on the right edge.

On the front, the device has a camera located in a hole in the screen, a correct decision on the part of the brand, since gives it a better look than the notch.

Although the material covering the back is plastic, the device very neat design and also quite good hand feel. In this case, it is the green model, and a positive point of the brand is that its back and edges are of this color, and even its default wallpaper when first using the device, which gives it a more congruent appearance.

Good screen

In terms of the screen, the mobile is quite correct, and even stands out on certain points. Your panel has a 6.67 inch size, and it is AMOLED technology. This will allow you to take advantage of the particularities of this type of screen, such as the possibility of obtaining greater energy efficiency when displaying black.

Its resolution is Full HD+, which is correct for this type of panel, and also Its refresh rate is 120 HzIt is therefore able to offer a fairly fluid experience. In addition, the automatic mode of this feature allows the operating system itself to intelligently indicate which screen refresh rate to use in each application.

It must be said that the maximum brightness level is good for its price level. It reaches 1,200 nights in extreme conditions, an amount that will make it clearly visible in sunlight, but without giving the experience of a high-end phone.

It’s a good panel, ideal for watching movies and series, as well as playing games. In addition, the company’s customization layer offers interesting options such as changing the color mode of the screen or establishing an automatic visual comfort mode to less strain your eyes at night, allowing you to choose the color temperature and texture of what appears on the screen. screen.

Power

This realme 12 4G only integrates this type of connectivity, and it does so thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 processor. It is a fairly competent processor that we have already seen in other similar phones like the Redmi Note 13 4G.

Its performance is good enough to get a good experience in all types of applications. When it comes to gaming, since it is not an extremely powerful mobile phone, it may be a little shorter in some titlesbut it’s still able to move quite a few games without having to lower the graphics too much.

In the software section, the device works very well. However, it is true that it comes with some pre-installed applications like TilTok, Miravia and some games. In all, over 20 apps, plus some that duplicate Google’sfor example System Gallery and Google Photos. In this sense, greater cleanliness could be beneficial for the customization layer.

It is not a mobile phone that has defects in this sense. It moves well, despite some occasional jolts, but its performance is correct. This model has 256 GB of internal memory and 8 GB of RAM, which can be expanded using virtual RAM.

Camera

The photographic section of this realme 12 is quite basic, but that does not necessarily have to be bad. It has two rear cameras, one of 50 Mpx, which is the main one, and another macro with a resolution of 2 Mpx, which will be used to take photos very close.

When it comes to taking photos during the day, the camera doesn’t perform badly. The resolution allows you to zoom in without losing too much detail. The photographs seem pretty good for their price point, although they’re not close to what more expensive cameras offer.

When it comes to night photography, the results degrade slightly, so its strengths stand out more in the daytime. As an improvement, the camera app could be slightly more intuitive when changing settings.

Should I buy it?

It’s definitely not a bad phone at all. The realme 12 4G has a good combination of features that the fact does not weaken in any aspectBoth its screen and its power supply and design offer a great user experience for its price of 199 dollars.

Your camera has an optical image stabilizer, which is a good addition to improve the quality of photographs and handheld videos. Perhaps the lack of higher quality add-on sensors is its weak point in this regard.

However, what you have to keep in mind is that this is a mobile phone with 4G connectivity. Many operators already offer 5G in their rates and many areas of Europe also have sufficient coverage for this network. It is true that It is by no means yet as widespread as LTE networks.. Despite this, it must be taken into account that in the coming years, if you change your mobile phone, you will be able to use this connection.

If you don’t usually do heavy tasks outside the home, it’s okay not to have 5G connectivity. Personally, I don’t have it on my personal cell phone due to a compatibility issue between the manufacturer and the operator, and it’s not something serious, but it’s something that each user must evaluate according to their type of use.