HMD Global’s new era has finally arrived. The long-time partner of Nokia has released its first line of original Android smartphones, the HMD Vibe and HMD Pulse.

The HMD Vibe will be available in the United States, while the HMD Pulse collection will be sold in international markets. The Finnish smartphone manufacturer positions the Pulse series in particular as “mid-range, affordable phone options” although they are much more affordable than that branding suggests.

HMD Vibe: More bang for your buck

The HMD Vibe houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. It runs on Android 14, supports 4GB of virtual RAM on top of 4GB of base RAM, and has a 128GB internal storage capacity.

It has a 13MP AF main camera, along with a 2MP depth sensor and a 5MP selfie shooter. The phone uses an IPS LCD panel for its 6.56-inch display. This has a 90Hz refresh rate and up to 600nits of brightness.

The HMD Vibe will be available from May at US$ 149 on HMD.com and major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

HMD Pulse collection

Meanwhile, HMD’s midrange collection comes in three variants: The HMD Pulse, HMD Pulse+, and HMD Pulse Pro.

All three come in Glacier Green, Twilight Purple, and Black Ocean color variants. All three also come in a sleek, modern design. The rear cameras packaged in a rectangular formation on the upper left and the selfie cameras in a middle punch-hole.

A Unisoc T606 processor powers all phones under the Pulse series. The series-leading Pulse Pro supports configurations of up to 8GB+8GB RAM and 256GB storage. It features a 50MP selfie camera, complementing an identical 50MP rear camera.

On the other hand, the Pulse+ and Pulse both have 13MP main cameras and 5MP selfie shooters which has AI HDR and optimization. The Pulse+ has up to 8GB+8GB RAM and 128GB storage, while the Pulse can support up to 6GB+6GB RAM and the same storage capacity.

All handsets offer up to 59 hours of battery life. The Pro supports 20W of charging, while the other two’s chargers have a lower output at 10W. The only downside for all three is arguably their HD+ display with “just” a 90Hz refresh rate.

The HMD Pulse is priced starting at £99.99 on the HMD website, while the Pulse+ and Pulse Pro are to be made available soon.

The realme 12 5G is now official in the Philippines. Months after launching the the 12+ and 12 Pro+ models under its latest number series line, realme is back with the release of the series’ base model. The realme 12 5G is priced at PhP 14,999 and is available through realme’s ecommerce platforms and offline stores.

As part of its launch, realme is offering customers exclusive deals starting April 25th:

Lazada Flagship (May 5 to 10)

• Free realme Buds T100
• Free TechLife Hair Dryer

Shopee Official Store (May 5 to 10)

• Free TechLife Power Bank 2 20,000mAh
• Free TechLife 4.5L See-Through Air Fryer

TikTok Shop (April 25, 7:30 PM to 30)

• Free realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker
• Free TechLife Cooling Fan

James Afante TikTok Shop (April 25, 7:30 PM)

• Freebie package 1: TechLife Cooling Fan and Free TechLife 4.5L See-Through Air Fryer
• Freebie package 2: realme Buds T100 and Free TechLife 4.5L See-Through Air Fryer
• Freebie package 3: TechLife Portable Steam Iron, TechLife Electric Kettle, and TechLife Portable Electric Pot

ALSO READ: realme 12+ 5G review: One month later

For offline purchases, customers also stand a chance to win freebies worth up to PhP 24,999 with the Mystery Box promo. Furthermore, they may join the Lucky 12 Challenge for additional freebies when they purchase the realme 12 5G from any of the 100 selected concept stores, kiosks, and exclusive stores.

realme 12 5G

The realme 12 5G is just as capable as its 12+ and Pro+ counterparts. The model boasts of a 108MP 3X zoom portrait camera, taking off from the series’ Portrait Master positioning.

The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ 5G chipset, has 8GB of base RAM with 8GB RAM expansion, and a 5,000mAh battery with 45W SUPERVOOC Charge. In front is a 6.72-inch FHD+ 120Hz Sunlight Display that has a maximum brightness of 950nits. There is also an 8MP AI selfie camera.

Lastly, the handset also has a similar watch face design at the back. It is available in Twilight Purple and Woodland Green.

ALSO READ: realme 12 Pro+ 5G review: A midrange marvel

Just when we thought the Midnights’ era was over and the clock’s hands are now pointing to the tortured poets, a ‘Lavender Haze’ has arrived in the midrange smartphone department of the Philippines.

The realme 12 5G is here, and dang, does it look magical!

Just over a month after the official release of the realme 12 series, a new younger sibling just arrived, dead set on satisfying a niche that wants a competitive mobile device but has arguably smaller pockets.

You showed me colors you know I can’t see in anyone else

Right off the bat, the realme 12 5G is nothing short of stunning. The unit I have is in Twilight Purple, and believe me when I say that it’s a feast for the eyes. The other color variant of the phone is Woodland Green and its deep green hues will certainly win many hearts as well. 

Despite not having the vegan leather of its older siblings, the realme 12 5G still has the ability to turn heads and serve the borahae aesthetic which a lot of people (count me in!) like.

The camera layout of the realme 12 5G is a visual language we’re familiar with all too well. The luxury watch design is something I will always be a fan of. I really admire smartphone brands that create their own visual identity rather than those who take the easy route of copying a certain bitten fruit brand.

However, I must say that the metal frame of the realme 12 5G is a certified fingerprint magnet. But if you’re like part of the, say, 99% of the population who use smartphone cases, the free clear case that comes straight out of the box is an easy fix. That’s another episode of android-smartphones’-generosity-saves-the-day! 

It is also an important thing to note that while I really love the big camera design of the realme 12 5G, it can be bothersome when using the phone in landscape orientation. My fingers are naturally covering/touching the cameras. While it’s not that uncomfortable, you might have to wipe the lenses much more than you think you should.

The ports and buttons are pretty generic for the most part. The volume controls and power buttons are sitting on the right, the USB-C port, stereo speakers, and the 3.5mm headphone jack (yes, a headphone jack in 2024? I know, right!)  are on the bottom. realme, however, stepped up the game through the power button because it does not only double as a fingerprint scanner, it also allows custom shortcuts by double-tapping or double-pressing. This feature is called the dynamic button.

A display made for ‘Islang Pantropiko’ (Tropical Island)

BINI Jhoanna 🥰

Rocking a 6.72 FHD+ LTPS LCD display that supports a screen refresh rate of up to 120Hz is another impressive feature the realme 12 5G boasts under its purple sleeves. With a screen-to-body ratio of 91.4% and a camera punch hole that effortlessly blends with the display, an immersive experience is guaranteed.

The image looks sharp, the colors are vivid, and scrolling on this device is a breeze. Although, I would have loved it more if the bezels are thinner or at least, proportionally distributed but again, that’s just me being a true-blooded Virgo.

But that’s not where the display admiration ends. The realme 12 5G also supports up to 800 nits of screen brightness. It can go further to 950 nits when the ‘Extra Brightness’ mode found on the display settings is toggled on. 

This makes the display easily viewable even outdoors. That’s especially true during these ‘Islang Pantropiko’ summer weather when the sun’s scorching heat is not that forgiving to smartphones with dim displays.

The cameras: Do I love it? Do I hate it? I guess it’s up and down!

I would like to be very honest, I initially wanted to name this portion of the review as “The tortured camera department” but I feel like that would not be accurate of what I really feel towards the shooters of the realme 12 5G.

The smartphone sports three cameras in total. At the back lies the 108MP main camera that supports 3X zoom and a 2MP portrait camera. Meanwhile, the 8MP AI selfie camera resides on the front panel.

The quality of the photos produced by the realme 12 5G is a hit or miss for me. There are times when I really feel like it’s doing a great job but there are also times when I just feel like it could have done so much better. Take a look at these sample photos.

Photos taken in broad daylight look pretty good. The colors are vivid and the sharpness is on point. The only thing I can complain about is the dynamic range which, on some conditions, can look underwhelming or too processed for my liking.

Despite the not so accurate edge detection, portrait shots of the realme 12 5G can produce decent outputs. However, I highly suggest using the 1X option rather than the 3X one for a natural looking and overall better quality.

The High Res mode dedicated to capture 108MP photos doesn’t really pose that much of a difference. Sure, the photos may appear a tad but brighter but when looking closely, the highlights are overexposed. 

Not just that, photos taken using the High Res mode generate massive files. I even took a single photo that is over 90MB in size.

The 3X zoom seems underperforming and inconsistent as well. The photos can look good and usable one time but frequently, it just appears oversharpened and heavily processed. The colors can be too saturated as well.

Low light photos taken using the realme 12 5G is also another yin and yang for me. When there is enough light, it can produce really impressive results but it can also struggle during the darker times when you feel like you really need it to perform as intended.

As for the selfies, I can say that I am quite happy with the phone’s performance. It may not be flagship level but it won’t let you down in your “me” moments.

The video is limited to 1080p at 30FPS for both the rear and front-facing cameras. I do believe that there’s some sort of EIS for the rear camera but the quality is nowhere near amazing.

So long, realme

One thing I really love about the midrange Android market is despite the competition price point, companies are really generous when it comes to battery and charging speeds. realme 12 5G is not an exception.

Packed with 5000mAh battery that supports 45W SUPERVOOC charging, quick battery drain and slow charging speed are a thing of the past. Being a heavy social media user, the realme 12 5G lasted me a whole day of use with a few more juice left before I reached out for its charger. 

realme promises a 0-100% of charge in just 83 minutes. True to its claims, I was able to charge the phone from 20% to full in just 72 minutes. Impressive is an understatement.

You need to calm down, you’re being too loud

The realme 12 5G’s dual stereo speaker also has a feature called the Ultra Volume Mode that allows you to push up the volume level up to 200%. While it’s not necessarily bad, I find the audio quality to be a little bit harsh-edged and crunchy. 

The bass is really lacking as well to the point that it kinda affects my music time with my current favorite bubble gum P-pop songs. The normal volume, albeit a little bit better, is not really an entirely different story. This just goes to show that just because it’s loud, doesn’t mean it’s a great speaker.

I think there’s been a glitch…or two?

Moving forward to speed talks, the realme 12 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6100+. Basic operations like browsing on social media is an easy feat for realme’s newest midrange device. Even multitasking seems smooth on this device, switching back and forth between apps hasn’t really been an issue on my end. 

It does reload some apps, mostly games, when reopening them but I feel like that’s pretty normal for midrange android devices.

The gaming experience, however, is kind of underwhelming. When playing Roblox even on automatic graphics quality, I still experienced a considerably significant amount of frame drops. That became more frequent when I dialed up the graphics settings to maximum quality. 

Surprisingly, I didn’t notice any frame drop when I played Asphalt 9 on default graphics settings and only a few occurred when I modified the settings to the highest graphics quality and 60FPS option. 

As for the device’s temperature, the realme 12 5G may warm up during heavy use over an extended period, but it remains comfortable to hold. A brief rest allows the phone to cool down quickly.

You’ve got some tricks up your sleeves 

Another thing that makes the realme 12 5G so interesting is the special features that come with it. Even though some of them can be viewed as plain gimmicks, some could be really useful. For example, the mini capsule 2.0 as realme likes to call it  is an animation feature that is quite similar to Apple’s dynamic island, is nowhere near impressive and does not really improve the phone’s functions in any way.  

On the other hand, the Snap Cards feature of the device which allows you to use your phone to store RFIDs by scanning the actual RFIDs could be a game changer for some people. Imagine you forgot your work RFID that records your attendance but hey, your phone is there to save the day! I believe things like these are what makes the realme 12 5G a fun device to have inside your pocket.

Other features worth mentioning include RAM expansion, dynamic button, and extra brightness.

Final Thoughts

To sum everything up, the realme 12 5G offers a wide spectrum of features a lot of people will love. With its unique aesthetic and color options, impressive sunlight display, and long-lasting battery life, it offers a holistic and fun experience for its users. . The device’s ability to deliver decent photos is also worth keeping in mind.

Its performance, although not perfect, still provides a satisfying user experience. To top all that off, it also has special features under its belt. With its competitive pricing, I will definitely recommend the realme 12 5G for people who love aesthetics and value functionality but do not want to break the bank.

Pricing and Availability

The realme 12 5G is the least expensive offering among the realme 12 series. Priced at Php 14,999, the handset comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You may purchase the device and get freebies on realme’s TikTok shop until April 30. The realme 12 5G will also be available on realme’s official Shopee and Lazada store on May 5 to 10.