Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy F12 Review

Samsung has been aggressively expanding its portfolio and trying to include a little something for everybody. The entry grade segment is being taken care of by the M-series and F-series and the latest to join the club is Galaxy F12 that may also be viewed as a variant of the recently launched Galaxy M12.

For a starting price of INR 10,999, the Galaxy F12 leverage conventional Samsung strengths like the tier-1 branding and latest Android 11-based OneUI software, while also throwing in a few trends like the side-mounted fingerprint sensor and 90Hz high refresh rate display.

So, should you go ahead and buy one? We will answer that with conviction when we are done with our full review, but meanwhile our first impressions should give you a fair idea of what to expect. Let’s get started.

Samsung Galaxy F12 price in India and specification

Galaxy F12 ships with bare minimum – compared to other adjacent rivals, that is. Here’s what you do get in the box apart from the phone:

• 15W Charging adapter
• USB cable for charging and data transfer
• SIM ejector tools and documentation

Samsung Galaxy F12 Design and Display

Samsung Galaxy F12 has the exact same design and dimensions as the Galaxy M12, which isn’t a bad thing after all. The phone is a tad chunky but still feels distinctive and we quite like the simple yet elegant finish of the back panel.

There are four cameras on the rear encased in a sqaure-shape module that sits almost flush with the phone. The capacitive fingerprint reader on the left edge is easily accessible and works reliably.

The phone is entirely made of plastic and is a bit heavy at 221 gram. That’s understandable since the major contribution to the heft comes from the massive 6000mAh battery. The weight is well balanced, and the phone feels reasonably comfortable to hold and operate.

The display on the front has a dew drop notch and supports 90Hz adaptive motion smoothness. This is a PLC LCD display with HD+ resolution and it’s clear from the get go that the overall quality is pretty average. The phone has DRM L1 certificate needed for HD streaming on Netflix and Prime videos. 

Further, Samsung retains Audio jack and has a dedicated card slot. Overall, we’d say the Galaxy F12 Feels like a well designed and durable big-battery phone. 

Samsung Galaxy F12 Performance Expectations

Samsung Galaxy F12 is powered by 8nm Exynos 850 octa-core chipset that proved to be a decent entry-grade chipset on the Galaxy M12. There are two storage options to choose from – 64GB and 128GB storage options, each with 4GB RAM and a dedicated card slot.

Day-to-day usage has been smooth so far and we are hoping the same should sustain in the long run. We will be pushing the phone to its limit and will get back with more performance stats and gaming experience in our review later.

The phone doesn’t support dual-band Wi-Fi. Other than that we haven’t run into any connectivity or calling-related issues so far.

Also Read: Best phones with true VRR display

Samsung Galaxy F12 Camera Expectations

The primary camera is Samsung GM2, a very popular 48MP sensor. A 5MP wide-angle camera, 2MP depth sensor, and 2MP macro camera are other customary sensors completing the quartet.

Now, we really don’t expect much in terms of camera performance in the sub 15K segment and in our initial testing, the Galaxy F12 didn’t disappoint. It’s still too soon to pass on a verdict so you’ll need to wait for our full review.

Samsung Galaxy F12 First Impressions

Samsung Galaxy F12 is a decidedly affordable phone that has a quite a few things to look forward to. It offers a 90Hz HRR display on a budget, has an appealing software, and a long lasting 6000mAh battery. On the downside, a sharper and better quality display would have made F12 a lot more appealing.

Before we can pass it on as a recommendation, we will need to test how the performance and camera hold up to scrutiny in our full review.