Realme teases new phone with periscope camera in India

Realme has teased a new smartphone with a periscope camera, slated for launch in India soon. While the company has not mentioned what phone it will be, the speculation is that it will be the Realme 12 Pro+. But, at the same time, Realme has mentioned in its announcement on X (formerly Twitter) that this phone could be flagship level. In its teaser, the company implied that there cannot be a flagship phone without a periscope camera. Since Realme’s number series is not flagship level, the phone being teased could be the Realme GT 5 Pro.

Launched in China earlier this month, the Realme GT 5 Pro is a flagship phone with a periscope camera. It is the first phone in the GT series to come with a periscope unit but not the first one in the entire smartphone portfolio. Back in May 2020, Realme launched the X3 SuperZoom as its first phone carrying a periscope camera on the rear unit. The X3 SuperZoom arrived in India soon after its launch in China, but considering it was slightly on the higher price side, it could not sell as much as other Realme phones.

It’s out😎! #NoPeriscopeNoFlagship#StayTuned #realmeIndia pic.twitter.com/BkApiJm5mB

— realme (@realmeIndia) December 28, 2023

After Realme changed its smartphone launch strategy to rebrand premium phones with the ‘GT’ moniker, the company saw an uptick in its sales in India. The demand for good camera phones in India currently is, thus, highly likely to translate into good sales for the upcoming Realme phone.

A periscope camera in a smartphone uses mirrors or a prism to bend light in a manner that increases the optical zoom. This process results in clearer photos with sharp details when clicked after a zoom. Periscope cameras are common in flagship phones — something Realme wants to reinstate with its new teaser. While flagship phones from most brands come with a premium price tag, Realme is likely to offer its upcoming phone at a significantly lower price.

The last phone in the GT series launched by the company in India was the GT Neo 3. It was not the ultimate flagship like the GT 2 Pro, which arrived in 2022. Should Realme chooses to launch the GT 5 Pro in India in the coming days, it will likely be the company’s most advanced and most expensive phone on the market.