Realme India has announced on Twitter that “It’s time for #Periscope” crossed out with a “200MP”. The post then links to a teaser page highlighting the benefits of an actual periscope lens, as opposed to relying on an in-sensor zoom from a 200MP module.
One of the advantages is, of course, better image clarity at high zoom levels. Another example shows portrait photos – the one taken with a periscope camera has better separation between the subject and background.
The Realme 12 Pro has appeared on TENAA with what appears to be a periscope lens. We also expect the Realme 12 Pro+ model to have a periscope. But does that mean no 200MP camera? We wouldn’t write it off just yet, at least for the Pro+ model – the Realme 11 Pro+ does have a 200MP sensor (but no optical zoom of any kind).
200MP cameras aren’t that uncommon these days anyway, so that doesn’t necessarily make a phone a flagship. Realme’s statement “No periscope. No flagship.” seems to emphasize the importance of a periscope lens in a flagship phone.