The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 is the latest in Xiaomi’s highly successful Redmi Note series, which has delivered impressive specifications at an affordable price. Targeting budget-conscious consumers, the Redmi Note 12 aims to provide a well-rounded smartphone experience without compromising on essential features. With its sleek design, powerful performance, and versatile camera capabilities, this device is poised to attract a wide range of users. In this review, we will analyze its features, performance, pros and cons, and ultimately judge whether it delivers what was promised by the predecessors.
Design and Build Quality
The Redmi Note 12 comes with an incredibly modern design and very eye-catching features. There’s a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 2400 x 1080 pixels, which renders colours very vibrantly while at the same time allowing deep blacks. Therefore, the device is perfect for media consumption and gaming, and this 120Hz refresh rate provides smooth scrolling for an amazing user experience.
The phone measures 159.9 x 73.9 x 8.1 mm and weighs 188 grams, so holding it for long periods isn’t a problem. This phone has a glass back and a plastic frame to the sides, which is definitely premium but also makes the phone feel lightweight. Neatly integrated into the frame is the camera module.
The placement of the buttons is ergonomic. That power button is located at the right side, along with a fingerprint sensor at the same location, allowing rapid unlocking. The dual SIM slot and microSD card slot for expandable memory are also present in this smartphone.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 processor drives the Redmi Note 12 under the hood. Depending on the variant, the processor is paired with 4GB or 6GB of RAM. There’s enough power to do multiple tasks and run resource-intensive applications without a glitch. Applications launched quickly, and the transitions between them were seamless.
For gamers, the device performs PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile beautifully with medium settings without noticeable lagging. The graphics are sharp, and gameplay is smooth due to the high refresh display rate.
The device runs on MIUI 13 based on Android 12 and offers a very intuitive experience with ample customization options. Xiaomi software enhancements provide some features like Dark Mode, customized themes, and an app drawer for keeping your home screen clean.
Battery Life
Redmi Note 12’s largest appeal could probably be its huge 5000mAh battery. Its ability to provide more than an entire day’s supply for users, or more even, without requiring charging at all is very convincing. Pragmatic usage patterns involved playing games, browsing through social media, and video streaming, and the battery provided more than 24 hours of usage on a relatively conservative regime.
Charging speed is capped at 33W, allowing users to charge from zero to about 100% in just under an hour. This feature is particularly beneficial for those who are always on the go and need quick top-ups throughout their day.
Camera Performance
The camera setup on the Redmi Note 12 includes a triple-camera array featuring a 48 MP main sensor, an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2 MP macro lens. This makes it quite versatile in photography.
It performs very well in bright conditions and produces nice, sharp images with considerable detail retention. The ultra-wide lens is perfect for landscape photography but shows minor distortion at the edges. The macro lens provides fairly nice close-up shots but does not possess the sharpness characteristic of dedicated macro cameras.
Low-light performance is commendable; while it may not match flagship devices, it performs admirably for its price range. The night mode feature helps enhance low-light shots by reducing noise and improving brightness.
The front-facing camera boasts a 13 MP sensor, which delivers good selfies with decent detail and color accuracy. It also supports portrait mode for those who enjoy taking pictures with blurred backgrounds.
