Redmi Note 12 review: Good smartphone buy it in special sale

Redmi Note 12 review: Good smartphone but buy it in special sale

Xiaomi's plan to make affordable 5G phones in India continues with their latest Redmi Note 12 series. The new series includes two Pro models and a vanilla Redmi Note 12, which is also available in China but in a slightly different avatar. On the other hand, the India-specific unit focuses on cameras, and it comes with three cameras on the back instead of two.

Naturally, an extra camera sensor on the back increases the price of the Redmi Note 12 in India. Its price starts from Rs 17,999 for the base 4GB RAM and 128GB variant. If you consider the variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, which I am using, the price goes up by Rs 4,500. In contrast, the China-specific variant's price starts at CNY 1,199 (roughly Rs 13,600) for the base 4GB RAM + 128GB storage.

At Rs 17,999, the new Redmi Note 12 may not seem like a typical Note-series smartphone, as Xiaomi's Note series is known for its aggressive pricing. However, like every year, the newest iteration features some notable improvements. For instance, this year's base Redmi Note 12 offers a larger 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Redmi Note 11 comes with a 6.4-inch 90Hz AMOLED display.

At its core, the Redmi Note 12 includes a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC instead of a Snapdragon 680 chipset. The former unlocks 5G connectivity, which makes sense as 5G is rolling out in India. In that case, is Redmi Note 12 a good option to consider at this price point? Here is the full review.

Redmi Note 12 design and display

For nearly two years, Xiaomi's Note series featured the EVOL (love spelled backwards) design, which many people found aesthetically pleasing, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. This design featured rear cameras stacked in a pyramid shape and with a black finish, which gave it a modern look but did not match the body's tone.

In contrast, the Redmi Note 12 looks much more minimalistic with a single-tone finish. The rear camera module adopts the same colour as the smartphone body, a change I quite like. I am also glad that Xioami decided to send a blue unit, as I am not generally a fan of black gadgets.

The module also has two equally-sized cutouts for the primary and ultra-wide camera sensors, which gives it a neat appearance. The rest of the Note 12 has regular buttons and slots. The bottom has a USB Type-C port for charging, a single speaker output, and a mic channel. The top spine has a 3.5mm audio jack (a nice addition) next to the IR channel detector and a secondary mic channel. The sides have volume rockers, a dual SIM card slot, and a power button that also functions as a fingerprint sensor.

Xiaomi has used plastic material for the Redmi Note 12 and, fortunately for the company, it does not feel sub-standard. The durability could be a concern, but the phone comes with an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, and the package includes a transparent silicone case for that extra layer of protection.

When it comes to the front panel, it is hit-and-miss. Firstly, I like a larger display with a 120Hz refresh rate and relatively more brightness. The size of the screen (6.67 inches with 2400x1080 pixels), combined with the overall weight (188g) of the phone, makes it easier to read news and watch videos on the Note 12 for a long duration. The AMOLED display also offers better colours and contrast, which makes the viewing much more pleasing. The panel isn't the brightest compared to its more expensive siblings, but most users won't be displeased with the viewing experience.

However, the front panel has a considerable chin, which, in my opinion, should become obsolete in 2023. If I keep it next to its more expensive sibling, Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, the differences in bezels are quite stark.

Redmi Note 12 performance

Xiaomi has added 5G support to the Redmi Note 12 with the inclusion of a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. The phone also comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which should be sufficient for handling daily tasks like calling, web browsing, and light gaming. While the phone did offer snappy performance with the 120Hz refresh rate enabled during my testing, the switch between apps was not the smoothest. However, it is unlikely to cause frustration, likely until the smartphone gets the next few system updates.

I used a bunch of apps, like Netflix, YouTube, Outlook, and Chrome and they worked fine without abrupt crashes. I am not a big gamer, though played popular titles such as Asphalt 9, 8 Ball Pool, and Subway Surfers. All these games ran without visible stutters or any signs of overheating, which is a good thing. But when it comes to Instagram, the app isn't fully optimised, but that is a common problem among both affordable and expensive Android smartphones.

Many customers also prioritise speakers while buying smartphones, and the Redmi Note 12 won't disappoint in that department. My biggest complaint is that the company went for a single-speaker channel, which does not offer a 360-hearing experience. Fortunately, the sound output is loud and clear, which does not spoil the movie-viewing experience.

Beyond hardware, Xiaomi has assured two years of Android OS updates, which is a very good promise. The clever part is that the smartphone ships with Android 12-based MIUI 13, while the Android 13 update is already out there. This means that the Redmi Note 12 will receive an Android 13 update in a matter of weeks, but it may take a long time to get Android 14, when it is ready. It also means the Redmi Note 12 will practically receive a major Android update by the end of 2024. But the smartphone is laden with bloatware apps that make the UI very cluttered.

For number-centric fans and readers, the Redmi Note 12 scored 566 and 1751 points in Geekbench's single-core and multi-core tests. In the CPU throttle test, the smartphone barely signs of overheating.

Redmi Note 12 cameras

Phone cameras are a big focus in the Indian smartphone market, which is why Xiaomi introduced three cameras on the India-specific Redmi Note 12. The China model, which launched late last year, gets two cameras on the back, and a single selfie shooter.

Starting with the native app, the Redmi Note 12 instantly takes still photos and the preview is also fairly fast. The app remains a bit convoluted, thanks to an already confusing MIUI interface. Some camera tools are a tad complicated to locate or understand, which may cause trouble for elderly customers. However, users should get used to the native camera app after spending some weeks with the smartphone.

The rear camera system includes a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. As always, the tertiary 2-megapixel camera serves no purpose and the macro photos are simply poor.

The primary camera sensor takes decent pictures but with a considerable amount of grain in most lighting conditions. In the perfect lighting conditions, the images look great, and I could barely spot differences between images from Redmi Note 12 and the Rs 78,900-worth iPhone 14. However, in most scenarios, the Redmi Note 12 failed to detect the correct shades of red and I was left with an orangish hue. In some cases, the images were over-exposed, and in others, they were under-exposed but rarely colour accurate.

A similar performance was offered by the ultra-wide-angle camera, but this time, with relatively more grains in the image. Thankfully, videos turned out to be surprisingly stable, though colour accuracy remained a big issue.

Speaking of the 13-megapixel selfie camera, I feel most customers will have mixed feelings. Despite turning the blush levels to zero, the front camera failed to detect details on the face and it brightened the skin tone, which I don't like. However, some customers prefer this type of processing as it "beautifies" their faces. If you don't mind this beautified photo, the front camera on the Redmi Note 12 won't disappoint.

Redmi Note 12 battery

Xiaomi retained the battery capacity and charging speeds the same as the Redmi Note 11. This means the Note 12 continues to pack a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging (charger in the box). In my review, the phone takes a little over an hour to charge via the bundled charger, which isn't bad when we look at the competition. I am sure Xiaomi can and will improve the charging speed regardless of the price point. For now, 33W charging will satisfy a lot of customers.

In my two weeks of usage, the Redmi Note 12 easily lasted for an entire day with the maximum settings enabled. This includes 120Hz refresh, screen notifications, calling, watching videos on YouTube, and light gaming. I was unable to test 5G as my Jio SIM card is yet to support the connectivity option. However, I am sure turning to 5G will reduce the battery life by a few notches.

Redmi Note 12 verdict

The Redmi Note 12 has modest upgrades compared to its predecessor, but its price has significantly increased. The base variant of the Redmi Note 11 launched last February at a price of Rs 13,499, but the base variant of the Redmi Note 12 has been increased by Rs 4,500 (excluding introductory offers). With an introductory offer, the Redmi Note 12's base variant will cost Rs 16,499. While this price may seem expensive, the Redmi Note 12 does offer a 120Hz AMOLED display, 5G connectivity, and 33W fast charging, which remains unavailable on most phones in the segment.

In that case, the Redmi Note 12 is a good choice if you are getting the smartphone with an introductory offer. At the original price, it is still a good device, but definitely overpriced. My suggestion would be that you wait till the company launches a more affordable Redmi Note 12 SE or 12 Lite, which shouldn't be far away.