Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G review

Xiaomi’s Redmi Be aware 12 line contains no fewer than eight totally different fashions, however solely half of these have made it to Europe. 

The Be aware 12 5G is the second most reasonably priced of those, even when the £279/€299 price ticket makes it dearer than your common funds cellphone. 

Compromises are nonetheless inevitable in comparison with the pricier Be aware 12 Professional and Professional+, with efficiency, cameras and charging taking the largest hit. The Be aware 12 5G isn’t almost as thrilling because of this, however the core expertise stays spectacular. 

Is that sufficient to make it your subsequent cellphone, although? That call hinges on the pliability of your funds and willingness to tolerate some key shortcomings. Right here’s our full evaluate. 

Design & construct

• Plastic somewhat than glass again
• Light-weight but sturdy
• IP53 & 3.5mm audio jack

The obvious downgrade on the Be aware 12 5G is its design. Fairly than the glass again of the 12 Professional and Professional+, you’ll must make do with plastic right here. 

It’s a disgrace to see the premium construct sacrificed, even when it’s not surprising on a cellphone at this worth. Design was a key promoting level of the dearer Redmi Be aware 12 telephones, however that’s not the case right here.  

This isn’t a dealbreaker, though it means the Be aware 12 5G appears like an inexpensive cellphone whenever you’re utilizing it. As quickly as you decide it up, you’ll know it is a funds system. 

Nevertheless, I’ll say that Xiaomi has managed to make the system look dearer than it’s. A matte coating avoids noticeable buildup of grime and fingerprint smudges, however nonetheless permits the again to shimmer attractively when it catches the sunshine. 

That’s significantly obvious on the Forest Inexperienced mannequin I examined, which shifts between turquoise and darkish inexperienced tones because the angle adjustments. It seems to be nice in particular person, and helps the cellphone stand out from the group. However for one thing rather less eye-catching, Onyx Grey and Ice Blue fashions are additionally out there.  

The end is seen by the clear glass digicam module, which solely protrudes barely from the again of the cellphone. It helps the Be aware 12 5G stay snug to carry, that means you don’t essentially want a case. There’s a clear silicone one within the field, nevertheless it’s not significantly enticing or protecting.

A case can even have an effect on the fingerprint sensor, which is constructed into the facility button. With the included one utilized, I seen much more failed makes an attempt and unintentional presses in my pocket. That was principally eradicated with out one, and it unlocks comparatively rapidly. 

Deciding towards glass would possibly compromise design, nevertheless it advantages sturdiness. You don’t have to fret concerning the again of the cellphone shattering, and I’d be assured in it surviving most drops from 1-2 metres. The system doesn’t really feel flimsy in any respect. 

Simply don’t drop it in water, although. An IP53 ranking means it might repel mud and splashes of water, however not submersion for any size of time. If you wish to use it within the bathtub or by the pool, take additional care. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s additionally price mentioning haptics. Delicate clipped suggestions can point out whenever you’re unlocking the cellphone, receiving messages and even navigating apps. However the vibration motor within the Be aware 12 5G isn’t essentially the most convincing, and there’s no approach to customise its depth. 

At 189g, the system is definitely barely heavier than the all-glass Be aware 12 Professional. However that is nonetheless light-weight by trendy cellphone requirements. 

There’s even nonetheless a 3.5mm audio jack. You would possibly’ve switched to Bluetooth headphones and audio system by now, nevertheless it’s very nice to nonetheless have that wired possibility. 

Display screen & audio system

• 6.67in Full HD+ OLED show
• 120Hz refresh fee
• Single downward-firing speaker

Until you actually desire a curved display screen, there are not any actual compromises with regards to the Be aware 12 5G’s show. The 6.67in panel right here is OLED and has a decision of 1080×2400 – that’s the very same as each dearer Redmi Be aware 12 telephones.

Some premium telephones have 1440p screens, nevertheless it’s not a necessity on a tool of this dimension. Every little thing seems to be clear and crisp, with OLED serving to ship deep blacks and nice distinction. Colors are wealthy and vibrant, making it ideally suited to duties reminiscent of internet looking, watching movies or scrolling social media.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The latter is especially pleasing when mixed with the 120Hz refresh fee, which makes navigating the cellphone really feel very fluid and responsive. Most flagship handsets don’t go larger than this, so it’s nice to see it on such an reasonably priced system. 

One premium characteristic you gained’t discover here’s a dynamic refresh fee. That depends on LTPO tech that this show doesn’t have, so you need to select between a set 60Hz or 120Hz. Until you actually need to preserve battery life, I’d suggest the upper setting. 

The likes of HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient are additionally lacking from the Be aware 12 5G’s show, however I didn’t discover. The show is great, and one of many easiest you’ll discover on a cellphone at this worth. 

Outside visibility can also be superb. The display screen will get impressively brilliant, and there’s even a devoted ‘daylight mode’ which claims to assist by boosting the display screen brightness even larger when a sensor detects daylight.

The show is housed inside some slim bezels, with round 86% of the entrance panel taken up with display screen. However there’s nonetheless an annoyingly massive chin, and it doesn’t serve any explicit function. 

Sadly, the audio expertise isn’t almost as spectacular. There’s only a single downward-firing speaker, and it might simply be blocked by your fingers in panorama mode. 

It will get decently loud, however lacks bass and infrequently sounds washed out. For informal listening it’s superb, however nothing extra. 

Specs & efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and 4GB RAM
• Respectable efficiency, however not flawless
• 128GB of expandable storage

Many Redmi telephones use MediaTek chips, however Xiaomi has opted for Qualcomm right here as a substitute. The Be aware 12 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, a 2022 chipset that’s particularly designed for mid-range handsets. Because the title of the cellphone suggests, it has 5G inbuilt. 

However don’t anticipate excellent efficiency, particularly with simply 4GB of RAM on the one mannequin within the UK and Europe. It’s superb for many on a regular basis conditions, however can’t deal with demanding apps reminiscent of video modifying software program and superior video games. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I used the Be aware 12 5G as my foremost cellphone for a few weeks, and the expertise was … superb. Internet looking (with many tabs open), messaging apps, YouTube movies and taking photographs are all nicely inside attain, nevertheless it feels sluggish at occasions.  

There’s additionally typically hesitation and stuttering when shifting between apps, one thing additional RAM would assist with. It’s solely more likely to worsen over time, so that you’ll want to remain affected person. 

However efficiency is under no circumstances horrible. It’s proper according to what you’d anticipate from a cellphone at this worth, albeit unable to compete with the most effective mid-range telephones on the market. 

Our traditional graphical checks wouldn’t run on the Be aware 12 5G, however different benchmarks present the way it compares to telephones which might be barely dearer: 

You’re restricted to 128GB of inside storage exterior China, nevertheless it’s not all dangerous information. The Be aware 12 5G helps enlargement through microSD card, all the best way as much as 1TB. It’s an extra buy, however they’re comparatively cheap. 

Alongside 5G, the cellphone additionally has Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1. Neither are the newest requirements, although connections through each had been dependable throughout my testing time. 

Digital camera & video

• Triple rear cameras
• Hit-and-miss outcomes
• Good selfie lens

Like so many telephones lately, the Be aware 12 5G has triple rear cameras. However more often than not, you’ll need to take photographs with the 48Mp, f/1.8 foremost lens. It’s a lot larger high quality than the 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro, and able to some genuinely spectacular outcomes. 

The cellphone is especially nicely suited to structure, the place it normally manages to maintain the topic in focus with out overexposing the background. On a cloudy day, I used to be in a position to take some moody pictures that actually captured the ambiance of the scene.  

Colors are usually true to life in these examples, however that modified as soon as the solar got here out. In these brighter circumstances, aggressive processing added much more distinction and saturation than was truly current. The ensuing synthetic pictures are barely extra pleasing to take a look at, however extremely unrealistic. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The principle lens does an honest job with panorama pictures, dealing with shadows and particulars within the foreground nicely. Nevertheless, dynamic vary isn’t nice, one thing which turns into very evident as quickly as you begin zooming in. 

With no telephoto lens, this zoom is completely digital. It goes all the best way as much as 10x, however something above 5x may be very grainy and just about unusable. 

On the different finish of the size, the 8Mp ultrawide lens affords a 118-degree area of view. It’s nice to have that additional flexibility, however the drop-off in high quality is critical. Element, color accuracy and publicity are all compromised, to the extent that I most popular merely standing additional again and utilizing the principle digicam. 

Nevertheless, it’s a distinct story with the 2Mp macro lens. Shut-up pictures, significantly of flowers and crops, hold the topic intimately whereas including a gorgeous background blur.

I hoped for the same story with portrait mode, which depends on software program with no devoted depth sensor. However edge detection is a giant situation, so it requires a number of trial and error to get an excellent outcome. 

The latter is reflective of the rear digicam expertise as an entire. It’s attainable to get some nice photographs, however provided that you’re keen to be affected person and experiment with framing and angles. 

The 13Mp front-facing digicam is surprisingly wonderful. It produces vibrant, detailed selfies, avoiding the frequent tendency to blow out sky within the background. There’s even a portrait mode, which arguably does a greater job than the principle rear lens. 

As you’ll be able to see from the gallery beneath, the cameras are a little bit of a combined bag: 

The Be aware 12 5G is restricted to 1080p video at 30fps, however that’ll be superb for many. Footage seems to be respectable, however no optical picture stabilisation (OIS) means footage is shaky and infrequently unusable with any important motion. 

Battery & charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Comfortably lasts no less than a full day
• Stable 33W charging

The Be aware 12 5G is provided with a really respectable 5000mAh battery. That’s according to many smartphones lately, though battery life is certainly above common. 

Even with the show set to 120Hz, brightness excessive and placement on, I used to be constantly ending the day with cost to spare. You’ll be able to confidently use this cellphone all day with out ever needing to fret about the place the closest energy outlet is. 

On lighter days at dwelling, I used to be in a position to stretch to greater than 48 hours between expenses. Now that’s spectacular. 

The PCMark battery take a look at doesn’t totally replicate that, though a time of 10 hours and 25 minutes may be very respectable. It simulates real-world duties at a reasonably typical 200 nits, however precise display screen on time is round half of that.

Whenever you do get spherical to charging, Xiaomi features a 33W adapter within the field. It’s a lot slower than the Be aware 12 Professional (67W) and 12 Professional+ (120W), however nonetheless not dangerous in any respect. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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From lifeless, I recorded 30% cost in quarter-hour and 54% after half an hour. A full cost takes round 70 minutes. There’s no wi-fi charging, however that’s simple to excuse at this worth level. 

Software program & updates

• MIUI 14 over Android 12
• Plenty of tweaks to person expertise
• Three years of Android updates, 4 of safety updates

The Be aware 12 5G runs Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 pores and skin, however frustratingly it’s over Android 12. Which means it’ll quickly be two years outdated, with no phrase on when Android 13 will arrive.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

However even when it does, the software program expertise gained’t essentially change. MIUI has a really totally different feel and look to the inventory model of Android, and it’s actually an acquired style. 

All of the Google apps are nonetheless right here, however Xiaomi has added numerous its personal. The corporate’s tackle picture gallery, file supervisor, calculator, alarm clock and plenty of extra, a few of which may’t be uninstalled. This bloatware is among the most annoying issues about MIUI. 

Then, inside a ‘Extra apps’ folder, you’ll discover a seemingly random choice of apps that Xiaomi has determined you would possibly need to use. Alongside a separate ‘Video games’ folder (containing primary video games, most of which I hadn’t heard of), MIUI has a number of litter, that means it might rapidly really feel overwhelming.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s attainable to streamline this to the apps you truly need normally, however there are some design components which may’t be modified. Your notifications and fast settings are break up – which seems is dependent upon the place you swipe from the highest of the display screen. 

The Settings app has additionally been redesigned, whereas the intense app icons and widgets take some getting used to. It’s actually not a cellphone the place you’ll be able to full a primary setup and be able to go. 

Xiaomi commits to 3 years of Android model updates and 4 years of safety updates on most telephones. Whereas that hasn’t been confirmed for the Be aware 12 5G, it’s more likely to be the identical. However which means it’ll be restricted to Android 15 at finest, alongside safety patches till 2027 if that promise comes good.

Value & availability

In contrast to in China, there’s just one model of the Redmi Be aware 12 5G within the UK and Europe. It has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and can set you again £279/€299 direct from Xiaomi when paying full worth.

No networks are promoting the cellphone on contract, however you’ll be able to mix it with an incredible SIM-only deal – there are many nice choices within the UK. 

However that SIM-free worth places it in a clumsy center floor: too costly to be a funds cellphone, but cheaper than nearly all mid-range handsets. 

Because it seems, the obvious competitor is the Redmi Be aware 12 Professional, which is barely £60/€100 dearer however provides a number of premium options. Different options embody the Nokia G60 5G, Poco M4 Professional 5G and Google Pixel 6a, with the latter typically discounted now its successor has arrived. 

Nevertheless, the Be aware 12 5G nonetheless represents good worth for cash. 

Verdict

It’s simple to neglect concerning the common 5G mannequin within the Redmi Be aware 12 Collection, however the cellphone has received loads going for it.  

Retaining that 120Hz OLED show at this extra reasonably priced worth level may be very spectacular, particularly when mixed with nice battery life and a stable selfie digicam. 

Efficiency isn’t the best, however the Be aware 12 5G can nonetheless deal with all the most typical apps and multitasking conditions. Nevertheless, the rear cameras aren’t the most effective and the plastic construct feels low-cost.  

Finally, whether or not you purchase this cellphone will probably come down as to if you’ll be able to tolerate Xiaomi’s Android pores and skin. It’d be sufficient to persuade me to look elsewhere, however you won’t really feel the identical. 

Specs

• Android 12 w/ MIUI 14    
• 6.67in Full HD+ (1080×2400) OLED show, 120Hz refresh fee 
• Facet-mounted fingerprint sensor   
• Gorilla Glass 3 (entrance solely)  
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 
• 4GB RAM   
• 128GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable as much as 1TB) 
• 48Mp, f/1.8 foremost digicam 
• 8Mp, f/2.2 118˚  ultrawide digicam    
• 2Mp, f/2.4 macro digicam   
• 13Mp, f/2.45 front-facing digicam    
• Single speaker 
• 3.5mm audio jack 
• Twin-SIM    
• 5G    
• Wi-Fi 5 
• Bluetooth 5.1   
• IP53   
• USB-C    
• 5000mAh battery    
• 33W wired charging    
• 165.9 x 76.2 x 8 mm 
• 188g  
• Onyx Grey, Ice Blue and Forest Inexperienced color choices