Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has launched its latest smartphone in the mid-range segment, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus. The device boasts of some impressive features, such as a 200MP primary camera, a 120W fast charging support, and a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC. The phone is priced at Rs. 29,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and Rs. 32,999 for the higher variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is aimed at offering a premium experience at an affordable price point, but how does it fare against the competition? Here is our review of the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus.
Design and display
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus sports a glass body with a glossy finish that looks attractive and premium. The phone comes in three color options: Arctic White, Obsidian Black, and Iceberg Blue. The rear panel has a rectangular camera module that houses three cameras and an LED flash. The camera bump causes the phone to wobble on flat surfaces, but the bundled case helps to reduce it. The phone also has an IP53 rating for splash resistance.
The front of the phone has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 900 nits, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The display offers good colors, contrast, and viewing angles, and supports HDR10+ content. The refresh rate can be adjusted automatically or manually according to the content. The display also has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button on the right side of the phone. The scanner is fast and accurate, but some users may prefer an in-display solution.
Performance and software
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC, which is a 5G-enabled chipset with four Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.6GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2GHz. The phone also has Mali-G77 MC9 GPU for graphics performance. The phone comes with either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card slot.
The phone handles day-to-day tasks smoothly and can run multiple apps without any lag or stutter. The gaming performance is also good, as the phone can run most games at high settings without any heating or throttling issues. The phone also has stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an IR blaster, and NFC support for connectivity.
The phone runs on MIUI 14 based on Android 12 out of the box. MIUI 14 is Xiaomi’s custom skin that offers a lot of features and customization options, such as new widgets, quick app launch, smart ROM optimization, super icons on the home screen, and more. However, the software also comes with some bloatware and ads that may annoy some users. The software also does not offer Android 13 update yet, which may disappoint some users who want to enjoy the latest version of Android.
Camera and battery
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a quad-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 200MP primary camera with an f/1.9 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture, a 2MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture, and an LED flash. The primary camera uses Samsung’s ISOCELL HPX sensor, which is capable of capturing detailed and sharp images in daylight conditions. The camera also supports 4x in-sensor zoom, which allows users to zoom in without losing much quality. The ultra-wide-angle camera offers a wider field of view but suffers from some distortion and noise at the edges. The macro camera can take close-up shots of small objects but lacks autofocus and resolution.
The front-facing camera is a 16MP sensor with an f/2.5 aperture that can take decent selfies and support face unlock feature. The camera app offers various modes and features such as portrait mode, night mode, pro mode, AI scene detection, HDR, panorama, slow-motion video recording, time-lapse video recording, etc.
The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports 120W fast charging technology. The phone can charge from zero to 100 percent in just about half an hour using the bundled charger. The battery life is also good, as the phone can last for more than a day with moderate usage on a single charge.
Verdict
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a strong contender in the mid-range segment that offers a good balance between power and affordability. The phone has a premium design, a smooth display, a powerful processor, a fast charging battery, and a decent camera setup. The phone also has some drawbacks, such as the lack of Android 13 update, the presence of bloatware and ads, and the wobbly camera module. However, these are not deal-breakers and can be overlooked for the price. The phone faces tough competition from the likes of Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge, Realme GT 3, and OnePlus Nord 3, which offer similar or better features at similar or lower prices. However, if you are looking for a Redmi phone with a 200MP camera and a 120W fast charging support, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a good option to consider.
