Since its inception, the Redmi Note series has offered good value for money to all customers. The Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus was an iterative update to its predecessor, but the company seems to have taken an all-out arms race this time around. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a 200 MP camera, a large AMOLED screen, supports 120W fast charging, all in a sleek design. It looks like a complete package on paper, but is this the phone you should be looking for?
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: A beautiful smartphone
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a flat bezel that is very similar to the popular design courtesy of the iPhone. But this mid-range phone is much more comfortable to hold than the iPhone 14 Pro Max thanks to the subtle curves on the back. I was able to reach the top of the screen with one hand, which is impossible for many phones with 6.5-inch and larger screens.
On the front, you'll find a 6.6-inch screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. I took the phone out of my pocket once in 10 days of use (I'm picky) and it survived, so I'd say Gorilla Glass works. Your work is good.
I have the Arctic White color option and I must admit that it opens up a whole new perspective for white on a smartphone. The last white phone I fell in love with was the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition. Unlike the OnePlus smartphone, however, on the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, you get a smooth surface without any roughness. The back may be rough, but there are no nasty fingerprints. In fact, I recommend you download it for free.
On the back, you'll find Pikachu's famous front camera module (viewed horizontally). It's not the best camera module model of the last few years, but it goes well with the color and overall dimensions.
There is a fingerprint sensor on the right side. I am one of those special people who likes the biometric sensor on the front of the device and not on the screen. Many people might disagree with me and prefer an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, the actual implementation may be modest, and I favor this cost-cutting strategy because the sensor works well and is safe to use. It unlocks the phone 10 out of 10 times, so no complaints.
Above the biometric sensor are volume controls that are easy to reach with one hand. I don't have to do finger exercises to control the volume of music.
And what is Redmi Note, if it does not have any special features. It's 2023 and the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is one of the latest smartphones to come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. I am in favor of playing music with a cable because it gives better sound quality but with the advancement of bluetooth headphones you will not notice the difference. However, connecting the AKG K371BT headphones to the phone using the 3.5mm jack was a lot of fun.
Another such feature is the presence of an IR burst. In my experience, this is useful if you're in a cafe on a date and the music is too loud. You can lower the volume of your phone. Trust me, this is the most underrated hardware addition I've seen on the Huawei P50 Pro.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: The power of entertainment
The latest Redmi Note has a 6.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. I found the viewing experience to be similar to the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus, meaning it's easy to read in direct sunlight and has good viewing angles. Colors are vibrant, the 120Hz refresh rate is smooth, and reading Kindle eBooks was a joy for me.
The screen supports HD formats and Dolby Vision applications via OTT, so you can enjoy your favorite TV programs in high quality. I enjoyed watching the first season of Modern Love (a beautiful show), especially with the two speaker setup. If you're watching something in your bedroom, you can unplug your headphones and trust the speakers because they're loud and clear (not recommended for NSFW content, obviously. But do what you want, folks).
Combine all this with a 4980 mAh battery with 120W fast charging and you have a powerful source of media consumption. If the battery runs out in the morning before work, plug in your Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus and you can charge it from 10% to 100% in 25 minutes. You can get through the day with normal usage, but on days when you use LTE, commute across town, and listen to music at the same time, you may experience issues, which is understandable.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: Solid overall performance
The new Redmi smartphone is equipped with the Mediatek Dimensity 1080 chip, just like the Realme 10 Pro Plus. My test unit has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. There are two additional options: 8 GB of RAM with 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM with 256 GB of storage.
I am not a gamer but for this review I played Call and Asphalt 9 on Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus and both games ran fine. I played the first one with high graphics settings and very high frame rate and I didn't feel like the phone was heating up to the point where I couldn't use it which could be due to the Delhi winters.
In terms of software, it's based on Android 12 with MIUI 13. I'd complain that it doesn't have Android 13, but MIUI packs a lot of features and you won't be missing out on much. However, Realme 10 Pro Plus comes with Android 13, so we expect it to last a year longer than its Redmi counterpart.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: Excellent main camera
In terms of optics, the 200MP main camera is a special treat on the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus. By default you get 50-megapixel images, but you can change this in settings to get the full 200-megapixel photos that capture more detail, and this is preserved when you crop the image.
On a sunny day, the camera's performance was excellent. It reproduces accurate colors and the shutter speed is good enough to take pictures of a moving car. The main part is covered with an "atomic spray" coating. In practical use, I've noticed this helps reduce glare at night, similar to what the Vivo X80 Pro got with the Tstar coating in collaboration with Zeiss.
Images were above average even in artificial light. For the price, you're getting an excellent flagship camera, especially when you consider portraiture performance. I was very impressed with the edge detection in portrait photos.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus starts crashing when you switch to other cameras. The 8MP ultrawide sensor isn't great. Compared with the main camera, there is a difference in color accuracy, and it is normal in daylight. It is not very useful in artificial light or low light conditions.
I also found the 2MP macro sensor to be average with little detail. It will always be a mystery why Redmi omitted the Redmi Note 10 Pro Plus's 5-megapixel macro camera, one of its strengths. Since Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus and Note 10 Pro Plus have a 5MP macro sensor, this makes it a complete package in my opinion.
It can shoot 4K video at up to 30 fps, but the footage wasn't smooth due to my shaky hands. The built-in microphone sounds amazing though, so grab a tripod and you can easily use it to create videos and other short videos for social media. The 16 MP selfie camera on the front is underpowered and average compared to its predecessor.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: Verdict
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is an attractive phone with many features. With a beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display, 200MP main camera, 120W fast charging and all-day battery life, the new Redmi Note smartphone is a winner despite lacking an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP macro sensor.
Priced at Rs 29,999, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is facing stiff competition from the Google Pixel 6a and the No(1) phone in India. It can be easily recommended right off the bat, but no other phone (1) stands out for its design, wireless charging, and great selfie shooter. However, if you are looking for a smartphone for multimedia viewing and an excellent main camera, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is an easy recommendation.
