Redmi 12 5G Review | An Ideal Pick For The Budget Conscious
Just a few years ago, smartphone manufacturers launched impressive budget phones that offered a pleasant user experience and potentially challenged the feasibility of high-end devices. There aren't many options worth mentioning at the moment. Xiaomi has now launched its Redmi 12 5G phone in India. The device is available at a starting price of INR 10,990, is powered by the new Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, supports 5G and has an FHD+ display. We have been testing the device for a week now.
project
The Redmi 12 5G features a plastic frame with a glass back. The back of the device is sleek and reminiscent of some high-end phones from the past. However, the materials used in the device are not.
The Redmi 12 5G features a plastic frame with a glass back. Photo Credit: Varun Krishnan
We note that the Redmi 12 5G is relatively thin with a thickness of 8.17 mm. However, the device is large and a bit slippery. It is recommended to use a cover. And luckily, the company ships the phone with it.
In 2018, phones like the Redmi Note 5 had a metal body and cost around ₹10,000, so the use of plastic in Xiaomi's new budget phones is a sore point.
(To get the latest tech news of the day, subscribe to our Cache Technology newsletter today.)
You do get some cool features, though. First of all, the fingerprint reader integrated on the side of the power button works fast and well. The device is IP53 rated, which is a welcome addition at this price point. Surprisingly, there's also a 3.5mm headphone jack; this is a welcome change.
Redmi 12 5G comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack Photo: Varun Krishan
Display and speakers
The Redmi 12 5G comes with a 6.79-inch FHD+ (2460 x 1080) display. As expected, the technology here is LCD. You get a 90Hz screen refresh rate, which is very good. There's an AdaptiveSync refresh rate feature that can automatically switch between refresh rates depending on what you're doing.
Also read: How to choose a cheap smartphone?
You can also manually choose between a 60Hz and 90Hz refresh rate. For this test, we set the refresh rate to 90 Hz. Browsing the web and social media was smooth thanks to the high refresh rate support. Budget phone users using an older device would probably want the same.
The speaker grille of the Redmi 12 5G smartphone in the picture above | Photo: Varun Krishan
The screen is sharp, but don't expect next-gen vivid colors and contrast. The phone is bright enough for indoor use, but sunlight visibility can be an issue as the device reaches a maximum brightness of 550 nits.
The phone is Widvine L1 certified and supports Full HD Netflix streaming. However, you don't get HDR support. Watching content on Netflix and YouTube was a good experience. However, we recommend using headphones when watching content as the single speaker at the bottom of the device is not normal. It lacks volume and crackles at higher volumes. The phone supports a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz. Performance
and software
Redmi 12 5G is equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip. The chip is based on 4nm architecture for better performance. While the device is impressive on paper and outperforms the competition in pure benchmarks, the device is held back by the software. The phone is fully capable of handling most everyday tasks, but using the software isn't as smooth.
Redmi 12 5G comes with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip Credit: Varun Krishan.
It is important to note that this is not an assessment of the device's capabilities. The experience you get is better than, or at least as good as, the competition. However, based on the chipset specs, Xiaomi seems to have failed to make the most of the hardware and set new standards for a budget phone.
Using basic social media and everyday apps was a pleasant experience. We were pleasantly surprised by the chipset's performance, as the phone was able to play Call Of Duty: Mobile at the highest settings. However, we recommend playing on medium settings for the best gaming experience, as the phone lags and frames drop at higher settings.
On the software side, the Redmi 12 5G runs on Android 13 and comes pre-installed with MIUI 14. The user interface offers a lot of customization options. Users can use the true Android-style app drawer or access all apps from the home screen. You have access to classic MIUI features like changing theme, wallpaper, font, etc.
The phone has 5G support, which is a welcome addition. However, true 5G speeds are not yet available in India as many operators invest in non-autonomous towers. In addition, 5G service is not available in all parts of the country. Still, the integration of 5G makes the phone a promising proposition for the future, at least in terms of connectivity, for those on a budget.
Battery
Redmi 12 5G has a 5000 mAh battery that can easily last a whole day with average usage. It was good to see that the company is shipping the device with a 22.5W charger with 18W fast charging support. It takes over two hours to charge the phone from 0 to 100%.
The Redmi 12 5G features a dual rear camera setup with a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor
.
The rear camera produces 12.5MP images by default. The camera is capable of recording clear images with reasonable clarity in sufficient light.
Redmi 12 5G has a dual rear camera Photo: Varun Krishan
Being a budget phone, you can't expect competent HDR performance. If you take a lot of pictures in the dark, there is a night mode feature that improves performance in such conditions. We noticed a problem with glare when shooting in front of artificial light sources. However, considering the price, the cameras perform well.
There's also a Portrait Mode feature that creates an artificial background blur when there's enough light. This feature will undoubtedly attract many buyers as it is very convenient.
The phone also offers a special mode to take photos in full resolution of 50 MP. They achieve a slight sharpening, but add a subtle grain to your images and change the color profile.
Redmi 12 5G comes with night mode | equipped Credit: Varun Krishan.
For selfies and video calling, the phone has an 8MP front camera that performs well. However, selfies are inaccurate and have some inconsistencies in skin tones and softness.
The front camera and selfie camera can record up to 1080P at 30 frames per second.
Conclusion
: The Redmi 12 5G offers a good screen and a comfortable camera, as well as good performance and sufficient battery life.
Although the design may not be as durable as some of its predecessors, it still looks stylish compared to other budget phones.
The software experience holds the device back from achieving great things, especially when it comes to hardware.
Economy
Back to Top 
Sign up to receive member benefits!
- Get access to 10 free stories every month.
- Save stories to read later.
- Sign in to comment on any story. Subscribe
- and manage
- our newsletters with one click