Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G review

Competition

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 launches with an adequate price tag, and it's what you'd expect going by last year's Redmi Note 11 series release. In fact, the handset can already be found in the mid-€200 range, making it an even more desirable option. And what's not to like? The device sports an excellent 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED panel, a recent Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chipset, a big battery with respectable fast charging and the holy trinity of features - a 3.5mm audio jack, a dedicated microSD card slot and an FM radio. A very popular set of features in low to mid-end smartphones. And although market-dependent, NFC seems to be present in our international unit, which wasn't the case with the 4G version.

When it comes to competition, the Redmi Note 12 has a bunch of rivals to compete with. Most of them are last year's models, but that shouldn't be of much concern since there wasn't a big jump in silicon technology or anything hardware-related in the 2022-2023 time period. So with the prices of 2022 mid-range phones going down, they will surely get the job done.

The Samsung Galaxy A33 costing €260 is a good example. Its panel may not be running at 120Hz, but it's still pretty solid in terms of overall quality and brightness. The Exynos 1280 is considerably faster than the low-end Snapdragon 4 Gen 1; it has a comparable battery life and a set of stereo speakers. Samsung's contender is also IP67-certified against water, dust and offers a sensibly better camera experience all around and the ability to record 4K videos. We also like the fact that the A33 has its fingerprint reader under the screen, which is more convenient and versatile than the side-mounted one.

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G • Motorola Moto G82 • Realme 10 Pro

The Motorola Moto G82 is also a good option to consider. With a price tag in the mid-€200, the handset has a lot to offer. It packs a comparable 120Hz OLED panel, but a faster Snapdragon 695 chipset, takes better photos, has a pair of stereo speakers and offers a similar level of fast charging. Battery life is among the best in class, too. The Moto G82 is a better value proposition, especially if you are a fan of the clean Android experience.

In case you reside in India, the Realme 10 Pro is a solid alternative too. It goes for INR 19,000 right now as opposed to the INR 20,000 the Redmi Note 12 5G asks. It has a faster chipset, stereo speakers, a great main camera, solid battery life and 6GB of RAM by default. The display department is where the Realme 10 Pro lacks as it uses an IPS LCD panel. It's still pretty bright and supports 120Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, the phone can't be found in Europe.

Xiaomi Poco X5 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 4G

With Xiaomi's rich portfolio, the Redmi Note 12 is bound to bump into some homegrown competition. The Poco X5, for example, should definitely be considered as an alternative. It's basically the same phone but with a Snapdragon 695 chip, which is objectively more powerful than the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, has stereo speakers, ships with 6GB of RAM as a standard and still asks around €250.

Alternatively, you can always go for the 4G version, which offers roughly the same user experience but skips the 5G and goes for less than €200. Chipset may not be as fast as the SD4 Gen 1, but it runs on a more recent Android and offers longer battery life.

Verdict

Just like its 4G sibling, the Redmi Note 12 5G is a solid all-rounder with little to complain about. It has a solid OLED panel, decent battery life, although we expected more, competitive fast charging, a dependable main camera and a dedicated microSD card slot.

However, with a cheaper 4G version with roughly the same user experience on one end and some solid alternatives with the same price tag on the other, the Redmi Note 12 is in a tough spot this year. The exclusion of the stereo speakers from last year is a misstep as well the unimpressive battery life. Once the price goes down a little, the Note 12 may become more convincing. But for now, do consider some of the options we outlined above too.

Pros

• Comfortable design, IP53-rated.
• Exceptional and bright 120Hz OLED display.
• Decent charging speed.
• 3.5mm jack, FM Radio, IR blaster, microSD slot.
• Decent if unimpressive main camera performance.

Cons

• Disappointing ultrawide and selfie cameras, no 4K video recording at all.
• No stereo speakers.
• Phones with better chipsets for the same price are available.