Redmi Note 12 5G review: Value Champion

Redmi Note 12 5G review: Value ChampionSiddharth Chauhan

Redmi Note 12 5G Price

The Redmi Note 12 Price in India starts at Rs 17,999 for the 4GB 128GB variant and Rs 19,999 for the 6 128GB storage variant. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G Design

The Redmi Note 12 has the quintessential build quality that Redmi Note phones are known for and follows the same design language we have seen on Note 10 and Note 11 phones. It’s gotten a bit thinner than those two phones but is 10-11 grams heavier, which doesn’t come in the way of a comfortable in-hand feel. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G review: Colours & Protection

It’s offered in three colours, all in a matte finish with a colour-matched camera module in a gloss finish. It’s commendable that the company has been able to maintain the minimum protection offered for its Redmi Note phones and just like the past two generations, the Note 12 is IP53 rated and has Gorilla Glass 3 up front. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G review: Display

One of the centrepieces of the Redmi Note 12, the display has received an upgrade in the form of a new Samsung panel that’s both larger than the previous gen and goes upto 120Hz refresh rate which helps in maintaining a system-wide fluidity. The Note 12’s display is great for daily use with good brightness, contrast and colours which takes the viewing experience a notch higher from the Note 11. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G review: Performance

The Redmi Note 12 offers stable and efficient performance in daily use. I didn’t face any performance-related issues in my time with it, so you can expect a routinely good performance. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip is a definite improvement over the Snapdragon 680 both in raw performance and graphics. In the many rounds of CPU throttling tests, the Note 12’s CPU was able to run up to its full potential by 92% which proves that it can offer a sustained performance. I also played COD Mobile, Apex Legends and more games on the Redmi Note 12 and found it to be mostly enjoyable except for some frame drops here and there, on the highest settings. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G review: Camera

The Note 12’s main camera can take good-looking pictures that seem good enough for casual use and can be fine-tuned to make them Instagram-worthy. The portrait mode adds a shallow depth of field effect which can separate the background rather nicely. I did notice that sometimes the camera takes a while to lock down the focus point and struggles to capture moving objects. Otherwise, it’s a fairly decent camera for daily use and you can experiment with tons of different modes and styles in the camera app. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G review: Ultra-wide & Macro camera

The ultra-wide camera is only passable but thankfully doesn’t suffer from barrel distortion. You can also experiment with the macro camera but it needs lots of light and stability to give you a good picture. There’s no shutter lag and processing happens in a flash. Credit: Times Now Digital

Redmi Note 12 5G Review Verdict

So, does the Redmi Note 12 pack enough to outweigh its cons? I think so. You’re getting a well-rounded package in Note 12, making it a great daily driver. It’s got the basics right with a set of balanced features but it loses out on some of the quirks that could have left it unrivalled. With an uptick in price, the Redmi Note 12 faces a direct threat from the Poco X4 Pro, Moto G82 and the like. But for those on the Redmi Note bandwagon since long and who want to switch from the Note 8 or Note 9 series, the Redmi Note 12 remains a go-to phone. Credit: Times Now Digital