Most of us are aware of the brand Xiaomi, which has a popular series known as the Redmi Note. Recently, the company launched the newest flagship range of the Note 12 series in the Indian market. The company has highlighted the main key specs of the device on the camera and performance. We recently got our hands on the latest Redmi Note 12 5G smartphone which comes with a price tag of Rs 17,999 onwards. We used the device for a couple of weeks as a primary smartphone, and below is our experience for your understanding.
Look and Feel
The new Redmi Note 12 comes with a different design when compared to its predecessor, the Redmi Note 11 which comes with an all-black camera module on the rear panel, but the new Note 12 comes with a minimalistic, and simplified camera module. The device has a glossy finish on the camera module with a matte rear panel.
I received the ‘Mystique Blue’ colour variant for review which looked decent and bright. The rear panel has a less glossy back panel but it gets fewer smudges so the company has already boxed it with a back cover which is transparent and protects the device from smudges. The Note 12 is light in weight and comes with a sleek body, which could be operated single-handedly. Also, the device has round edges which feel comfortable while gripping the device. But the device certainly is not scratch resistant, hence, you will have to have a back cover, to protect the device from unwanted scratches while carrying the device.
Display
The handset comes with a 6.67-inch AMOLED display which is bright and vibrant. The display delivers great colour accuracy. One could certainly switch to the “Saturated” preset when one feels that the display is becoming dull. I played several full HD videos which worked flawlessly and the scrolling experience is very smooth indeed.
Software and performance
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor, the device is capable to run swifter and is great at multitasking. The device could manage your everyday usage smoothly- from playing games to binge-watching- everything has been taken care of smoothly. The best part about the device was, despite heavy usage, the device did not heat up even during long and heavy graphic gameplay.
Just to mention, when you have great internet, the game may perform lag-free but graphics might get compromised at times when the network fluctuates (as per my review unit experience). I played games like Asphalt 9, Relic Run, and Sniper 3D which worked well but at times, the race game face a little turbulence.
The speakers work fine at this price point, nothing very special to mention about it- and you can even binge-watch without the need for earbuds as it is loud enough if you are in a room.
Battery life
With multitasking, social media surfing, binge-watching, listening to music, playing games and answering calls- this device was capable to deliver all flawlessly for 5 to 7 hours. The 5000mAh battery is fine but could have been optimised a little more when we speak of delivery, and at times, it drained quite swiftly. But the fast charging support did all the justice and was capable to charge the device within an hour.
I used the device quite heavily, and when I used the new Redmi Note 12, I was a little shocked that the device was draining the battery quite fast, despite having a 5000 mAh battery (which could be very much compared to OnePlus Nord 2T, Oppo Reno series and a few more existing devices which exists in the market under the same price range). I think the company might fix the concern in the coming updates.
Cameras
The handset comes with a 48MP primary rear camera for landscape shots which were good and clear, without any disturbance when clicked. There is an ultrawide lens 8MP secondary camera for wider and bigger shots- trust me there was a little trouble with the shots at times, but could capture bigger areas in the appreciable frame. And it was a 2MP macro lens for closeup shots which also was good enough for the closeup shots.
I need to mention that the pictures taken in the daylight came out great with all the details, whereas when clicked in low light, you could feel that the camera could have been a little more efficient.
Verdict
Overall, the new Redmi Note 12 is a good device under the range of 20K which is 5G enabled and has a vibrant and brighter display. Though we faced a little trouble with the battery, it is justifiable with a 33W fast charging which could charge the device within an hour easily. The only thing which I thought could have been better was the camera- which was the main highlight of the company during the launch event.
The device has been priced at Rs 19,999 for the 6GB+128GB storage variant which is certainly a good bid under the 20K range, but it is certainly going to face some strict competition with brands like OnePlus Nord CE2/ CE2 Lite, Samsung Galaxy F23 5G, Oppo, realme Narzo 50 5G which stand under the price tag of Rs 20,000.
