Redmi 12 review

A few years ago, smartphone manufacturers were releasing impressive entry-level models that provided a good user experience while potentially posing a threat to the viability of premium devices. There are currently not many notable options. The Redmi 12 5G phone from Xiaomi has now been released in India. The device, which has a starting price of 10,990, comes with the brand-new Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, supports 5G, and has an FHD+ screen. The tool has been under test for a week now.

Design

The Redmi 12 5G has a glass back and a plastic frame. The device's back is smooth and resembles some high-end phones from the past. The components of the device, however, are not.

The Redmi 12 5G is 8.17 mm thick, which is relatively thin. The gadget, however, is big and a little slick. We advise employing a case. Thankfully, the manufacturer includes one with the phone.

The use of plastic in more recent Xiaomi budget phones is a sore point because in 2018, phones like the Redmi Note 5 had a metal body and cost around 10,000.

You do, however, get some really cool features. To begin with, the power button's embedded side-mounted fingerprint scanner is quick and generally reliable. At this price point, the IP53 rating that the device has is a welcome addition. Unexpectedly, a 3.5mm headphone jack is included as well; this is a welcome change.

Display and speakers

The screen size of the 6.79-inch FHD+(2460x1080) Redmi 12 5G is. As expected, LCD is the technology used here. A 90Hz screen refresh rate is supported, which is nice. Depending on what you are doing, the AdaptiveSync refresh rate feature can automatically switch between refresh rates.

Additionally, between 60Hz and 90Hz refresh rates can be manually selected. We set the refresh rate to 90Hz for the purposes of this testing. The fast refresh rate support made it easy to browse the internet and social media. Users of low-cost phones who are switching from an outdated device would undoubtedly appreciate the same.

Although the screen is clear, don't expect to see next-generation contrast or vivid colours. The phone has enough brightness for indoor use, but visibility in direct sunlight may be problematic because the device's maximum brightness is 550 nits.

The phone is Widvine L1 certified and Netflix Full HD playback is supported. However, HDR support is not provided. It was enjoyable to watch videos on YouTube and Netflix. However, because the one speaker on the device's bottom is inadequate, we advise using earphones while watching content. At higher volumes, it crackles and lacks loudness. The phone does support 240Hz touch sampling.

Performance and software

It's important to note that this is in no way a criticism of the capabilities of the device. You will have a better or at least comparable experience to that of its rivals. According to the chipset's specifications, Xiaomi appears to have fallen short of maximising the hardware and creating industry-leading standards for a low-cost phone.

It was enjoyable to use common apps and simple social media apps. The chipset's performance caught us by surprise because the phone could play Call of Duty: Mobile at its highest settings. The phone does lag and experience frame drops at the highest settings, so we advise playing games at medium settings for the best experience.

In terms of operating system, the Redmi 12 5G runs MIUI 14 and Android 13 respectively. There are numerous customization options for the UI. Users have the option of accessing all the apps on their home screen or using the app drawer in true Android fashion. You can change the theme, wallpaper, font, and other traditional MIUI features.