Xiaomi Redmi 12

Redmi's commitment to offering diverse smartphone options remains evident with the Redmi 12, this year's budget-friendly addition to their lineup. Despite a peculiar absence of a Redmi 11 model last year, the Redmi 12 is here to fill the gap. While its specs sheet shows a striking resemblance to the 2021 model, there are notable improvements.

Key Features

The Redmi 12 boasts a larger 6.79-inch screen, 128GB of storage in the base model, IP53 dust and splash protection, and an elegant glass back panel. Most impressively, it manages to maintain an affordable price point, starting at around Rs. 62,600, a considerable drop from its predecessor's launch price of Rs. 48,500.

Display

The Redmi 12 sports a spacious 6.79-inch IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080 x 2460px. Although it lacks Hnts, the screen's peak brightness of 540 nits, close to the advertised 550 nits, ensures decent outdoor visibility. However, the absence of a hardware proximity sensor can lead to inconvenient screen activations during calls.

Battery & Charging

With a 5,000 mAh battery and the Helio G88 SoC, the Redmi 12 delivers commendable battery life, although slightly lower than the Redmi 10. The performance may suffer due to the dated chipset's struggle to meet software demands, resulting in occasional sluggishness.

Charging-wise, the Redmi 12 supports 18W charging via Power Delivery, but it ships with only a cable, requiring users to source a compatible charger separately.

Software

Running on MIUI 14 based on Android 13, the Redmi 12 promises two major updates and security support until June 2027. Despite some missing MIUI features due to hardware limitations, it offers a functional and feature-rich experience.

Performance

The device's performance is limited by the aging Helio G88 chipset, which struggles to keep up with daily tasks. For a similar price, other smartphones with more capable chipsets are available, offering better performance and efficiency.

Camera & Photography

The Redmi 12 features a standard triple-camera setup, including a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro lens. Daylight photography shows improvements over its predecessor, with sharper images, wider dynamic range, and better colors. However, low-light performance remains unsatisfactory, with limited dynamic range and increased noise.

Video recording is limited to 1080p@30fps, with footage quality falling short of expectations.

Alternatives

Samsung's Galaxy A14 presents a strong case with its superior Dimensity 700 SoC, 5G support, enhanced camera performance, louder speakers, and extended battery life, making it a worthy contender. Additionally, Realme offers the C55, which closely resembles the Redmi 12 in hardware but boasts faster 33W charging, making it an enticing choice for users seeking a budget-friendly smartphone experience, especially under the name Narzo N55.

Conclusion

In summary, the Redmi 12 impresses with its design, ample storage, and daytime camera performance. However, its outdated chipset and absence of stereo speakers make it face tough competition from similarly-priced alternatives offering better hardware. Despite its shortcomings, it still provides a compelling budget option for users prioritizing affordability and design.