Redmi 12 5G review: lots of positives

Here's my take on Redmi's new budget-focused smartphone - Redmi 12 5G.

• By Ashish Kumar -
Published On: August 1, 2023

The Redmi 12 5G has made its global debut in India as the world's first smartphone featuring Qualcomm's latest mid-range Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset. The new SoC is fabricated using a cutting-edge 4nm process and offers better clock speed and support for faster RAM and storage configurations compared to its predecessor, Snapdragon 4 Gen 1. Does the new phone warrant a purchase, or is there more to the Redmi 12 5G than meets the eye? Read on to find out in this review.

Verdict

The Redmi 12 5G is undoubtedly an impressive device with several noteworthy features. It excels in performance and battery life. The device also exudes a premium feel with its glass back and features a respectable primary camera. However, the Redmi 12 5G charging solution feels a bit on the slower side, while the interface has some bloatware.

Design and display

• The Redmi 12 5G's design doesn't give you a budget feel. The glass back of the phone, along with the flat edges that have a metallic paint finish, offers a nice in-hand feel. There is no separate camera module on the back; instead, the smartphone sports three individual rings, giving it a clean and minimalistic look. While the phone feels a bit broad, its curved corners and 8.17mm thin design contribute to a comfortable and ergonomic grip. Additionally, the handset is IP53 certified, making it resistant to water splashes and some dust.

• The handset is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, cleverly integrated into the power button on the right spine, alongside the easily accessible volume buttons. The USB Type-C port is located at the bottom edge, along with the speaker grille. On the top edge, there is a fan-favourite 3.5mm headphone jack and IR blaster. 

• The front of the Redmi 12 5G boasts a 6.71-inch display with a centred punch-hole for the selfie camera and a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio. The display is of the LCD variety with FHD+ resolution, 550 nits brightness, and 90Hz refresh rate. The handset has visible bezels and a broad chin, but that's a common sight on budget smartphones. Speaking of the viewing experience, it is respectable for the price. The colours look punchy and bright in their default settings, and outdoor legibility is on par with other smartphones in the segment. The text is readable even under direct sunlight.

• Moving on, the viewing angles are satisfactory, if not impressive, and the 90Hz refresh rate seems to have been optimised effectively for the UI and supported apps. The handset is Widevine L1 certified, allowing you to stream content in FHD resolution from Netflix and other OTT platforms.
  

Cameras

• The Redmi 12 5G rear camera setup includes a 50MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The primary sensor outputs 12.5MP images by default and delivers likeable shots in daylight. The camera's exposure level is well-balanced, colours appear vivid and punchy, and the dynamic range is acceptable capturing details in both bright and dark areas. The details also look quite crisp. 
• Moreover, the phone offers a dedicated mode for capturing images in its full 50MP resolution. While the overall quality looks similar to that of the regular photo with a slight improvement in the sharpness, it introduces a subtle graininess in the images and imparts a warm tone to the colours. Similarly, the portrait mode doesn't do a good job of separating the background from the foreground, resulting in noticeable warping on the subjects.

• As for the low-light performance of the cameras, it's satisfactory with the night mode activated. Otherwise, without the night mode, you might encounter grainy images with light flaring across the frame. The Redmi 12 5G front camera features an 8MP snapper, which is just about okay even in bright sunny conditions. The images show some inaccuracies in skin tones, and facial detail tends to appear overly smooth. That said, the phone offers a variety of camera filters for users to play around with and enhance their photography experience.

Performance and software

• The all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset powers the Redmi 12 5G. This chipset brings significant performance improvements over its predecessor, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. Starting with the benchmark scores, the Redmi 12 5G achieved 4,45,286 points on AnTuTu, while its Geekbench multi-core test score exceeded 2,100 points. That said, the handset's performance seems to be throttling quite a bit on the CPU Throttle test while running 50 threads for 30 minutes.

• However, the real-world performance of the smartphone looks pretty good. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner swiftly unlocks the device, and there are no major hiccups while multi-tasking with a few apps running in the background. Even when playing games like BGMI at their maximum supported graphics and frame rate settings, the phone performs smoothly without any major hiccups. 
• The handset's temperature does rise up a little while handling heavy tasks like gaming for an extended period of time, but it doesn't get significantly warm. Overall, the Redmi 12 5G is a reliable option in the budget segment for users who prioritise performance and gaming capabilities. The handset is equipped with up to 8GB RAM, expandable virtually up to 8GB, and 256GB user-expandable storage. Additionally, the Redmi 12 is 5G capable. Here‘s a speed test done using Airtel 5G Plus network in Faridabad, Haryana:

• The Redmi 12 5G comes with Android 13-based MIUI 14 software out of the box, which is also present in many other Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones available in the market. MIUI 14 offers an intuitive interface with iOS-like separate panels for notifications and a control centre. Moreover, the phone provides several customisation options and essential features like call and screen recording. However, it is worth noting that the device comes with some pre-installed apps, leading to a somewhat bloated experience. Additionally, users might encounter a few spammy notifications, which could be an area for improvement.

Battery and charging speeds

• The Redmi 12 5G houses a typical 5,000mAh cell on the battery front, which should last you throughout the day even with some heavy usage. The handset scores nearly 16 hours on PCMark's Battery test, showcasing its endurance. 
• That said, the phone has relatively slow charging speeds. While a 22.5W charger is provided in the box, the Redmi 12 5G supports an 18W charging solution, which can take more than two hours to achieve a full charge from 0 to 100 percent.

Final verdict

The Redmi 12 5G is quite capable in terms of its features and performance. This performance-focused device showcases a minimalistic design with a premium glass back, and it impresses with its commendable battery life and a resourceful primary camera that excels in bright sunny environments. However, when compared to its competitors, the handset's portrait mode and charging speeds feel underwhelming. For all other aspects, the Redmi 12 5G gets a thumbs up from me. The handset has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 11,999.

Editor's rating: 8.5 / 10

Reasons to buy

• The glass back of the phone offers a nice in-hand feel.
• The primary camera of the phone offers some delightful shots in daylight.
• The real-world performance of the smartphone looks pretty good.
• The handset can last you throughout the day even with some heavy usage.

Reasons not to buy

• Edge detection in portrait mode needs improvement.
• Fast charging is relatively slow.
• The handset comes with several pre-installed apps.