Among its various attributes, the Redmi 12 5G (review) stands out as a smartphone focused on delivering impressive performance in its segment. This has to do with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC, which is the first 4nm chipset in the series. The SoC brings several improvements across the board, including enhanced clock speeds, and offers respectable performance for tasks ranging from gaming to everyday usage.
Yet, the question that emerges is whether this chipset can claim the title of the best performer within its designated price range. To unravel this inquiry, we embarked on a comprehensive comparison, directly pitting the Redmi 12 5G against another smartphone priced below Rs 15,000 – the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G (review). This contender boasts the in-house Exynos 1330 SoC.
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Geekbench V6 test
Slight as it may be, the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G outperforms the Redmi 12 5G in the Geekbench V6 test. The Samsung smartphone achieves scores of 937 and 2,140 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, while the Redmi 12 5G scores 916 and 2,106 points in the respective Geekbench tests.
AnTuTu V10 test
Here the Redmi 12 5G prevails over the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G, securing an overall score of 4,45,286, while the M14 achieves 4,05,994 points on the AnTuTu V10 test. Intriguingly, the Samsung smartphone showcases superior GPU and UX scores when pitted against its rival. This suggests that the Galaxy M14 will offer an elevated graphics performance and user experience. Nevertheless, the Redmi 12 5G is poised to deliver swifter performance owing to its superior CPU and MEM scores.
CPU throttle test
The CPU Throttle test favours the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G smartphone. Notably, its Exynos 1330 SoC can sustain performance levels of up to 74 percent of its peak capacity as opposed to Snapdragon 4 Gen 2’s 62 percent peak performance on the Redmi 12 5G. Consequently, the Samsung Galaxy M14 can be expected to deliver slightly better performance under sustained load.
Gaming test
For this test, I conducted a comprehensive trial of the popular battle royale game BGMI on both the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G and Redmi 12 5G, dedicating a minimum of thirty minutes to each device. Playing the game at the utmost High frame rate and HD graphics settings was entirely feasible. In terms of performance, the two devices exhibited a comparable level, displaying only minor instances of heating concerns while delivering a satisfactory gaming experience. Notably, throughout the test, I did not come across any discernible lag or frame drop issues on either handset.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G takes marginal lead in two out of three tests and puts up a strong fight in the one where the Redmi 12 5G comes out on top. The bottom line is that the Redmi smartphone offers slightly better CPU performance, whereas the Galaxy M14 5G has an edge over graphics and performance under sustained loads. However, given that the variations in test scores are minimal, most users are unlikely to perceive any notable difference in the real-world performance between the two smartphones.
Therefore, you can’t go wrong with either of them in terms of performance. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 and Exynos 1330 chipsets on the Redmi 12 5G and Samsung Galaxy M14 5G, respectively, are equally capable of running everyday tasks and some graphically-demanding games.
