Redmi’s Note series is the cornerstone of their global market success, having produced countless best-sellers. Recently, the brand unveiled its Note 12 series. With the growing prevalence of 5G technology, Redmi announced the Redmi Note 12 5G, followed by a 4G-only version of the smartphone. The Redmi Note 12 4G, which launched a few days ago in India, starts at Rs 14,999 and features a new Snapdragon 685 chipset, while the other specs are the same as those of the Note 12 5G. This comparison will examine the differences in price, design, and specifications between the Redmi Note 12 4G and the Redmi Note 12 5G.
Redmi Note 12 4G vs Redmi Note 12 5G: price in India, availability
To begin with, the Redmi Note 12 4G has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 14,999 for the 6GB/64GB version and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB/128GB version. This smartphone is available in three colours, namely Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue, and Lunar Black.
On the contrary, the Redmi Note 12 5G is priced at Rs 17,999 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage base model and Rs 19,999 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. This handset is also available in three colours, namely Frosted Green, Matte Black, and Mystique Blue.
Redmi Note 12 4G vs Redmi Note 12 5G: design, display, performance, and camera
Design
Both the Redmi Note 12 4G and the Redmi Note 12 5G blend well with the Note 12 series and share similar design features. Both smartphones have a plastic frame, polycarbonate back, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front. The difference between the two devices is in the back; the Note 12 4G has a flat back, while the 5G model has a slightly curved one that enhances grip. The devices have similar dimensions, but the Note 12 4G is lighter, weighing in at 183.5 grams, compared to the Note 12 5G which weighs 188 grams.
Both smartphones have an IP53 water and dust rating, with volume rockers on the right side, a power button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner underneath, a 3.5mm audio jack on the top, along with an IR blaster, and a main speaker with a USB Type-C port at the bottom.
Display
The two phones share similarities when it comes to the display. They both have a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. In our review of the Redmi Note 12 5G, we observed that the display’s visibility under sunlight was comparable to other devices in this price range, and it had a peak brightness of over 1000 nits. The OLED panel demonstrated excellent colour accuracy and viewing angles, which are important characteristics of a high-quality display. The panel’s design is contemporary, with a small punch-hole in the centre for the selfie camera. However, the sizeable chin was the only drawback, and we hope it will be reduced in the next version.
Processor, RAM, and storage
The Redmi Note 12 4G is equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 SoC, which is built on the popular Snapdragon 680 chipset and is the first smartphone in the market to use this particular chip. While the exact performance figures of the Snapdragon 685 are unknown, we can expect it to perform similarly to the Snapdragon 695 5G SoC, given that it is made on the 6nm fabrication. The Note 12 4G is paired with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of UFS2.2 internal storage.
On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC, which is also fabricated on the 6nm process. The handset features up to 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS2.2 internal storage, expandable via a microSD card. During our tests, the Note 12 5G scored 366,146 points on the AnTuTu benchmark test and 635 and 1,991 points on the Geekbench single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.
Software
Although both devices belong to the same series and were launched within months of each other, they come with different operating system versions. The Redmi Note 12 4G is preloaded with the latest MIUI 14 based on Android 13. In contrast, the Redmi Note 12 5G comes with MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box.
However, both devices promise to receive two future Android version updates and three years of security updates. This means that the Redmi Note 12 4G will get updates up to Android 15 while the Redmi Note 12 5G will get updates until Android 14.
Camera
The area where the Redmi Note 12 4G and Note 12 5G differ from each other is in their camera systems. The Redmi Note 12 4G comes with a triple camera setup which comprises of a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro lens. For taking selfies and video calls, there is a 13MP camera on the front of the device.
On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 5G is equipped with a triple camera setup that includes a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro lens. Similar to the Redmi Note 12 4G, the Note 12 5G also has a 13MP front-facing camera for taking selfies and video calls.
Neither device comes with optical image stabilization (OIS) support, but the camera app of both devices offer several AI filters and video modes for users to utilise.
Battery
The Redmi Note 12 4G and the Redmi Note 12 5G both feature a sizeable 5,000mAh battery that can easily sustain use for over a day. They also come equipped with 33W fast charging capability, allowing the battery to be recharged in under an hour.
