Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: A powerhouse with potholes. Redmi note 12pro
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: A powerhouse with potholes
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a mid-range smartphone that swings for the fences. With its solid 200MP primary camera, speedy 120Hz AMOLED display, and lightning-fast 120W charging, this powerhouse delivers a handful of premium features without breaking the bank. However, it’s not without it’s setbacks, such as underwhelming secondary cameras and video capabilities, a limited IP rating, and a bloated, outdated version of Android out of the box, which put it slightly behind the extremely strong competition.
What we like
Detailed 200MP primary camera
Sharp and snappy 120Hz, AMOLED display
What we don’t like
Android 12 out of the box
Ultrawide and macro cameras underwhelm
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a mid-range smartphone that swings for the fences. With its solid 200MP primary camera, speedy 120Hz AMOLED display, and lightning-fast 120W charging, this powerhouse delivers a handful of premium features without breaking the bank. However, it’s not without it’s setbacks, such as underwhelming secondary cameras and video capabilities, a limited IP rating, and a bloated, outdated version of Android out of the box, which put it slightly behind the extremely strong competition.
With the Note 12 Pro Plus, Redmi is aiming to deliver top-tier specs, such as a 200MP camera, a big AMOLED display, and support for 120W fast charging, all for half the price of heavy hitters like the Google Pixel 7a or Samsung Galaxy A series. But can it compete with the best Android phones, or is it too good to be true, cutting corners to get there? Find out if the phone has bit off more than it can chew or if it comes out as a top mid-range contender in Android Authority’s Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review.
About this Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: I tested the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus over two weeks. It was running MIUI 14.0.6 on the February 2023 Android security patch. Xiaomi provided the unit for this review.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: What you need to know
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is the top smartphone from the Xiaomi sub-brand for 2023. It is the more premium handheld of the Redmi Note 12 series, bringing a bigger primary camera and faster charging over the Redmi Note 12 Pro. It also features thinner bezels and more subtle curves around the edges than the completely flat back of the Note 12 Pro, making it easier to hold. Both have Gorilla Glass 5 front and back with a plastic frame, though the 12 Pro Plus is roughly 20 grams heavier than the 12 Pro.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus carries over many of the selling points of the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G from the previous generation, such as those aforementioned speedy 120W charging capabilities. over, it houses a better chipset and a bigger battery. However, the most eye-catching addition is the sizeable 200MP camera. It isn’t entirely uncommon to find big megapixel cameras on budget phones. For instance, the upcoming Realme 12 Pro Plus will feature a similar 200MP wide shooter. Although the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus uses the recent Samsung Isocell HPX sensor, it isn’t the same Isocell HP2 in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, so don’t expect photos of equal quality on megapixels alone.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is more expensive than what Xiaomi phones typically go for (it’s £50 more than the 8GB/128GB Note 11 Pro Plus), but the brand is swinging for the fences with some big specs to compete at the price point of popular mid-range device series, like the Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. To help sweeten the deal, Xiaomi includes a 120W wall charger in the box, a USB-C cable, and a plastic phone case for good measure. The Note 12 Pro Plus comes with twice the storage of the Note 12 Pro at 256GB and 8GB of RAM. Neither phone has a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Xiaomi first released the Redmi Note 12 series in China in October 2022, before an India launch in January 2023, followed by Europe in March 2023. As usual, none of the Redmi Note 12 series will officially come to North America. There are three color options for the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Midnight Black, Polar White, and Sky Blue, and the phone runs Android 12 and MIUI 14 out of the box. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is set to receive two OS updates and four years of security patches for its lifespan, which shows an improvement in the company’s update commitment, even if it doesn’t match Samsung and Google.
What I like about the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a large 6.67-inch AMOLED display with support for HDR10 Plus. But despite a larger diagonal than, say, the Galaxy A54 5G, it does have a lower pixel density (~395ppi vs ~403ppi). Still, I found the colors to be very vibrant and punchy. I also appreciated the support for Dolby Vision, which improved contrast for streaming videos. It’s not the brightest panel out there, topping out at 900 nits, which can be dim outdoors, but the viewing angles compensate well. The fast 120Hz refresh rate makes for smooth scrolling and swiping, and the phone automatically dials down to 60Hz when you stop interacting with it, which I did find helpful in saving energy.
Powering the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset, an upgrade over the Dimensity 920 in the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus. We’ve seen the same chipset in other recent mid-range phones, such as the Realme 10 Pro Plus and the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G. It may not be the biggest powerhouse in this class, but it is a respectable processor for the price range. In our benchmark testing, the Dimensity 1080 came up a tad short on the Exynos 1380 chipset found in the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, which delivers higher GPU frequency and better battery life efficiency. It’s also left in the dust behind the Tensor G2 powering the Pixel 7a.
PC Mark Work 3.0 performance
In my testing, the phone handled games well, and the Game Turbo mode helps to clear memory and dedicates all of the phone’s resources to your game if you need more oomph. When enabled, Game Turbo can boost the frames per second to 110, and in Performance Mode can reach up to 125, although the phone will get warm in hand despite the “Vapor Chamber cooling system.” I put the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus through over an hour with Call of Duty Mobile, which performed best at low graphical settings with 60fps. On the other hand, games like Honkai: Star Rail could maintain very high graphics quality running at 30 fps, but only when Game Turbo was turned on. Basically, if you are going to be playing games, don’t have anything else running in the background.
YouTube Style controls on the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
Game Turbo Mode ont he Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus features a pair of Dolby Atmos stereo speakers. Overall, I was satisfied with the sound quality; it delivered nice vocals and some bass while listening to music. At max volume, the audio output was loud, balanced, and without distortion. It’s also one of the increasingly few smartphones nowadays to sport a headphone jack for wired listening.
Between the 120Hz AMOLED display, Dolby Atmos speakers, and 5,000mAh battery, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is an affordable media juggernaut.
Combine all the above with the 5,000mAh battery, and you have yourself an affordable media juggernaut. It’s a bigger battery than the 4,500mAh on the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus, and I could average a full day’s use from a full charge on balanced mode with mixed-use, including a bit of gaming, video, streaming web browsing, and messaging. The best part was that I was never bothered or worried about battery drain because the phone supported 120W fast charging. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus can charge from zero to 100% in 25 minutes, which is extremely impressive. It only took roughly ten minutes to reach 50%, which is excellent for a quick top-up on the go.
Lastly, a few subtle touches from Xiaomi are worth mentioning since I found them to improve the overall experience. My favorite was the wide range of haptic feedback for different functions. You will feel a unique tactile sensation for things like unlocking the phone, multitasking, or reorganizing apps. It’s more than just a softer or more aggressive buzzing from the phone; there are different rhythms and pulses around other areas of the phone. The side-mounted fingerprint reader is also very snappy, and I had no issue unlocking the phone, even with sweaty palms.
What I don’t like about the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
It’s a shame to see a brand-new phone in 2023 running outdated software out of the box. Android 13 has made its way to most handsets since its launch in August 2022, yet the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus ships with Android 12. You get Xiaomi’s most up-to-date MIUI 14 interface skinned over that, though that also entails some bloatware. Xiaomi has added its suite of own apps for web browsing, managing files, taking notes, and viewing photos, which isn’t entirely unusual. However, there are a few cumbersome additions, such as folders for apps I won’t use, like AliExpress, QEEQ Car Rentals, and Solitaire. It’s a bit of a hassle to remove or disable from being your default apps, considering that all of Google’s equivalents can also be pre-installed on set-up. Some Google apps are also harder to find, such as the YouTube app appearing green instead of red.
There are a few silly guardrails in place, such as the fact that the “always” on display actually only stays on for ten seconds, and there’s no way to change it. It may be a minor gripe but still something I can’t help but scratch my head at. Xiaomi also made a couple of iOS-like tweaks to MIUI 14 in their quick settings and notification pulldowns from the home screen. It’s easy enough to navigate, but I would have preferred a more stock-like Android experience instead of trying to copy the iOS interface.
Some bloatware on the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
Plastic frame on the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a generous 256GB of storage. However, there aren’t any higher storage options to offset the lack of microSD support. The previous Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus supported up to 1TB of expandable memory, so this feels like a step back for buyers who want to store many files on their phones.
As for the phone’s build, the glass rear is highly prone to fingerprints, and the otherwise relatively premium vibe clashes with the wrap-around plastic frame. It sticks out and is the big visible giveaway that this phone is, in fact, not a proper flagship-tier product. I wish Xiaomi would have used the same metal from the rear camera module instead. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus also only has an IP53 rating, meaning it will survive a splash of rain but not a dip in the pool — not what we want to see from a phone just shy of £500.
Lastly, there is no wireless charging, which is a little disappointing since that’s how I usually charge my phone while at work with my wireless charging mousepad. While not all phones offer wireless charging in this price range, the Nothing Phone 1 and the Pixel 7a do.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus camera review
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a slightly lopsided rear camera rig. At the top is the star of the show, a 200MP wide lens, which is proudly marked as such on the module. The primary sensor offers a 1/1.4-inch sensor size and a tiny 0.56-micron pixel size, which is 12% smaller than the pixels found on the 200MP HP1 sensor (0.64-micron pixels) used in the Xiaomi 12T Pro and several Motorola flagships. Below that is a reasonably average 8MP ultrawide lens and a modest 2MP macro lens. Redmi also dropped the 2MP depth sensor found on the previous Note 11 Pro Plus, which makes sense since the phone’s software trickery can deliver the same effect.
For the most part, the primary camera delivers plenty of detail and rich color (despite the near-constant rain in Vancouver), and heavy contrast. There’s no dedicated telephoto hardware, which is to be expected. Still, the primary lens crops its sensor to achieve a similar end result of zooming in on subjects without losing too much detail up to 2x. Anything beyond that up to 10x will become increasingly blurry and pixelated.
Images pixel bin down to 12.5MP by default; there’s no option to shoot in RAW from the settings. However, there is an Ultra HD mode to preserve more detail at 50MP or the full 200MP. At first, I didn’t notice much difference between the 12.5MP and 200MP shots in mixed or low-lighting conditions, that is, until I pixel-peeped. There is noticeably more detail when cropping into the image, but it also entails a much larger file size, so I found shooting at 50MP to be a solid middle ground. You can see a few examples below, or check out this Drive for a more extensive selection of samples.
There is a noticeable drop-off in quality moving to the 8MP ultrawide. It has a useful 120-degree field of view, but detail, exposure, and color accuracy are slightly compromised compared to the primary shooter. The macro is even worse and doesn’t make much difference for close-up shots unless the lens is right up against whatever you are photographing. Perhaps there would be better results if Redmi had included the higher-res 5MP macro camera from the Note 10 Pro Plus.
0.6x zoom neon sign in low light
As is typical for Redmi phones, the beauty mode is enabled by default when using the 16MP front-facing camera. Switching off is easy, but you might be surprised at the excessive face smoothing in those first few shots. Otherwise, the selfie shooter captures skin tones accurately, and in portrait mode, edge detection is decent enough, even without a depth sensor.
low light selfie indoors portrait mode
The cameras stay fairly responsive at nighttime, and the dedicated low-light mode helps avoid blurry snaps. However, pictures aren’t without image noise, and while colors remain accurate, it can take a little longer to FOCUS on dimly lit subjects. There’s no doubt that the Pixel A series is still the low-light Champion at this end of the price spectrum.
The primary camera lets you capture 4K videos at a frame rate of up to 30fps, which is a pretty big compromise at this price, given that Samsung and Google both offer 4K at 60fps. As such, recordings can be a bit shaky, even though they are well-balanced with true-to-life colors with minimal noise. The selfie camera’s 1080p videos are decent enough, delivering ample detail and rich contrast. The subjects are nicely lit when given plenty of light, though the background may occasionally appear overexposed due to the limited dynamic range.
Ahead of the India launch, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Redmi has announced a special edition of the Redmi Note 12 Pro in China. It is called Redmi Note 12 Speed Edition.
In Short
- Redmi Note 12 series is set to launch in India on January 5.
- Redmi has announced a special edition of the Redmi Note 12 Pro.
- Redmi Note 12 is the cheapest phone in the series.
By Sneha Saha: Redmi Note 12 series is set to launch in India on January 5. The company, so far, has confirmed bringing three models in India – the Redmi Note 12, the Redmi Note 12 Pro, and the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus. Ahead of the India launch, the smartphone manufacturer announced a special edition of the Redmi Note 12 Pro in China. It is called Redmi Note 12 Speed Edition.
The Redmi Note 12 Speed Edition more or less offers the same set of specifications as the normal model with some minor tweaks here and there. Only differences in the Redmi Note 12 Speed Edition are in terms of hardware and colours. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC and comes in Midnight Black, Shimmer Green, and Time Blue colour options.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed Edition specs and price
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed Edition price has been launched at CNY 1,699, which roughly comes around Rs 20,200, for the base 8GB RAM 256GB storage model. The 8GB 256GB storage model comes at CNY 1,799 (roughly around Rs 21,400) while the top-end 12GB 256GB storage model comes at CNY 1,999 (roughly around Rs 23,700).
If we compare, the special edition is slightly more expensive that the base model. The usual Redmi Note 12 Pro starts at a price of CNY 1699 (roughly Rs 19,300) for the base 6GB RAM 128GB storage model. The top-end model of the phone with 12GB RAM 256GB storage is available at CNY 2,199 (roughly around Rs 24,900). The base model of the phone is all set to launch in India next month and as usual Redmi is expected to price the phone aggressively.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed Edition comes packed with a 6.67-inch full-HD OLED flexible display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, screen resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It is powered by an octa-core 6nm Snapdragon 778G processor coupled with up to 12GB LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
On the camera front, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed Edition comes packed with a triple rear camera system consisting of a 100-megapixel Samsung HM2 sensor coupled with an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. On the front, the phone includes a 16-megapixel selfie sensor on the front. The phone is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging. Some of the other features of the Redmi Note 12 Pro special edition include.- 5G support, a USB Type-C port, and much more.
Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro: What’s the difference?
Redmi’s latest mid-rangers give flagship devices a run for their money, but which one is right for you?
Readers like you help support.lint. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read
Redmi Note 12 Pro
The Redmi Note 12 Pro offers a huge amount of flagship features at an affordable price point. This includes a massive 200MP main camera, 120W HyperCharge tech and a lovely 120Hz AMOLED display. It looks good doing it, too, impressive stuff.
Redmi Note 12 Pro
Excellent value The lack of a 200MP snapper means this phone is unlikely to get the same amount of attention, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. It still has an impressive main camera, charges quickly, and offers an almost identical experience elsewhere.
Redmi’s Note 12 Series has begun to roll out across the globe, this time around, there are two Pro models, the Note 12 Pro and the Note 12 Pro.
Outwardly, they look very similar, and they’re both powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080 SoC. So, what’s the difference?
There are a few key areas that set these phones apart, and the right model for you all depends on your priorities, and your budget.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at these affordable performers to see which one is deserving of a place in your Let’s dive in.
Specs, price and availability
The Redmi Note 12 series was announced in October 2022, initially launching exclusively in China. Then in January 2023, Xiaomi held an event in India to announce the global launch of these phones.
Finally, these attractive handsets made their way to Europe in March, where the Redmi Note 12 Pro retails for €399 / £339 and the Redmi Note 12 Pro goes for €499 / £449.
| MediaTek Dimensity 1080 | MediaTek Dimensity 1080 |
| 6.67-inch FHD 120Hz | 6.67-inch FHD 120Hz |
| 8GB /12GB | 6GB / 8GB |
| 256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| MIUI 14 | MIUI 14 |
| 16MP f/2.45 | 16MP f/2.45 |
| 200MP f/1.65 8MP f/2.2 2MP f/2.4 | 50MP f/1.88 8MP f/2.2 2MP f/2.4 |
| 162.9 x 76 x 8.9 mm | 163.0 x 76.03 x 7.98 mm |
| Midnight Black / Polar White / Sky Blue | Midnight Black / Polar White / Sky Blue |
| AMOLED | AMOLED |
| 210.5G | 187g |
| 120W HyperCharge | 67W Turbo Charge |
| IP53 | IP53 |
Design and build
Both the Redmi Note 12 Pro and Pro share a similar design, the cameras are situated in the same position and the button layout remains the same across both models. Both phones feature a headphone socket, and we’re always pleased to see that included.
The main difference in the design is that the Pro has slightly curved edges on the rear panel, whereas the Pro has a completely flat back. Both models have flat displays on the front, so it’s only around the back that you’ll notice a difference.
In practice, they feel similar in the hand, but the Pro might be marginally more comfortable to hold, due to the curved edges. There’s something to be said for the Pro’s flat design, though, it looks very attractive and reminds us of the iPhone. which is never a bad thing.
Another differentiator is the colour options available for each model. We have the Midnight Black Note 12 Pro and the Sky Blue Note 12 Pro in for testing, and both look striking in their own right.
The Sky Blue colour is our favourite, it shifts and changes to different shades of dark and light blue depending on the ambient lighting, it’s a great look. Midnight Black is a more subdued effect, with extremely glossy reflectivity. It looks great, but it’s an absolute fingerprint magnet, which we find a little irritating.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G Battery test
We put the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G through our rigorous DXOMARK Battery test suite to measure its performance in autonomy, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
These key points are derived from the lab measurements during testing and do not figure into the overall score. The lab measurements, however, are used for the overall score.
Pros
- Decent autonomy when gaming
- Very good charging time at 57 minutes to a full charge
- Good autonomy recovered after a 5-minute charging boost, with a gain of 6 hours and 29 minutes on average
- Low battery consumption during idle phase, with only 1% drop per night on average
- Great charge efficiency
Cons
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G’s global score was among the best of our database. It had a very similar performance to its predecessor the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, showing a slight improvement in the charging experience but a little decline in autonomy when testing individual use cases and on the go.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G’s charge lasted a good 2.5 days when the device was used moderately, with only 1% drop per night on average. When testing individual use cases, the autonomy was slightly above average with good performances when gaming but a poor experience when calling. The autonomy on the go was a bit balanced with decent results when using social apps, but low when using the camera or calling.
The 67W charger filled up the battery in only 57 minutes, faster than the average of our database. The device also recovered a very good 6 hours and 29 minutes of autonomy after a quick 5-minute charge.
Charge efficiency was very good thanks to the adapter’s excellent efficiency and a very low residual power drain whether the fully charged device was plugged in or not. For a large 5000 mAh battery, the device’s discharge currents were average in almost all use cases, except when using the camera or calling, where consumption was high. But discharge currents during idle phases were really good, meaning that the device is quite well but not perfectly optimized.
When compared with other devices from the Advanced price range (200 – 399), the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G ranked in the upper part of our database thanks to an excellent charging experience and a decent efficiency. However its autonomy score was slightly below average for this segment.
Test Summary
About DXOMARK Battery tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective tests over a week-long period both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory and how we test articles for more details about our smartphone Battery protocol.)
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G | 5000mAh | 67W (included) | – | AMOLED1080 x 2400 | MediaTek Dimensity 1080 |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G | 5000mAh | 67W (included) | – | AMOLED1080 x 2400 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G |
| Samsung Galaxy A34 5G | 5000mAh | 25W (not included) | – | OLED1080 x 2340 | MediaTek Dimensity 1080 |
| Honor Magic5 Lite 5G | 5100mAh | 40W (not included) | – | AMOLED1080 x 2400 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 |
Autonomy
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
