Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Review: A Budget-Friendly Mid-Range Phone with Solid Performance

Hey everyone! Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the Redmi Note 12, a budget-friendly mid-range phone that was released in 2023. It's a great value for the price of around $200 for the 128 GB variant. 

I've been using it for a few days now and I have to say, Redmi has done a great job with this phone. One thing I love about the design is how minimal and clean it looks. I have the white color variant with a silver finish on the frames, and it looks really attractive. 

The back panel also has a matte finish, so it doesn't get fingerprints or smudges easily. Another cool feature is the IR blaster and 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is a nice touch for a budget phone. Speaking of budget, the back panel is made of plastic instead of glass, but it actually works in the phone's favor as it's only 8 millimeters thick and weighs only 188 grams. It also has an IP53 rating, so it can handle a little bit of water. 

The display on the Redmi Note 12 is also a step up from the previous model. It has a 120 hertz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1200 nits, which makes for a great viewing experience. It's an AMOLED screen made by Samsung, so the contrast and color saturation are top-notch. However, this Chinese variant of the phone doesn't have YT1 L1 certification for high res streaming, but the global version should have it. 

One thing I was a little disappointed about is that the Redmi Note 12 only has a single loudspeaker instead of a stereo setup. It's loud enough, but coming from the Redmi Note 11's stereo speakers, it feels like a step back. On the bright side, the performance on the Redmi Note 12 is a big improvement. It's powered by the Snapdragon 4G 1 5G chip, which outperforms the Snapdragon 680 on the Redmi Note 11. Apps open quickly and I haven't had any issues with memory management. 

The Redmi Note 12 also has a 5,000 mAh battery, which has been lasting me a full day with moderate use. All in all, I'm really happy with the Redmi Note 12. It has a great design, good display, and strong performance for a budget-friendly price. There are a few downsides, like the single speaker and lack of YT1 L1 certification, but overall it's a solid choice for a mid-range phone.

Pros:

- Attractive design

- Good display with 120 Hz refresh rate and  1200 nits peak brightness

- Strong performance with Snapdragon 4G 1 5G chip

- Good camera setup with 64 MP main camera and various lenses

- Smooth software experience with MIUI 12 and useful features

- Budget-friendly price

Cons:

- Single loudspeaker instead of stereo setup

- Lack of YT1 L1 certification for high res streaming on some variants

- Plastic back panel instead of glass sandwich design

- No official waterproof rating beyond basic splash resistance