The Redmi Note 12 series: A comparison of Xiaomi's affordable mid-range smartphones

There are four models to choose from in Xiaomi's current Redmi Note 12 lineup. These are the Redmi Note 12, Redmi Note 12 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G and top model Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, sorted in ascending order of price and performance. Prices start at around US$200 for the Redmi Note 12, the only Redmi Note smartphone without 5G, while the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G starts at around US$500. The older and therefore somewhat cheaper smartphones of the Redmi Note 11 series remain interesting, as they are in no way inferior to their successors in terms of equipment and performance.

Equipment: AMOLED display with 120 Hz in all models

The current Redmi Note 12 generation have AMOLED displays installed, which offer a refresh rate of 120 Hz in all four models. A fingerprint sensor integrated in the power button and IP53 certification are also found in each model. The latter thus provides the Redmi Notes with protection against dust and splash water. The devices are also similar in terms of memory configuration, since LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage are used throughout. The Redmi Note 12 has up to 4/128 GB, while the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has up to 8/128 GB on board.

Redmi Note 12 vs Redmi Note 12 5G: the 5G model is better for gaming

If you can do without 5G, you'll get a good mid-range smartphone in the Redmi Note 12, which scores with good features typical for the Redmi series. The Redmi Note 12 5G costs around US$50 more and, in addition to 5G, also comes with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and thus the slightly faster SoC. As our review shows, the cheapest 5G phone from the Redmi Note 12 series is also much better for gaming than the smallest version. PUBG Mobile, for example, runs smoothly at an almost constant 60 FPS in HD/High settings.

The two Pro models: better cameras with up to 200 MP

The Pro models, namely the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, are particularly interesting for buyers who need a smartphone with a good camera sensor. In the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G, the 50 MP Sony IMX766 assumes this task, while the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has the 200 MP Samsung HPX. In contrast to the Redmi Note 12 and the Redmi Note 12 5G, both Pro models come with an even faster SoC in the form of the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 and also go a step further in terms of equipment, such as WiFi 6 instead of WiFi 5 and fast charging with up to 120 watts.