Redmi Note 12 4G Review

Redmi is back with another smartphone and this time, it’s a 4G smartphone. The Redmi Note 12 4G is a budget phone that offers almost everything except for 5G connectivity.

That being that, let’s review the Redmi Note 12 4G and find out whether it’s worth buying or not but before that let me share with you what’s inside the device.

Redmi Note 12 4G Review

Redmi Note 12 4G offers value at a good price, it doesn’t have 5G connectivity or a powerful processor but it does have a smooth 120Hz AMOLED, decent cameras, solid battery life, 1200nits pick brightness, and even a dedicated micro-SD Card Slot.

The moral of the story is if you’re a casual user who doesn’t play games for hours and you’re okay with 4G connectivity then Redmi Note 12 4G is the best option to consider.

Redmi Note 12 4G Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
120Hz Amooth AMOLED Panel	Not The Best For Heavy Users
Superbright 1200nits Pick Brightness	Missing 5G connectivity
Easy 1.5 days battery Life	Ads in the UI
Android 13 Out of The Box
Decent Cameras
Dedicated Micro-SD Card Slot
3.5mm Audio Jack

Display – Best So Far For The Price

Redmi Note 12 4G comes with a 6.67-inches 120Hz AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a pick brightness of 1200 nits. It also has wide-vine L1 supports along with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security.

We don’t usually see 1200 nits brightness under Rs 15,000 but here, Redmi has added this which is always a welcome feature.

So whether you want to use a phone outdoors or indoors, you will get the best viewing experience.

The side-mounted fingering sensor work well, there are no complaints about it.

The phone has 186 grams of weight which simply means, Redmi has used a plastic frame and back while there is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front.

Related: 5 Best Smartphones Under Rs 15,000

Now, I’m okay with the plastic build as this is a 15k smartphone, and also, almost everyone uses the case whether the phone is priced at 10k or 1 Lakh.

The problem is, the phone has a bit extra big front-bottom chin which you can ignore or see, it’s up to you but it’s there.

Overall, for the price of Rs 14999, the Redmi Note 12 4G has the best display quality, hands down. Whether you want to play casual games or watch YouTube Videos, you will get the best experience.

Performance – Not For Heavy Users

Snapdragon 685 is not a powerful processor at all, it decent SoC which will handle almost everything except for heavy gaming.

What I’m saying is, don’t you dare buy this device, if you play games like COD Mobile or even PUBG New State for 1 to 2 hours every day because you will feel disappointed after buying Redmi Note 12 4G.

The phone runs on MIUI 14 based on Android 13, redmi has also promised 2 years of OS updates and 4 years of security updates.

Now, with the latest MIUI 14, Xiaomi has decreased the ads count however, the ads are still there within the UI which you can disable but not 100%.

One of the shitiest things on this device is the “glance app”, the app comes by default with the device and you will have to dig deeper to disable the app and even after that, if you swipe left on the lock screen then it comes back and asks for permission.

Related: 5 Best Gaming Smartphones Under Rs 20,000

Then again, you have to go to the setting and disable the app again.

Sometimes, it feels like, I’m just watching ads and Xiaomi is making money out of it (true).

In short, if you’re a heavy user then kindly find a smartphone that has a powerful process and when you find one, you won’t get features like Redmi Note 12 4G. What I’m saying is, to get something you will have to lose something.

So decide what features you want the most in a smartphone, and then make a purchase decision.

Cameras – Better Then You Think

Now, if you’re hoping that you’re getting close to natural images then you’re wrong because the phone takes bit saturated images like other budget phones.

This is not a huge problem as most of the users in India love bit saturated color. Also, the sensor tries to soften the human skin a little bit, so if you have pimples on your face then don’t worry, the sensor will try to soften and you won’t look that horrible (pun intended).

In short, the phone takes good images with the primary sensor and you will be happy with its performance.

The low-light photography is not that great, however, if there is enough light around it then the 50MP sensor will try its best to provide you with the best image.

So keep in mind, if you plan to buy this device then find a little bit of light at night and you will be okay.

The 8MP ultra-wide lens is there and it’s not the best, it does take good images under good lighting but it doesn’t reflect the same under low light.

Also, ignore the 2MP macro sensor.

13MP selfie shooter is purely optimized for social media usage. So if you edit your photos before you post them on social media then now, you don’t have to as the Redmi Note 12 4G will make you look good.

In short, the selfies look a bit whiter and softer.

Again, there is no OIS on the rear or front cameras, the sensors rely 100% on EIS which is not good at all.

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For example, if you’re walking a bit fast and shoot a video then the videos will come out unable you won’t able to use them or post them on social media.

Now, Videos are a huge problem in budget smartphones and Redmi 12 4G is nothing new, so yes, can’t complain about it or praise it.

Overall, for the price of Rs 14999, Redmi has done a good job when it comes to the primary sensor but can’t say the same about the ultra-wide lens. In short, the phone has decent cameras for the price it comes.

Audio – Could Have Been Better

No Price for guessing, the Redmi Note 12 4G has a single bottom-firing speaker along with a 3.5mm Audio Jack. The single speaker is loud but it’s not as good as the stereo speaker.

On top of that, Redmi has added carrier aggregation support.

I feel as the phone doesn’t have powerful SoC and 5G connectivity, Redmi should have added the dual speaker.

Battery Life – Rock Solid

The 5,000mAh battery will last for a day, if you’re a heavy user and uses social media, YouTube, and watches movies but if you’re a normal user then you will really get 1.5 days to 2 days of battery life on a single charge.0

Also, yes, the 33W charger is supplied in the box, so no need to buy a charger at all.

Redmi Note 12 4G FAQs

Verdict

Images by Eufracio López 502