Xiaomi has many mid-range phones. Redmi is Xiaomi’s midrange phone brand. Popular for their specs at an affordable price range. Today we’re checking out the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G after a few months of use.
Design and Build
This bar-shaped phone has a flat 120 Hz 6.6-inch display. I rather have light or bright-colored phones than dark ones, so the Artic White version is nice. The top of the phone has a headphone jack. The top center houses the 16MP front-facing camera. The case that comes with the phone is a simple, clear rubbery case. Nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done.
The right side holds a flushed power/standby button which is also a fingerprint sensor, and the volume buttons are right above it.
The rear camera module has a 200 MP camera, 8 MP ultrawide, and 2 MP cameras. Packing a 4980 mAh battery pack and a 120W charger, The phone is powered by the MediaTek 1080 chipset, which is supposed to help with faster performance and lower power consumption, ideal for midrange phones with higher-end content.
Day-to-Day Experience
The Redmi Note 12 Pro + is a fun phone to use. We have to remember that it’s a midrange phone. For a person who scrolls a lot and watches lots of little clips, the 120Hz display is clutch. Videos, whether my own or media streaming, look great and don’t fatigue me.
MIUI takes a bit of getting used to. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. The Note12+ is running MIUI 13 over Android 12. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s manageable. There’s some bloatware, but that is expected here. I love the little things like the “drop sound” notifications or when the borders of the screen light up as a notification as well. Fun additions like that never get old to me. The fingerprint sensor on the power button works well enough.
Audio is a big part of this phone. Not only does it have a headphone jack, something that most high-end smartphones don’t have, but it has Dolby Atmos enhancing sound on the stereo speakers. You may hear a slight difference, but it’s not hugely noticeable to me. It’s still a nice feature to have though.
Using the camera is always my favorite part of phone reviews. Seeing how fast I can launch a camera and take quick fun pics to share is one of my biggest uses for phones. Excited to check out the 200 MP picture quality on it. It does a great job in daylight, and I was pleasantly surprised in low-light conditions as well. The front-facing camera is 16 megapixels. It does give an airbrushed look.
Battery Life
The battery life is great on the Note 12 Pro+. When using it as my main device, I was able to use it all day for streaming content and socials. It also charges super fast at 120W. Battery life is subjective to the user but it’s good to know that you can charge up quickly if you need it.
Verdict
I enjoy Xiaomi products. At under $400 USD, it’s easy to recommend this phone. It’s a bit more than other budget phones, but you get so many features. Durable build, a great display for streaming, a good enough camera for pictures, and a long-lasting fast-charging battery. It’s all a matter of what type of user interface you enjoy when deciding what midrange phone to go for. It’s also not readily offered in the United States. You would have to order it online.
Redmi Note12 Pro+ Smartphone
350 USD
Pros
- Great display
- Long battery life
- Fast charging battery
Cons
- Might not work on some 5G networks
