With the recently launched Note 12 series from Redmi (a sub-brand of Xiaomi), the company is helping usher in a new revolution: 5G. In 2023, no one in India will have to buy his 4G smartphone. 2023 will be his year of 5G in India, with telecom companies Airtel and Reliance Jio flipping, and Vodafone Idea soon to follow. 5G promises breathtaking download speeds and other direct and indirect benefits.
The Redmi Note 12 series, which consists of three smartphones, Redmi Note 12, Redmi Note 12 Pro and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, all support 5G. As we enter the new year, 2023 is off to a great start. The trio of Redmi Note 12 smartphones is a far cry from the series of the past. The last Redmi Note series had a large number of devices, and not even the reviewers were able to distinguish between them and give specific recommendations for the network. It promised a slim series, the latter of which means the company can no longer offer competitive prices for its smartphones as it used to.
Design: Neat And Clean
The moment you pick up the Note 12 Pro Plus (hereafter referred to as it), you’ll notice a luxury that resembles its price. Xiaomi has experimented with design in all subsequent Note releases, and the Note 12 Pro Plus is no exception: a clean, sleek and premium design. The Note 12 Pro Plus comes in his three models in Arctic White, Obsidian Black and Iceberg Blue. I had the Iceberg Blue tested and I love the sharp look of it. There is a side-mounted fingerprint reader that works as intended. Personally, I prefer the side-mounted fingerprint reader because it’s convenient (within the power button), easy to reach, and fast. Props to the Redmi team here.
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display (which looks great and is big) features rich colors and a fast 120Hz refresh rate (perfect for scrolling through social media and playing video games). The smartphone is IP53 rated and is dust and splash proof. I could have hoped for a higher rating, but probably my entire budget was spent on this camera island!
The midframe is made of plastic instead of metal, which undermines the premium feel Xiaomi is aiming for. The back of the Note 12 Pro Plus is covered with glass. The slim curve of the edges allows your smartphone to sit comfortably in your hand. I didn’t notice much dirt while using the phone (shiny finishes get dirty easily), but I do remember having to clean it a few times.
Display: Bright And Colourful
The only thing I love about the Note 12 Pro Plus is the display. In terms of media consumption, we found it to outperform the Redmi K50i. The 120Hz Pro-AMOLED display (protected by Gorilla Glass 5) has a peak brightness of 900 nits and can reproduce 1.07 billion colors. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision ready, I got lost in the Delhi Metro among episodes of University His Challenge and Sherlock Holmes. There were so many that we hardly stopped. The main upgrade to the display from last year’s Note model is the inclusion of a dynamic refresh rate. The screen can switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz depending on the content consumed.
In the center of the display is a hole for a 16-megapixel selfie camera. I and a lot of people I’ve spoken to are used to it these days and don’t mind consuming media or playing video games.
The dual stereo speakers are loud and crisp, the best in its segment. Above 85% volume, you will hear squeaks and slight pops, but listening at this volume is never recommended.
Performance And Software
The phone is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080 SoC (almost identical to the Dimensity 920 SoC in last year’s Note device). It comes with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage (up to 256GB). The smartphone runs MIUI 13 factory (Android 12 based). There is no good reason to launch a phone with Android 12 in 2023. Xiaomi isn’t the fastest when it comes to updates, with the company promising a two-year core operating system warranty and four years of security updates, but there’s nothing supporting that move. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has been updated to Android 14 at best, we don’t know when. Finally, we have a 4,980mAh battery with support for a staggering 120W of HyperCharge.
Battery Life
We’ve seen 120W fast-charging tech in previous Xiaomi phones, and the Redmi Note 12 Plus is no exception. To get the most out of it, you’ll need to enter the device settings and toggle the boost mode. Boost With the mode enabled, a full charge from 0-100% takes just under 22 minutes.
Verdict: Is It Worth The Price Tag?
Xiaomi has done a great job with the Note series over the years. The series has grown to conquer the segment again and again.In 2023, Xiaomi once again beats the competition thanks to the affordability of 5G access (at least for now).
Until we know how much it costs to get the Note 12 Pro Plus. The standard Note 12 costs less than Rs 20,000 while the Note 12 Pro Plus starts at Rs 29,999 in 8GB and 25GB variants. There are also 12GB and 256GB models for Rs 32,999. In the sub Rs 40,000 segment, the Note 12 Pro Plus is no longer considered a budget smartphone, with his Pixel 6a with an amazing camera and the Nothing Phone (1) with an innovative design. The Redmi K50i is also a smartphone to consider as it is cheap and good for gaming.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a great smartphone, but it’s not as class leading as it used to be. It should start with Android 13 right out of the box, and the company has (like many other manufacturers) a two-year Instead, it should promise 3 years of Android updates.
