REDMI 12 - What the f.. or do you combine Xiaomi? | ITALIAN PREVIEW REVIEW
The offshoot of Xiaomi, has just added a new member to its budget-oriented line of smartphones, launching the brand new Redmi 12 on the Italian market.
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Today's entry level range is not like that of a few years ago, but much more competitive, so let's find out together what it has to offer and what are the compromises (if any) for the cheap Redmi 12 that you can buy at the lowest price online by clicking on the banner below.
On offer on Amazon
![Xiaomi Redmi 12 - Smartphone 4GB RAM 128GB ROM Sky Blue [Global Version]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41R6RXG-QBL._SL160_.jpg)
unboxing
In the sales package, we can find everything needed to use the smartphone right away, starting from a plastic protection pre-applied on the display, a comfortable and well-made transparent soft silicone cover, a pin for removing the SIM tray, manuals, Type-C cable for charging and data transfer and finally the 18W charger. But be careful, because from many reports from you users, as well as from the description on the official site, the magazine is not actually included in the package or at least not in those sold by physical stores such as MediaWorld and the mi.com site, but for example the version bought by us on Amazon (with all the necessary guarantees) also included the charger, so pay attention where you buy it from.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
As a first impression, I was positively impressed by the creation of this Redmi 12, which enjoys a good grip, counting on a back cover made of glass and a square shape. In this price range it is practically impossible to find noble materials such as the glass used in the body of Redmi 12, which, moreover, in the Sky Blue color we tested (also available in the Midnight Black and Polar Silver colors), gives a premium and youthful look to the device, as well as any fingerprints and dirt in general remain well camouflaged.
Even the sobriety of the photographic sector, which consists of 3 optics and an LED flash, increases the charm of the device: in fact we do not find rectangular modules, portholes and various tacky, but simply 3 Samsung S23 Ultra-style metal optical covers.
The handling of the smartphone is good but not excellent considering dimensions of 168,60 x 76,28 x 8,17 mm and a weight of 198,5 grams, while the profiles are made of polycarbonate painted in the color of the body. Here we find the IR transmitter and the 3,5 mm jack on the upper part but a second microphone for noise reduction in calls is absent, although I must admit that the audio in conversation has always been clear and clean.
The main microphone, the Type-C port with OTG support and the mono speaker are located on the lower profile, which returns acceptable audio with a good listening volume, but lacks bass. The position could create problems in gaming, as the hand could cover the sound vent grille. The right frame offers the volume rocker and the on / off button which also integrates the biometric sensor for unlocking the smartphone via fingerprints.
The reactivity of the fingerprint recognition is not among the best among the smartphones tested but at least this is always recognized, otherwise you can entrust the unlocking to the classic PIN / Pattern or via the Unlock Face function, albeit less secure and non-functional in dark environments. We can associate functions to the fingerprint sensor by pressing the button twice, for example to call up the notification curtain, take screenshots, etc.
Finally, on the left profile we have the SIM tray, of the hybrid type, able to accommodate 2 SIMs in nano format or 1 SIM plus a micro SD card (support up to 1TB) to expand the internal memory, renouncing the Dual SIM Dual Standby function . Finally, a mention should be made of the presence of the IP53 certification, therefore protection against the access of dust and rain / splashes of water, which is very rare in this price range.
DISPLAY
Redmi 12 boasts a 6,79-inch diagonal IPS display fortunately with Full HD + resolution, 396 ppi and a refresh rate of 90 Hz, with a flat design and central punch hole in which the selfie camera is inserted.
Apparently it seems bright and vivid, but the peak brightness reaches only 500 nits, so in these days where the sun beats down, readability is slightly poor. Viewing angles appear good overall, but at steep tilts there is a noticeable decline in color reproduction and quality.
The 90Hz refresh rate makes for a smoother experience, but I personally don't have a noticeable who knows what improvement from 60Hz to 90Hz. Luckily we have Widevine L1 DRM support on all streaming platforms but no HDR support, with a sufficient color rendering but on other economic terminals of the past generation the result was much better. The frames are quite marked but one thing that I have not really digested is the functioning of the proximity and brightness sensors.
The first is of the software type and not physical, with poor performance, as I often found myself pressing the phone keys while making a call, deducing that the calibration of the sensor is not of high quality at all, but above all it left me perplexed that although the adaptive brightness function is present at the software level, this is not usable in any way, therefore having to level the backlighting of the display manually.
HARDWARE, PERFORMANCE AND SOFTWARE
Like most of the smartphones launched in this 2023, Redmi 12 also reuses "old" software components which in the case of the CPU turns into the MediaTek Helio G88, an octacore solution with a 12nm production process and a maximum clock at 2.0 GHz. The graphic part is entrusted to the ARM Mali G52 GPU while the LPDDR4X RAM memory has cuts from 4 to 8 GB with the possibility of virtual expansion up to 8 GB, but as we know this function is only marketing without real benefit in performance.
Performance that is not in focus due to the internal storage, of the eMMC 5.1 type with 128 or 256 GB cuts. Oh yes, we have decidedly slow memories that make this Redmi 12 run like a sloth. For heaven's sake, you can also play with important titles, but the gaming experience is not the best at all, given the frame drops and some micro slowdowns of the system. Even for app openings you have to be patient.
Let me be clear, I would not have expected top-of-the-range performance and personally I have always appreciated entry levels more than spearheads, but this Redmi 12 seems poorly optimized despite the presence of MIUI 14 based on Android 13 and the June 2023 security patch. which is lighter and less sluggish than previous generations. Luckily, in terms of graphical interface, I don't have any negativity to report, but I have to point out the many bloatware pre-installed by default, which will force you to waste precious time for removal.
CONNECTIVITY AND AUTONOMY
One thing I can't complain about with this Redmi 12 is its battery life, counting on a 5000mAh unit with support for 18W fast charging. It's true it's not a very fast recharge, but considering that with standard use you can get to 2 full days of use with at least 7 hours of active screen, we can digest that the recharge will take place in normal and non-hectic times, as seen on other devices.
The connectivity is quite rich, starting from the presence of the FM radio (which can only be used with wired earphones) and the IR transmitter, but also on a good GPS with Galileo satellite coupling, Dual WiFi, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC sensor for payments in digital. Here too, however, care must be taken, since the presence or absence of the NFC sensor depends on where you will buy it or rather on which firmware you will have installed, in fact by purchasing the smartphone on Amazon but from different sellers, some models arrive with active NFC and others where this is absent.
Speaking instead of navigation, we rely on 4G LTE, with speeds that are also rather disappointing, at least when compared to other similar devices. But above all during my tests I was never able to hook up to the 4G+ signal.
PHOTO AND VIDEO
One aspect that instead convinced me, in relation to the price, is the photographic performance but unfortunately not the video one. In this regard, I say that videos can only be recorded at 1080p 30fps with both rear and selfie cameras, without any optical or digital stabilization support. The colors captured don't seem very natural, a little washed out and details not at their best, but above all by virtue of the absence of stabilization the video is shaky.
For photos we use 3 lenses on the rear, i.e. a main 50 MP, f/1.8 as well as an 8 MP ultrawide, FOV 120°, f/2,2 and, as some would say, a useless 2 MP macro , f/2.4 while the selfie camera appears to have a resolution of 8 MP, f/2.1.
With these specifications one would expect a sufficient result, but in reality at least for the main camera, the results surprise positively by returning very detailed shots with natural colors. The sensor shows the side in night shots where the appropriate mode slightly improves the result but does not work miracles. Moreover, the night mode can only be used with the rear lenses and not for selfies, the optics of which offer a good cut-out for the portrait mode and more than enough shots in good lighting conditions. In short, Redmi 12 is not a camera phone but it gets along compared to other competitors without excelling.
On offer on Amazon
CONCLUSIONS AND PRICE
The entry level from Redmi faces the market with list prices of 179,90 euros or 199,90 for the 8/128 GB variant. I personally found it on Amazon for 140 euros but the price often goes up and down, so it's best to keep an eye on it if you're interested in buying.
Redmi 12 is a smartphone that I don't feel like recommending also because at much lower prices you can take home, for example, a Motorola MOTO G32, now at 119 euros, which offers the same hardware experience but with much more stable software, but above all everything works well. So guys, the choice is yours.
