When a Redmi-branded device arrives on the market, a best buy is always expected, because in the past the smartphones offered under this brand have always exceeded all expectations as well as being characterized by a quality / price ratio that outperforms all competition. However, the current situation has changed, with a dizzying increase in the price of components, therefore keeping the price list at bay becomes difficult. So let's see if the new flagship Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G, with its almost 500 euro list price, 200 MP camera and 120W fast charge, it will be able to sweeten the pill of a price far from the past.
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On offer on Amazon
The sales package of the new device of the Asian brand has been the same for some time now, complete and functional for use right away, offering the following equipment:
- USB Type-C power and data transfer cable;
- Wall power supply with European plug with max output of 120W;
- Pin for removing the SIM tray;
- Manuals;
- Transparent silicone protective cover with Type-C input cover;
- Pre-applied display protection plastic film;
- Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G.
Premium design but not brand new
The smartphone of the Asian brand is immediately appreciated for ergonomics and the pleasant feeling given by the 3D curved lines of the back cover made of glass with premium details, such as the metal decoration of the bump camera, overshadowing dimensions and weight that are not exactly contained (162,9 x 76 x 8,98 mm for a weight of 210,5 grams). It is undeniable that Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is partly inspired by the shapes of other devices already in circulation, but it does so with its own identity and style.
Clear lines that run along the entire plastic frame, contributing to the improvement of the smartphone grip. The general sensation is pleasant but the eye also wants its part and in this case we do not find the union between the two things, as the glass body retains dirt and fingerprints, also visible in the color we tested (Polar White ), let alone with the black one, enslaving you with a cleaning cloth, unless you use the supplied cover. For the rest, the general construction is impeccable and the wording 200MP stands out on the eye-catching camera bump in, a feature we will discuss later.
On the left profile we find nothing while on the opposite side the balance wheel of the volume ed is housed the power button which also integrates the fingerprint sensor, a solution that I particularly appreciate for its rapidity and reliability in unlocking. The upper profile is particularly exploited, given the presence of the jack input 3,5 mm, IR transmitter, second microphone for call noise reduction and one of the two stereo speakers enjoyed by the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G.
The second speaker is in fact found on the lower profile, accompanied by the main microphone, Type-C input for charging and OTG support (no video output) and the SIM tray.
The latter is able to accommodate 2 SIM cards in nano format without possibility to expand the memory via micro SD. The mobile connectivity technology is that of 5G, although I have not been able to benefit from its advantages, since where I live the signal does not arrive but I was still able to enjoy the excellent integrated modem which often and willingly made me navigate at speeds that I have rarely touched with the smartphones I tested.
Positive note are the frames that wrap around the display, really contained, thanks to the adoption of a display with Flow AMOLED technology. Present above the display, the ear capsule and the brightness and proximity sensors, the latter unfortunately does not work perfectly, since it is not of a physical type. I do not deny that on several occasions I have had problems making calls, finding myself pushing buttons at random with my cheek. Before talking to you about the display, I want to say a few words about the sound coming out of the two independent stereo speakers, on which I also appreciated the symmetrical position between them.
For the rest, the volume is exaggeratedly high but without distorting. The presence of is appreciable a good dose of bass, with a good reproduction of the musical nuances of the individual genres. Especially with videos and TV series, the audio is crazy and optimal, counting on the presence of the software at the software level Dolby Atmos.
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has one of the best displays out there
Let's talk about the Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G screen, an element on which the Chinese company has recently been able to stand out particularly for the goodness and optimization with which it endows its devices. And here we find a brilliant Flow AMOLED panel, made of advanced flexible materials that increase brightness and display a wider range of colors with greater contrast, combined with smoother output. 2400-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 6,67 pixels) resolution in which there is a central hole in which the selfie camera is housed. The whole is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 but the specification that certainly draws attention is the refresh rate to 120 Hz, which returns an excellent fluidity.
The feeling of looking at images and content in general on this panel is to find yourself in front of a premium terminal, on the other hand, the remaining numbers from the panel's data sheet are also good. We have a peak brightness that reaches up to 900 nits and the color profile is of the DCI-P3 type, which translates into a well-balanced and contrasted image and video rendering, without having to intervene on the calibration that we can possibly carry out using the software of the MIUI 14. The display specifications are completed by the presence of DRM Widevine L1, with support also for Prime Video as well as support for HDR and Dolby Vision content.
Latest generation hardware with top performance
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is also appreciated for the power that flows through its veins, with superb performance, thanks to the processor MediaTek Dimension 1080. An octacore CPU with a 6nm production process and a maximum clock of 2.6 GHz which is accompanied by the GPU Mali-G68 as well as 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM memory and 256 GB of UFS 2.2 internal memory, these are the only cuts available.
I don't particularly like benchmarks, but on AnTuTu the device of the Chinese brand, scores abundant points to bring many rivals on the same price range to their knees. But the numbers for themselves say nothing, while it is the daily experience that speaks volumes about this technological specimen, with which we can enjoy in every situation, even the most critical ones, i.e. gaming.
A processor that is not a top of the range but thanks to the stability of the performance it almost makes it preferable to expensive high-end devices. About gaming we can expect graphic details at the highest levels, without experiencing slowdowns, overheating or phenomena such as thermal throttling, also counting on LiquidCool technology, which contributes to the possibility of super fast charging.
We cannot talk about performance without mentioning the software, or the MIUI cross and delight for many smartphones of the Chinese company. On Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is the MIUI 14 to animate everything, unfortunately on a basis Android 12 and February 2023 patch, but I won't express myself too much about it because compared to the previous generation I haven't seen who knows what improvements, at least in terms of functions and customizations but I can say that the huge bugs that have accompanied MIUI 12 and MIUI for too long seem to be absent 13. What I really don't digest is la presence of countless bloatware at the first launch of the smartphone, something that I could justify on much cheaper devices and I don't deny (although I'm not a person who is behind the updates), than coming out with Android 12 when others already offer the latest release of the green robot And poco clever, as well as "stealing" a major release.
Even more efficient autonomy thanks to the dedicated chip
The rest of the smartphone's connectivity consists of NFC for mobile payments, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS and WiFi 6 but the combination of a large battery from 5000 mAh and a super quick charge from 120W, which in only 19 minutes allows for a 100% charge. Numbers like this create high expectations, all of which were exceeded despite the 120Hz display, totaling more than 30% charge left for a full day of super stress. It is useless to talk about hours of active screen, but for the more "common" users, I think it is not difficult to even reach two full days of use, considering that Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G iintegrates the Xiaomi Surge P1 chipset, dedicated precisely to energy consumption of the device, with a careful eye to preserve the long battery life over time.
Photographic sector pumped up but it's just marketing
One of the sore points of cheap smartphones is that relating to photographic and video performance, but Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is not a cheap device, so a deviation from this statement is expected. Here we rely on a 200MP primary sensor with f/1.65, 16-in-1 pixel binning technology and 1/1,4" sensor, 7P lens and OIS optical stabilization. This suggests super camera phone photos, but in reality I haven't noticed any big differences from smartphones equipped with a simple 48 MP. Rich details and good rendering in general, but the dynamic range, especially in low light conditions, is not managed properly, returning "false" colors (for example a rich orange is interpreted as a dirty yellow). Strange indeed, also considering the focal aperture which should allow more light to be gathered.
The lens ultra-wide from 8 MP, f/2.2 and FOV 119° sometimes accentuates some chromatic aberrations and especially in environments poco illuminated digital noise becomes a companion of the shots in these conditions. The l2MP macro body, f/2.4, does not give particular emotions and often the yield is so poor that the imagination to use it passes.In general then I found it really stupid to shoot mind-boggling numbers for the main lens and then combine two cameras seen and reviewed, especially on low-cost terminals.
In the video field, the Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G goes up to 4K is 30 fps, with good and fast focusing, but despite the presence of OIS I was disappointed with the stabilization, returning shaky footage. Let's hope it's just a software problem. Also for the selfie camera the judgments given are more or less valid: here the device relies on a sensor from 16 MP with the possibility of video recording at 1080p 60 fps. Redmi could have done more, in fact even the Night mode doesn't give who knows what miracles, indeed at times it returns worse results than the normal shot, yet in general Redmi has pushed a lot on the powerful artificial intelligence algorithms integrated in the software.
On offer on Amazon
Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G - Conclusions and price
You will have understood that without a doubt I will not define Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G a best buy, which remains far from that sparkling air that I breathed at the beginning of Xiaomi / Redmi. Overall we are talking about a more than decent smartphone even if for some some critical issues such as the proximity sensor and an already old Android version, will not be easy to digest, mostly by virtue of the price which is currently around 435 euros street price , compared to the 499,99 in the official list. The advice is to wait for a devaluation of the terminal, or to direct the purchase in the previous generation, which currently costs about 200 euros less. And if you wanted to ask yourself: is it worth abandoning the Note 10/11 series for this one? My answer is absolutely not.
