The Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 12 series sometime last month and it consists of Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro, Redmi Note 12S, and Redmi Note 12. The Redmi Note 12 series is the successor to The Redmi Note 11 which was launched last year.
We managed to get our hands on the Redmi Note 12 Pro which we took out for a spin, and these are our thoughts.
Design
The Redmi Note 12 Pro measures 6.42 x 2.99 x 0.31 inches and weighs about 208.4 grams, which is on the heavier side, but I generally found it to be comfortable in the hand. It comes with a polycarbonate back that has a matte finish giving the phone a premium look.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro comes with a 6.67 -inch AMOLED DotDisplay screen with slim bezels giving the phone a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 86.8 per cent. It has a high definition 1080 X 2400 resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio which translates to 395 pixels per inch density. This coupled with a 120 Hertz refresh rate and Dolby Vision gives you a crisp display that you will definitely enjoy.
The screen has Gorilla Glass 5 display cover for protection, and it is also has IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance. It has a screen protector out of the box, which will at least protect the device from scratches.
The selfie camera is located at the top of the screen with the top edge featuring an earphone jack, stereo speaker, microphone and infrared port, the right edge features the volume up and down rocker and a power button which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. The bottom of the phone holds a sim tray that can house two nano-SIM cards, a microSD card expansion slot, a stereo speaker, Type C charging port and a microphone.
Performance
The phone is powered by a Qualcomm SM7150 Snapdragon 732G, the chipset is built on a 8 nm process node technology and has a maximum CPU frequency of 2.2 GHz. For gaming, it uses the Adreno 618 GPU which is adequate for games which are not very graphic intensive.
It has 256GB of internal storage and 8 GB of RAM and Android’s latest memory fusion (virtual memory extension) that enables the phone to increase RAM by an extra 3GB by taking space from the storage. Given these specs, I did not experience any lag while using the phone be it while streaming, switching between apps or even playing games like PUGB and Asphalt 9.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro runs on the Android 11 operating system straight out of the box and a MIUI 13 interface. It also comes with some preinstalled apps like Netflix, Facebook, Spotify among others. However, these can be disabled or uninstalled with ease.
Sound
I generally don’t pay much attention to the sound on phones because most often than not it is generally whack, however, I have to say that I was genuinely impressed by the sound on the Redmi Note 12 Pro. The dual stereo speakers which are Dolby Atmos supported made consuming media be it videos or playing games to be enjoyable because of the surround sound effect.
Camera
One of the things that people love about the Redmi Note phones is the cameras and the Redmi Note 12 Pro did not disappoint in this regard. A combination of four cameras at the back, 108MP wide+ 8MP ultrawide+2MP Macro+ 2MP depth lens, and the 16MP selfie camera with HDR to create some visually appealing photographs which are sharp and detailed.
With shooting modes such as Documents which allows you to scan docs, Pro which allows you to adjust camera settings to your liking, Portrait, Panorama, Slow Motion, Long Exposure and Night, smartphone photography enthusiasts are spoilt for choice. What’s more, both sets of cameras can shoot videos in 1080 pixels up to 30 frames per second.
Check out the photos.
Battery
The Redmi Note 12 Pro features a 5000 mAh non-removable battery supported by an 67Watt flash charging power brick. This means that it can fully charge the device in just under 50 minutes which can be convenient on a busy day.
A user gets a full day’s heavy use from a fully charged battery, so everything from listening to music, to reading and browsing as well as gaming is possible.
Conclusion
The Redmi Note 12 Pro is a definite buy if you are looking for a phone with good performance, battery life and awesome cameras not to mention the sound. The Redmi Note 12 Pro is retailing at Ksh. 36,999 with the 8/128GB version retailing at Ksh. 31,999.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Series pricing and availability in the Kenyan market