Xiaomi Redmi Note 12: The Best Budget Smartphone Yet

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12: The Best Budget Smartphone Yet

Xiaomi has always offered quality products at affordable prices, and with the recent launch of its Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, the Chinese manufacturer didn’t disappoint. 

The phablet packs high-end features in an affordable package, and it’s bound to be one of the hottest budget smartphones in 2019. Let’s see why!...

Specifications

5.99 720×1520 HD+ display, 10nm Snapdragon 625 octacore processor with up to 2.0 GHz + 1.5 GHz dual-core Kryo 260 CPU and Adreno 506 GPU, 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable by microSD), Android 8.1 with MIUI 9 skin on top and a 4800mAh battery powering everything from behind. 

Oh, and it has a 13MP selfie camera! All for $199! It’s quite an offer—but is it worth your money? Let’s find out in our Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 review! 

But if you do care about performance and aren’t going to be using your device as a primary camera, these specs should still be more than enough to enjoy games, watch videos online or even just check email. I didn’t notice any slowdown during my time with it and multitasking between apps was smooth as well! But let’s talk about that display real quick... 

As far as budget phones go, Xiaomi has always been one of my favorite manufacturers for providing high-quality displays at affordable prices. While some may argue that 1080p is too low for today’s standards (and they wouldn’t be wrong), I think 720p on a 5.99 inch screen looks great—especially when it can get so bright! Colors are vibrant and viewing angles are excellent, which makes it a joy to use in direct sunlight. 

And while there is an option to increase brightness beyond what’s available in settings by long-pressing on either side of the navigation bar at will, I found myself rarely needing to use it thanks to how much light gets pumped out by its 400 nits panel.

Design, Display and Build

When it comes to design, Xiaomi never fails to impress. With each passing generation, their products are getting sleeker and more attractive. In fact, even if you were to remove any branding or logos from a Xiaomi phone, you could immediately recognize it as a Xiaomi device. That’s how impressive their design is! Not only do they look great, but they feel great too – well built with premium materials and without compromise on comfort. 

And while some people prefer phones that are thin and light, others prefer them big and heavy. If you fall into that second category then we have good news for you – Xiaomi has launched two new variants of its popular Redmi Note series of smartphones, both of which feature massive batteries which should last several days on a single charge.

But enough about looks and build quality; let’s take a closer look at what makes these devices tick... 

Both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s latest chipset, the Snapdragon 636. This is paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage (expandable via microSD card). 

While most budget smartphones come in a familiar black slab-o-plastic, that isn’t really an issue here thanks to some excellent design work by Xiaomi.

Software and UI

In terms of hardware, we're looking at a 5.7 LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ (2160 x 1080) resolution. That's okay but not great—this screen won't look quite as sharp as modern 16:9 displays. Still, for a budget phone, Xiaomi has managed to get decent quality here. It covers 100% of DCI-P3 color space and supports HDR playback in 4K resolution, ensuring movies will appear vibrant and rich on its surface. Viewing angles are also excellent. 

Camera: On paper, it looks like Xiaomi didn't skimp too much on camera hardware either. There's a dual camera setup consisting of two 12MP sensors—one wide angle f/1.9 shooter and one telephoto f/2.6 lens capable of 2x optical zoom that is used to take portrait shots with blurred backgrounds or bokeh effects. 

However, while it sounds promising on paper, we'll have to wait until our review to see how well these cameras perform in real life. Performance: Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset paired with Adreno 509 graphics and up to 6GB of RAM. 

This should be enough power for most users' everyday needs, though if you want something even more powerful then you might want to consider stepping up to Xiaomi's own Mi A2 Lite which features a Snapdragon 660 chipset instead. 

Storage options include 64GB and 128GB built-in storage, expandable via microSD card by another 256GB. Battery: We can't say for sure yet just how long it will last since we haven't had time to test it properly, but Xiaomi claims that battery capacity stands at 4000mAh with support for fast charging via USB Type-C port.

Performance

The Redmi Note 12 is powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset, and it delivers performance as well as a few high-end phones that are twice its price. It’s not going to replace your high-end flagships, but you shouldn’t expect that from a phone in its category anyway. It comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is more than enough for most users. You can also expand storage up to 128GB via microSD card if needed. 

The Mi UI offers a clean user experience with no bloatware or unnecessary features. Xiaomi’s software has improved dramatically over time, and although MIUI isn’t my personal favorite Android skin (that honor goes to stock Android), it doesn’t get in your way too much either. On top of that, there’s also an app drawer so you don’t have to worry about clutter on your home screen. Display: The Redmi Note 12 sports a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2340). 

This means it has an aspect ratio similar to what we see on modern smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy S10 or OnePlus 7 Pro—but unlike those devices, there’s no notch here. The display looks sharp, vibrant, and colorful. It might be a little oversaturated at times, but you can always adjust color settings in Settings > Display > Color Mode. 

Performance: The Redmi Note 12 is powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset, and it delivers performance as well as a few high-end phones that are twice its price. It’s not going to replace your high-end flagships, but you shouldn’t expect that from a phone in its category anyway.

Camera Section

16MP (f/2.0) + 2MP for depth sensing and portrait mode, Bokeh effect & Portrait Mode is one of those features you’ll only find on pricier smartphones, so it’s nice to have in a budget device like the Redmi Note 12. You won’t get anything close to DSLR quality with these photos, but they’re good enough for social media sharing. 

Display Section: 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio and 403ppi pixel density. It has decent brightness levels that are sufficient even under direct sunlight – though we do wish Xiaomi had included an ambient light sensor here instead of just relying on software tricks to manage brightness levels automatically. Colors aren’t as vibrant as what we see from more expensive phones, but that can be said about most affordable devices out there today. Battery Life: The 4000mAh battery easily lasts over a day on a single charge, which is impressive considering how bright that screen gets. 

We didn’t run into any major issues with battery life while using our review unit either. Performance Section: This smartphone packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocked at up to 2GHz paired with Adreno 506 GPU and 4GB RAM. There’s 64GB storage onboard along with microSD card support up to 256GB via hybrid SIM slot for all your multimedia needs.

Battery Life & Connectivity

l ike most budget smartphones, you’ll find a 4000mAh battery inside Xiaomi’s latest. It’s not huge by any means, but it should be enough to get you through a day of use. It also supports fast charging (5V/2A) and comes with a Type-C port for easy connectivity. 

There are no wireless charging capabilities or NFC here though, so if those are important features for you, you may want to look elsewhere. Camera: The dual camera setup on the back is where things start to get interesting. There’s a 13MP primary shooter coupled with a 5MP secondary sensor that acts as an LED flash and depth sensor — similar to what we saw on last year’s Mi A1 smartphone. 

While it won’t compete with more expensive flagships, it can take some pretty decent shots in good lighting conditions. The cameras are capable of taking portrait shots too — something that was missing from last year’s model. Software: On paper, there isn’t much difference between Android 8.1 Oreo running on the Redmi Note 12 and other Android One devices such as Google’s Pixel 2 lineup or Motorola’s Moto X4. 

However, Xiaomi has added its own set of software tweaks to differentiate itself from its competitors. This includes a new UI layer called MIUI 10 and AI integration in several apps including Calendar, Notes, Gallery and others. 

Battery Life & Connectivity: l ike most budget smartphones, you’ll find a 4000mAh battery inside Xiaomi’s latest. It’s not huge by any means, but it should be enough to get you through a day of use.

Should You Buy?

If you need a smartphone but are on a strict budget, or if you’re looking for a backup device for when your primary phone runs out of juice, we can definitely recommend the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12. 

It’s not perfect, and it’s certainly not going to match up to most flagship devices released in 2018, but it is an affordable alternative that still manages to hit all of our basic requirements. We give it 8/10. Title: 5 Ways To Keep Your Phone Running Without Charging It For Days! 

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