Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G smartphone review: 200-megapixel camera in the midrange

Last year Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, an even faster and more expensive model of its popular Redmi Note series. But the features did not really compensate for the high surcharge. This year everything is supposed to be different: The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G uses the same SoC as the Note 12 Pro 5G , but also offers considerably more advantages with super-fast charging technology, more storage and a 200-megapixel main camera with OIS.

A surcharge of EUR 70 (~US$75) seems quite fair at first glance. Of course, our review examines whether this surcharge is really justified i. e.

whether the device really loads that much faster, whether the pictures really look better and whether the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ can compete against similarly price smartphones from other manufacturers. Visually, even experts will have a tough time distinguishing between the Redmi Note 12 Pro and the Note 12 Pro Plus: the same colors are available and the configuration of the camera lenses are also exactly the same. Our test device comes in blue, so it has a shimmering matte back, while black and white come in a glossy finish.

However, the case is almost a millimeter thicker and the Pro+ is significantly heavier. At 210. 5 grams, it weighs a lot compared to other smartphones.

Moreover, the frame is made of plastic and the front is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone is IP53 certified, namely dust- and water resistant. The Galaxy A54 from Samsung is IP67 certified, which means full protection against liquids, so it is clearly ahead.

256 GB of UFS 2. 2 flash for data is generous for the price range, but not unique, as the OnePlus Nord 2T or the Nothing Phone (1) offered just as much storage last year, in some cases faster. On the other hand, the direct comparison devices fall behind here.

You can get 8 GB of RAM in most smartphones for around EUR 500 (~US$500). There is no microSD slot for memory expansion, but there are 2 SIM slots. However, the smartphone does not offer eSIM support.

Xiaomi uses MiUI 14 as the operating system, which is still based on Android 12. System updates should be available up to Android 14, security patches until 2027. In the case of the latter, experience shows that after a certain point they are only available every 3 months.

At the time of review, the security updates were from May 2023 and thus still quite up to date. Xiaomi’s interface has changed in some respects compared to vanilla Android. The settings have been rearranged and sorted, and the drop-down menu for quick settings and notifications is separate, like in Apple.

Apps receive a security check before installation, and the system double checks upon adjusting critical settings. The system even displays ads in some cases, but this can be disabled if you know how . Xiaomi preinstalls many of its own tools and apps, including some third-party advertising apps.

WiFi 6 is the fastest WiFi standard supported by the device. The speeds, in tandem with our Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000 reference router, are relatively low and fluctuating. At almost 750 – 800 MBit/s on average, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ should be able to max out most home networks.

Numerous frequencies are supported in both the 4G and 5G networks, so you can also travel with the Redmi Note 12 Pro+. However, the device isn’t a global smartphone since individual bands are missing. Signal quality was always good in random tests during our review, but the signal strength was not quite on the level of high-end smartphones.

Outdoors, localization is fast and precise with an accuracy of one meter. The smartphone uses all major satellite networks for positioning as well as SBAS to make tracking even more accurate. To test the smartphone’s real-world capabilities, we went for a bike ride and took the Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch for comparison.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ traces the route taken very precisely and deviates only slightly from time to time. So if you’re looking for a device well suited to everyday navigation, you can’t go wrong here. Xiaomi uses Google’s default app for phone calls.

The sound quality via the inbuilt earpiece is good. If desired, you can increase the volume so that the other party is quite loud, but it also overdrives. Overall, our conversation partner sounds a bit far away, but is always easy to understand.

The microphone picks up loud and soft speech well and transmits it clearly to the person called. Voices sound even clearer and more present via the loudspeakers, but are not quite as loud. The microphone also works well here, and the smartphone is able to filter out ambient noise as long as it is not too loud.

The main focus of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is the main camera: the sensor comes from Samsung and has a gigantic resolution of 200 MP. The full resolution can be used, as well as a high-resolution 50-megapixel mode. However, 8 pixels are usually combined in order to achieve a higher light yield and to produce practical 12.

5 megapixel images. Thanks to the optical image stabilizer, you can take pictures without blurring in difficult situations. Our test images show good sharpness; you only notice the difference to high-end smartphone cameras when you examine the very bright and very dark areas, where better optics retain more details.

This is also the case in low ambient light, where the Note 12 Pro+ 5G cannot light up very dark areas as well. Videos can be recorded in 4K and 30 fps via the main camera. Slow-motion videos with a slowdown of up to 32x are also possible, but only in 720p.

The brightness adjustment lags from time to time, but the autofocus usually responds very quickly. Overall, the videos are of good quality. The wide-angle camera takes decent pictures, but you shouldn’t enlarge them too much, as the details then become mushy.

The macro lens with 2 megapixels takes very close-up photos. However, the very low resolution makes them usable only for social media or direct viewing on the phone’s screen at best. A hybrid zoom between wide-angle camera and main camera is possible.

We took a closer look at the imaging performance of the main camera in the lab: it is rich in detail and high in contrast, but the sharpness decreases a little towards the edges. At 1 lux illuminance, the chart is still clearly visible, but quite grainy in detail. In addition to the 120 watt charger, a USB cable and a SIM tool, the package also includes a silicone case for the mobile phone.

Xiaomi offers a 2-year warranty on the smartphone in the EU, which includes coverage of the battery and the power supply. This may differ in other regions, so buyers should double check before purchasing. The touchscreen refreshes to 240 times per second, so inputs are very precise.

Thanks to the frame rate of up to 120 Hz, commands are implemented very quickly. The hardware buttons on the right side of the case have a clear pressure point. The fingerprint sensor is also located here, integrated into the standby button.

It recognizes stored fingerprints very reliably and unlocks the smartphone with almost no waiting time. We like the fact that Xiaomi allows us to choose whether we only want to place the finger on it or whether the standby button actually has to be pressed to trigger the recognition. Unlocking via face recognition is also possible.

This is very convenient and also works smoothly in our tests, but it is not quite as secure due to the pure software recognition. The 6. 67-inch OLED screen is the same as in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro in all specifications and also achieves very similar results in our tests with CalMAN software and the spectrophotometer: an average brightness of 939 cd/m², which, however, barely shows any further increases in small illuminated areas.

Nevertheless, the brightness is sufficient for HDR content. We also measured PWM flickering at 121 Hz, so the display could cause problems for sensitive users. We therefore strongly recommend trying out the screen on low brightness before purchasing.

The OLED display performs very well in the more precise color reproduction measurements and does not show any major outliers. The screen can also be used for natural color assessment with the correct color setting “Standard”. The display is sufficiently bright outdoors, even in very sunny environments.

Screen viewing from side angles poses no issue, as the image always remains clearly visible. The performance of the graphics unit in particular makes clear that there are faster alternatives in this price range. Nevertheless, the smartphone should still be able to handle most apps in the native screen resolution.

The frame rate only drops below 30 fps in 1440p or 4K in GFXBench. The Redmi phone is quite fast in web browsing. Scrolling is usually smooth on larger websites and pictures are often already preloaded.

Only when opening pages are there short waiting times from time to time. With its UFS 2. 2 storage, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is class standard in terms of speed.

The memory controller also gets a lot out of the flash devices, as illustrated by a direct comparison with the Galaxy A54 or the Nokia X30 . You can thus look forward to shorter loading times and fast data transfers. If desired, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is able to conjure up a buttery smooth 100 – 120 fps in action games, such as in team shooter Armajet.

In most even more demanding games, however, you have to be settle for much lower frames. For example, only 30 fps is selectable in Diablo Immortal. Frame rates were measured using the GameBench software suite.

Control via the touchscreen works without issue and the position sensor also does its job reliably in corresponding games. At up to 46. 5 °C, the phone can heat up significantly when running under high loads for a long periods of time.

Then again, this has hardly any impact on the SoC’s performance: after 20 repetitions of 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, performance only fell by 1. 6%. The stereo speakers in the Redmi smartphone only reach a mediocre maximum volume of 81.

1 dB(A). In return, they sound quite clear and only with very high vocals do the trebles clang a little. Overall, the speakers can be used to enjoy everyday music.

Of course, external sound systems or headphones sound better. These can be connected via a 3. 5mm jack or Bluetooth 5.

2. Numerous audio codecs are available for wireless audio transmission, including aptX TWS+, AAC or LHDC v3/v4. While we measured a fairly high consumption of 1.

1 watts for the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ when the device is turned on but not under load, this is typical for the class in other scenarios. Samsung’s Galaxy A54 or Google’s Pixel 6a need considerably more power under full load, but they also deliver more computing power. The Redmi Phone can be charged with up to 120 watts.

So, the battery is completely full again in 30 minutes at the latest. Even if you can only leave the smartphone on the charger for a few minutes, you’ll get enough power for several hours. However, wireless charging is not available for our review sample.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G lasts 26:42 hours under very low load with its 5,000 mAh battery, which is significantly shorter than some rivals. In everyday life, on the other hand, average load is more important, such as when surfing the web, and here our test device is on class level at 15:52 hours. You can have fun for up to 4:34 hours under full load.

Gamers thus have a few hours before the smartphone has to be plugged in. Xiaomi’s most expensive smartphone from the Redmi Note 12 series is a useful addition: the top model offers unbeatably fast loading times and double the data storage of the Note 12 Pro . The 200-megapixel camera offers some nice gimmicks, but cannot really outdo the camera of its cheaper sister model in terms of quality and flexibility.

You can get even more powerful smartphones for just under US$500, but the Note 12 Pro+ offers enough power for everyday use in most cases and comes with fast storage. One point of criticism is the relatively high weight of the smartphone. Also annoying is that it comes with Android 12 and has some advertising apps and even pop-up ads in the system.

At least the smartphone is slated to receive security updates for 4 years. Precise positioning, a bright and true-color OLED screen, and a reliable fingerprint sensor also speak in favor of the smartphone. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is a mid-range smartphone with fast recharging, reliable tracking and performance suitable for everyday use.

The high-resolution camera offers good, but not exceptional image quality. Alternatives to the Redmi phone include the Samsung Galaxy A54 with more power and eSIM support. You can now get it for US$399.

99 (-11%) at amazon. com . It’s waterproof, but has less memory and much slower recharging technology.

The Google Pixel 6a is also available for US$297. 99 (-15%) at amazon. com , where the successor was just released.

The smartphone has a lot of power and also a waterproof case. However, users have to make do with a 60 Hz screen. Amazon USA is listing the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ for US$365.

00. Amazon India , on the other hand, is offering the model for ₹29,596. Prices are as of 17.

06. 2023 and are subject to change. .