Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro review

introduction

Xiaomi usually announces Redmi phones by the bucket, so we’d totally understand if you’ve lost track of which is which. There are four Redmi Note 12 phones for global markets: two standard and two Pro models. We’ve already reviewed the most premium of the quartet – the Pro+ with a 200MP camera and 120W charging, so today is the time to meet the normal Redmi Note 12 Pro.

Highlights of the mainstream Pro model include a Dolby Vision OLED, fast performance, a 50MP OIS main camera and 67W fast charging. This Redmi Note 12 Pro should be the cheapest smartphone to offer the complete Dolby package: Vision and Atmos.

In fact, the Redmi Note 12 Pro uses a 6.67-inch Dolby Vision OLED with 1B color and 120Hz refresh rate. It sits atop the Dimensity 1080 5G chipset, which should provide enough oomph for smooth gaming on a budget. And, as we mentioned, the phone also features Dolby Atmos stereo speakers.

There are three cameras on the back of the Redmi Note 12 Pro: a 50MP OIS primary, an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro cam. And this is the first fundamental difference compared to the Pro + model, which boasts a 200 MP main camera instead.

The second difference is the charging speed: the standard Redmi Note 12 Pro supports 67W fast charging, which is quite a lot, although it is slower than the Pro+’s staggering 120W.

The third and final difference is the design: our Note 12 Pro is a flat double-glass device, while the Pro+ has a curved glass back.

One last thing: if you are coming from the previous Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, you will definitely appreciate the improved display (1B colors vs. 16M), performance (Dimension 1080 vs. Snapdragon 695) and main camera (OIS vs. no stabilization, 4K vs. 1080p capture).

Let’s now take a closer look at the Redmi Note 12 Pro data sheet.

The specifications of Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro at a glance:

• Body: 163.0×76.0x8.0mm, 187g; glass front, glass back, plastic frame; IP53, dustproof and splashproof.
• Screen: 6.67″ OLED, 1B color, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 900 nits (HBM), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• chipsets: Mediatek MT6877V Dimensity 1080 (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MC4.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
• Operating system/software: Android 12, MIUI 13.
• Rear camera: Broad (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/4″, 1.12µm; Macros: 2MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06″, 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
• Drums: 5000mAh; 67W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 15 mins, 100% in 46 mins (advertised).
• Various: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack; stereo speakers.

The Note 12 Pro’s most glaring omission is the microSD expansion slot. While the base Note 12 models still have it, the microSD has been retired in the Pro versions.

Aside from the memory expansion, there are no other surprises. So, without further ado, here is the unboxed Redmi Note 12 Pro.

Redmi Note 12 Pro unboxing

The Redmi Note 12 Pro ships inside the usual paper box, which contains the phone itself, a 67W power adapter and a USB-AC cable.

Quite expected, at least with a Xiaomi, you also get a transparent soft case and a thin protective film pre-applied to the Redmi’s display. The latter is a huge smudge magnet, so we’d understand if you decided not to use it.