Xiaomi has been focusing on its Redmi sub-brand and has just expanded the Redmi Note series with several new models including this one. note 12 pro. The bet has followed two directions at the same time: more and better models with the Redmi Note seal. And here I am with one of the last terminals to try.
The premise of the test will focus exactly on the point of being better. Does this Redmi Note 12 Pro live up to its name? Will it be a Pro from the mid-range segment? What points do you highlight the most? Now I invite you to read the story of my experience with one of the most recent models that Xiaomi has made available to the Portuguese market.
Unboxing and first impressions
“Unboxing” a new smartphone excites any techie, but that same excitement can cool as soon as you take the model out of the box and realize what it brings with it.
This is not the case with the Redmi Note 12 Pro. In addition to the smartphone, of course, it includes a charging cable it’s a adapter for fast charging 67 watts. Better: in the box there is also “hidden” a transparent protective cover which is always welcome.
Especially in the case of this terminal. The deep black bezel with a glossy finish is a real fingerprint magnet. On the other hand, the sides of the straights are a bit slippery, which can lead to some mishaps.
Fortunately, the protective cover solves both problems and also allows the Redmi Note 12 Pro to be more stable when placed on a flat surface, preventing it from “dancing” if it is in vibration mode.
As for the design, this is quite a model. elegant, and the deep black coverage helps (a lot) with the style. But beware, this is a terminal that weight in the hands and that’s big. For users who are used to carrying their smartphone in their pocket, an adaptation period will be necessary. This is if the terminal manages to get in and stay completely inside the pocket. The good news is that in a woman’s bag you never lose…
As for the design, the Redmi Note 12 Pro stands out for its elegant design with some aspirations to a premium model. If it weren’t for the back panel being so permeable to fingerprints and slippery, I’d get full marks.
Good screen, but the audio can’t keep up with the visuals.
Let’s focus now on the front of the terminal. the screen of 6.67-inch AMOLED It provides enough viewing area for us to watch videos, series or movies. The resolution FullHD+ to work together with the refresh rate up to 120hz provide content rich in color and detail.
And the screen is competent to deal with any of these three contents, in addition to dealing well with less demanding games.
However, we darker settingsmodel you fight a bit. Even when we are in front of the screen, there are areas where objects or people are not as sharp as we would like and we lose detail in the images. increase brightnessIt helps to improve, but of course we have to be willing to sacrifice battery life.
But it must be borne in mind that we are dealing with a mid-segment model and, in this sense, the terminal has a competent screen, as is usual in Xiaomi, as well. The Chinese brand is known for providing quality screens packed with technology to provide a good user experience.
With respect to audio quality, the conversation is slightly different. The sound emitted by the Redmi Note 12 Pro lacks depth, either playing music playlists or playing movies and/or series. It handles human voices very well, the words are quite noticeable, but the bass is not.
It does not offer an immersive experience through its speakers. The sound output seems to be coming from… a smartphone! Personally, I like that a smartphone gives me a good sound experience, since I use the terminal too much to have moments of entertainment and, in those moments, the sound quality can make a difference. At this specific point, we are not facing a Pro model.
Competent performance of a mid-range Pro
The Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G is equipped with the processor Dimension 1080 from MediaTek and has up to 12GB of RAM and from to 256 GB in internal storage UFS 2.2. The version of this test has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.
Well, as for the latter, the 256 GB option may be insufficient for some users. Considering the Pro name, Xiaomi could have made a 512 GB variant available. Especially if we take into account that the new Redmi Note 12 Turbo arrived on the Chinese market with 1 TB of storage and positioned in the mid-range and respective affordable price.
Due to the success and sales record that the Turbo has achieved, it is clear that more storage at a friendlier price is to the liking of users and also in this model Xiaomi could have given a more generous option in gigabytes.
As for the performance itself, the Note 12 Pro 5G is fast, fluent and performs tasks efficiently, even if they are demanding. In fact, it has performance worthy of a Pro model in the mid-range segment.
In other words, he’s good at what he does. But it will be outclassed by premium models with more powerful processors, unsurprisingly. However, within its segment it could be one of the most competent smartphones of the year.
Everything improves if we think that it supports 5G communications for a cost of €449.99, bundled with Xiaomi Band 7, at Xiaomi Store Portugal. An affordable price for us to embrace the next generation of mobile communications, which is already in its massification phase and is still entitled to a smart band.
Another positive point is that even when it comes to a demanding task, the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G never reaches excessive temperatures. EITHER refrigeration systemThe built-in controller adequately controls the temperature of the terminal and does not let it burn or even heat the user’s hands.
In turn, the applications that we use daily -such as Instagram, Twitter, Netflix or Spotify- load quickly and work smoothly and quickly.
Regarding the interface MIUIhere in its most recent version, we have a smooth and fluid navigation, in addition to allowing us to uninstall various applications that come with the factory settings. Given the 128 and 256GB storage options, this is a smart attribute that will inevitably be called upon in the future.
Battery life for a whole day and charges fast enough
This model of Redmi Note works with a battery of 5000mAh, which is already a considerable size that helps autonomy. Even on a day when we’re asking the model for more tasks, we don’t feel like the battery is running out.
She puts up with all the requests, arriving at the end of the day still energized for one or another task.
As I have already mentioned, the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G sales box includes a cable and a 67 watt adapter. Charging the battery does not despair anyone either. With this charger the battery goes from 10% to 100% in about 40 minutes. Which is fast enough that this Pro never runs out of power.
The camera has a good primary sensor, but it does not dazzle
This Redmi Note 12 Pro model has a triple rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, an eight-megapixel ultra-wide angle, and a two-megapixel macro sensor.
Compared to its predecessor, this model significantly lowers the number of megapixels of its main sensor, since the Redmi Note 11 Pro had 108 megapixels. But not everything comes down to the number of pixels.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G is capable of providing detailed and quality images with realistic colors, as can be seen in the examples. The tree canopy is well defined and the solitary small yellow marigold is clearly visible in the numerous clumps of white marigolds.
But it’s all to the credit of the primary sensor included here. The ultra-wide angle sensor is not as competent and the macro makes us question the need for its presence. However, as a set they work well.
This camera won’t wow the most demanding amateur photographers, but it will get the job done. This is yet another feature where the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G shows its competition but fails to convey the desirable WOW factor.
final notes
The Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G arrives with good arguments, providing a very competent performance in any task that is asked of it. But it lacks the WOW factor! Being good in practically all the points evaluated, it never really dazzled.
There is an unbeatable argument: for a price of less than 500 euros, the user gets a smartphone with 5G communications and capable of responding efficiently to all their needs. But he won’t seduce you to the point of falling madly in love.
It’s a Pro terminal, but it doesn’t feel like a Pro. Not because it’s inefficient, but because it’s not great. The improvements over the previous model are useful and welcome, but it lacks a “little bit” to get to the point where we can’t resist.
| Design | 4 |
| Construction | 4 |
| Screen | 4 |
| Performance | 4 |
| Audio | 3 |
| Interface | 3.5 |
| Camera | 4 |
| Battery | 4.5 |
| Price quality | 4 |
| Punctuation | 3.8 – Good |
advantages
- good autonomy
- charge fast enough
- competent performance
- The box includes a 67-watt adapter and cable.
- 5G support
cons
- The sound lacks bass
- Weight
- Slippery and fingerprint-permeable back panel
Technical specifications
- Screen: 6.67-inch AMOLED
- Resolution: FullHD+
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 1080
- 5G communications: Yes
- RAM: 8 GB (tested version)
- Storage: 128 GB (tested version)
- Camera: 50MP + 8MP + 2MP
- Front: 16MP
- Battery: 5,000 mAh
- Fast charge 67 watts