Redmi 12 5G First Impressions: An Affordable 5G Experience

Redmi 12 5G is one of the few phones under Rs. 15,000 to feature a glass back

Written by Pranav Hegde, Edited by Roydon Cerejo | Updated: 1 August 2023 16:12 IST

Redmi 12 5G First Impressions: An Affordable 5G Experience

Redmi 12 5G comes with an IP53 rating for basic water and dust resistance

Highlights

Redmi 12 5G features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC
The handset has a 50-megapixel dual-camera setup
It packs a 5,000mAh battery

The Redmi 12 5G has been officially launched in India. The new 5G smartphone from Xiaomi is making its global debut in India, and is currently the company's most affordable 5G smartphone starting at just Rs. 10,999. The device brings some class-leading features such as a glass back panel, new Snapdragon SoC, and more. Is the Redmi 12 5G the real deal? While we work on the full review, here is our first impressions of the phone.

Starting with the unboxing, the Redmi 12 5G comes with all the necessary accessories bundled such as a SIM tray, translucent case, and some documents. The box also packs a 22.5W fast charger and a USB Type-A to Type-C cable.

The Redmi 12 5G has a glass back panel

Moving on, the Redmi 12 5G comes in three colours. Xiaomi sent us the Moonlight Silver colour which has a shimmery finish for the glass back and produces prism-like colours when light falls on. The phone also comes in Classic Black and Pastel Blue options.

The Redmi 12 5G feels quite hefty mainly due to the big battery and the glass back design. Xiaomi has managed to keep the weigh under 200g while maintaining a thickness of 8.17mm. To offer some extra protection against drops and scratches, the Redmi 12 5G has a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on the back.

The Redmi 12 5G sports a tall 6.79-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate support. The screen is claimed to offer 450 nits of peak brightness. Indoors, the display gets amply bright to consume content. We have not been able to test the display's performance in outdoor conditions mainly due to the Mumbai rains but do stay tuned for our full review.

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC under the hood. The base variant comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage which is priced at Rs. 10,999. The one with 6GB of RAM is riced at Rs. 12,499, while the top-end variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is priced at Rs. 14,999. The phone also packs a 5,000mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging.

The Redmi 12 5G features a dual-camera setup on the back with a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The handset has an 8-megapixel front camera inside the centrally-aligned hole-punch cutout of the display. To make the camera experience more fun, Xiaomi has added some filters which are based on its learnings from its Leica partnership.

Redmi 12 5G runs MIUI 14 and has a few preinstalled bloatware apps

In terms of software, the Redmi 12 5G boots the latest MIUI 14 based on Android 13. The software does offer many customisation and personalisation options. However, there are a few bloatware apps preinstalled. Other specifications include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, AI-based facial recognition, an IR emitter, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.

Stay tuned for the full review of the Redmi 12 5G, which will be up soon on Gadgets 360.

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Redmi 12 5G

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
5G on a budget
Multiple RAM and storage variants
Main, selfie camera deliver good daylight performance
Great battery life

Bad
Display isn't legible under harsh lighting
No ultra-wide camera
Bloatware in MIUI

Read detailed Xiaomi Redmi 12 5G review

Display 6.79-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 2-megapixel

RAM 4GB, 6GB, 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 2460x1080 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

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