The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G launched with the regular Redmi Note 12 towards the start of 2023 and found it to be a solid budget phone. Can the Pro Plus version adds enough features while not bloating the price too much to create a niche for itself?
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus sports a beautiful 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 900 nits and supports HDR playback. To power such a beautiful and ultra-fast display, Redmi uses the Mediatek Dimensity 1080 SoC and offers 6GB, 8GB, and 12GB memory options to future-proof the phone for the long term.
What separates the Plus version from the regular Redmi Note 12 Pro is the 200MP primary camera that can also record videos at 4K at 30 FPS and slow motion at 960 FPS at 720P. Moreover, it also supports 120W charging, which charges your phone from 0% to 50% ridiculously fast.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G is available in the following colours: Arctic White, Onyx Black, and Frosted Blue.
Pricing and availability
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G sits at the top of the Redmi 12 lineup and is available in two configurations which are 8GB RAM with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage.
| Redmi Note 12 | UAE | India | Europe | USA | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB / 256GB | AED 1,399 | ₹29,999 | € 396.00 | $ 469.99 | £ 449.00 |
| 12GB / 256GB | AED 1,599 | ₹32,999 | $ 499.99 |
Weight: 208g | Thickness: 8.9mm | Screen: 6.67” 1080 x 2400 pixels, AMOLED, 120Hz | Processor: Octa-core Mediatek Dimensity 1080 | RAM: up to 12GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Cellular: 5G, Dual SIM | Rear camera: 200MP Triple Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 120W Wired charging
The phone is already discounted in the UAE on Amazon, with the 8GB model selling for AED 1,280 and the 12GB model selling for AED 1,469, over 100 Dirhams below the MSRP.
Coming to promos and discounts, you can pick up the phone in the UAE at about AED 100 below the MSRP on Amazon. In India, you can get this phone for a lower price by buying it with an ICICI credit card, exchanging your old phone, and more. Here are a few offers that I’ve seen:
- There’s a flat discount of ₹3,000 if you purchase this phone with an ICICI credit card. If you pay via Paytm wallet, you’re eligible for a ₹3,000 cashback.
- You can get up to ₹4,500 exchange bonus by exchanging your old Redmi or Xiaomi smartphone, or ₹2,000 for other smartphone brands.
- Finally, if you pay using the Mobikwik wallet, you’ll get ₹1,000 in cashback.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus Specifications
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Design:
Size: 162.9 x 76 x 8.9 mm
Weight: 208 g Colours: Arctic White, Onyx Black, Frosted Blue |
Design:
Size: 165.9 x 76.2 x 8 mm
Weight: 188 g Colours: Ice Blue, Sunrise Gold, Lunar Black |
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Screen:
6.67-inch Super AMOLED display
1080 x 2400 screen resolution 120Hz refresh rate 900 nits max brightness Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
Screen:
6.67-inch Super AMOLED display
1080 x 2400 screen resolution 120Hz refresh rate Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
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Performance:
CPU: Mediatek Dimensity 1080 (6 nm)
RAM: 6GB/8GB/12GB Storage: 128GB/256GB Cellular: 5G, Dual SIM |
Performance:
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 (6 nm)
RAM: 6GB/8GB Storage: 128GB/256GB Cellular: 4G, Dual SIM |
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Camera:
Rear Camera: 200MP f/1.7
Ultrawide: 8MP f/2.2 Macro: 2MP f/2.4 Selfie: 13MP f/2.5 Video: 4K @ 30fps |
Camera:
Rear Camera: 50MP f/1.8
Ultrawide: 8MP f/2.2 Macro: 2MP f/2.4 Selfie: 13MP f/2.5 Video: 1080p @ 30fps |
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Battery:
Li-Po 5000 mAh
Fast charging: 120W wired No wireless charging |
Battery:
Li-Po 5000 mAh
Fast charging: 33W wired No wireless charging |
Weight: 208 g
Colours: Arctic White, Onyx Black, Frosted Blue
1080 x 2400 screen resolution
120Hz refresh rate
900 nits max brightness
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
RAM: 6GB/8GB/12GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB
Cellular: 5G, Dual SIM
Ultrawide: 8MP f/2.2
Macro: 2MP f/2.4
Selfie: 13MP f/2.5
Video: 4K @ 30fps
Fast charging: 120W wired
No wireless charging
Weight: 188 g
Colours: Ice Blue, Sunrise Gold, Lunar Black
1080 x 2400 screen resolution
120Hz refresh rate
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
RAM: 6GB/8GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB
Cellular: 4G, Dual SIM
Ultrawide: 8MP f/2.2
Macro: 2MP f/2.4
Selfie: 13MP f/2.5
Video: 1080p @ 30fps
Fast charging: 33W wired
No wireless charging
Design and display
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is in a class of its own, giving most premium flagships a run for their money. It has a beautiful 6.67-inch AMOLED display supporting over 1 billion colours and has a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision; it also supports Dolby Atmos, so you can have “cinema nights” wherever you are and whenever you want. The peak brightness is 900 nits when watching HDR content. But when using it normally, the maximum brightness is restricted to 500 nits, which is still pretty good.
Also, this smartphone is excellent for gaming. The Redmi Note 12 Pro display can refresh up to 120Hz and drop to 30Hz to conserve battery when you’re not using it, which reduces the stress on the internals and battery. It has a touch sampling rate of 240Hz for a fluid experience when scrolling through social media or productivity apps.
The front is protected with Corning’s strongest Gorilla Glass 5, which will help reduce the damage if the phone takes a fall. The back is also made of glass while it uses plastic for the body frame — as expected on most mid-rangers now.
Aside from that, there’s a fingerprint scanner, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an IR blaster, and the phone is also IP53 water and dust resistant certified.
Features and performance
The Mediatek Dimensity 1080 processor powers the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, and for the GPU, it uses the Mali-G68 MC4.
To dissipate the heat and keep this phone from overheating, the Redmi Note uses a 12-layer graphite sheet, so you can keep pushing the phone to its limits without worrying.
The 8GB and 12GB of RAM are based on the LPDDR4X standard, and the internal storage used is based on the UFS 3.2 storage standard, which is quite expected from a mid-range.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus ships with Android 12 with the MIUI 13 skin on top instead of Android 13 but promises software updates for the next two years and security updates for the next four years. That means you can upgrade to the latest Android 13.
Cameras
The Redmi Note 12 Pro has three cameras on the back — a 200MP primary camera (wide), an 8MP ultra-wide, a 2 MP macro, and a 16MP selfie shooter for clear selfies.
- Primary camera: 50MP f/1.7 with OIS
- Ultra-wide camera: 50MP f/2.2 with 120° field of view
- Macro: 2MP f/2.4
- Selfie: 32MP f/2.5
The 200MP camera is a big deal for mid-range phones, making the Note 12 Pro Plus stand out. The phone can also record 4K videos at 30FPS or 1080P at 60FPS and slow-motion videos up to 960FPS. The ultra-wide camera records videos in only one resolution — 1080P at 30FPS, and you can also record macro videos using the macro lens.
Unfortunately, only the primary camera gets OIS, not the ultra-wide and macro cameras.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro offers these photo and video features: Night Mode, Portrait Mode, Movie Frame, Film Camera, Pro Mode, Vlog Mode, Pro-Video, and Short Video, among many others.
Unfortunately, there’s no OIS on the front camera, and you can only record videos at 1080p at 60FPS or 30FPS or 720P at 30FPS.
Battery & Charging
The Xiaomi Redmi 12 Pro Plus offers a 5,000mAh Li-Po battery, common in most mid-range and high-end phones. The super fast charging speed of 120W stands out, which can take the phone from 0% to 100% in just 19 minutes. That is just crazy fast. The phone does not support wireless or reverse wireless charging.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus Reviews
GSMArena thinks the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is a mid-range phone with impressive specs, including a 200MP camera, 120W fast charging, and a 6.67″ AMOLED display, but it falls short in battery life and storage. The phone takes great portrait shots, good ultrawide photos, and solid night mode processing. 4K videos provide exceptional detail but its night mode sacrifices detail for improved dynamic range.
According to TechTablets, the Xiaomi Readme 12 Pro Plus is a top-tier phone with a 200MP camera, 120W fast charging, 120Hz AMOLED screen, and 8GB RAM. The phone has good 5G and 4G signal strength, decent performance, and ample storage but lacks a micro SD slot. They found issues with Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus camera with overexposure and colour clipping but say it can take decent shots in ideal conditions.
Ranjit from GeekyRanjit thinks the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus offers impressive camera performance and features with excellent colour accuracy, natural background blur, and good dynamic range, making it a great choice for low-light situations.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus does support 5G as well as dual SIMs
It appears that the Xiaomi 12 Pro has positive sentiments and is worth purchasing. It has all the premium features and build quality but is available for half the price most flagships cost.
No, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus doesn’t support wireless charging, nor do any of its siblings.
