The REDMI 12 5G is a budget 5G phone that Xiaomi announced in India on August 1, 2023. Sales there started on August 4, 2023. The phone later reached Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In France, Xiaomi’s own store listed it at €221.90 for the 4 GB + 128 GB version. The same phone is sold as the REDMI Note 12R in China. In India, it is also sold as the POCO M6 Pro 5G. It is now discontinued, and the REDMI 13 5G replaced it. The REDMI 12 is its 4G sibling with a different chip and cameras.
Design and display
The phone has a 6.79-inch LCD panel with a 2460 x 1080 resolution and 396 ppi. The refresh rate adapts between 30, 48, 60 and 90 Hz. Peak brightness reaches 550 nits, and Gorilla Glass 3 protects the screen.
The back is glass, and the body carries an IP53 rating against splashes and dust. It measures 168.6 x 76.28 x 8.17 mm and weighs 199 g. Global colors are Midnight Black, Sky Blue and Polar Silver. India sold the same three colors as Jade Black, Pastel Blue and Moonstone Silver. In China, the REDMI 12 5G came in Star Rock Gray and Ice Porcelain White instead.
Performance
The phone runs on the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, a 4 nm chip. It has two Cortex-A78 cores at 2.2 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz. Memory ranges from 4 GB to 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Storage is 128 GB or 256 GB of UFS 2.2. A hybrid slot accepts a microSD card of up to 1 TB.
The 4G REDMI 12 uses a MediaTek Helio G88 instead and has no 5G support. It also adds an 8 MP ultrawide camera and a 2 MP macro camera.
Cameras
The rear setup pairs a 50 MP f/1.8 main camera with a 2 MP f/2.4 depth sensor. Both the front and rear cameras record video at up to 1080p and 30 fps. The global and Japanese versions use a 5 MP f/2.2 selfie camera. The Indian version has an 8 MP f/2.0 front camera instead. Xiaomi does not list optical image stabilization.
Battery and charging
A 5,000 mAh battery powers the phone. It supports 18 W wired charging over USB-C. The Indian box includes a 22.5 W charger, while some markets ship without one. There is no wireless charging.
Software and updates
The REDMI 12 5G launched with MIUI 14 based on Android 13. At launch, Xiaomi promised two Android upgrades. Its official update list shows security support until September 2027. Other features include a side fingerprint sensor, an IR blaster and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. NFC depends on the market, and the Indian model lacks it.
Should you buy the REDMI 12 5G?
It suits buyers who want a large screen, 5G and a 5,000 mAh battery at a low price. It also keeps expandable storage and a headphone jack. However, it has a single bottom speaker and slow 18 W charging. The phone is no longer produced, so new units are hard to find. The REDMI 13 5G is its direct successor.
