The REDMI 12C is an entry-level 4G phone. It was announced in China on December 31, 2022, and reached global markets in March 2023. In Europe, it started at €149.90 for the 3GB + 32GB version. In India, the same phone is also sold as the POCO C55. The 12C is now discontinued, and the REDMI 13C took its place.
Design and display
The phone uses a plastic unibody shell with a curved back. A diagonal stripe texture covers the back and helps with grip. The fingerprint sensor sits inside the camera island. It measures 168.76 x 76.41 x 8.77 mm and weighs 192 g.
Four colors were sold: Graphite Gray, Ocean Blue, Mint Green and Lavender Purple. In India and China, the gray and blue models carried different names, such as Matte Black and Royal Blue.
The front has a 6.71-inch LCD with a waterdrop notch. Its HD+ resolution is 1650 x 720 pixels, which works out to about 268 ppi. The refresh rate is 60Hz, and typical brightness is 500 nits.
Performance
Inside is the MediaTek Helio G85, a 12nm octa-core chip. It pairs two Cortex-A75 cores at 2.0GHz with six Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8GHz. Graphics run on a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU.
Memory options range from 3GB + 32GB to 6GB + 128GB. Storage is eMMC 5.1, which is slower than UFS. A dedicated microSD slot adds up to 1TB. The phone supports 4G only, with no 5G modem.
Cameras
The rear camera has a 50MP main sensor with an f/1.8 lens. The sensor size is 1/2.76 inch, and it uses 4-in-1 pixel binning. A small QVGA auxiliary lens helps with depth effects. There is no ultrawide lens. The front camera has 5MP and an f/2.2 lens. Both cameras record video at up to 1080p and 30fps.
Battery and charging
A 5,000mAh battery powers the phone. Charging tops out at 10W, and a 10W charger comes in the box. The port is micro-USB, not USB-C. Xiaomi rates the battery for up to 34 hours of calls.
Software and updates
The 12C launched with MIUI 13 based on Android 12. Xiaomi’s official update list shows security support ended on March 10, 2026. That is three years after the global launch. Owners will not receive new security patches.
Other features include a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1. NFC is present in some markets only. Face unlock is software-based.
Should you buy the REDMI 12C?
The REDMI 12C is no longer produced, and Xiaomi’s European stores no longer sell it. Its security updates have ended, so it is not a safe long-term pick. It may still suit a very tight budget for calls, messaging and light apps. For a current model, look at the REDMI 13C, which replaced it.
