The REDMI Note 12S is a 4G mid-range phone that joined the Note 12 lineup in April 2023. Xiaomi introduced it at a regional launch event in Athens. The other Note 12 models made their European debut there too. Its European list price was €289. The phone is now discontinued: Xiaomi’s European stores no longer sell it.
Design and display
The Note 12S uses a flat-frame design and weighs 176 grams. It measures 159.87 x 73.87 x 8.09 mm, which makes it smaller than most Note 12 models. Xiaomi sold it in three colors: Onyx Black, Ice Blue and Pearl Green. The body has an IP53 rating, so it resists dust and light water spray.
The front has a 6.43-inch AMOLED DotDisplay with a 2400 x 1080 resolution and 409 ppi. It refreshes at up to 90Hz. Xiaomi rates typical high brightness mode at 700 nits and peak brightness at 1,000 nits. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protects the screen.
Performance
Inside is the MediaTek Helio G96, an octa-core chip that runs at up to 2.05GHz. A Mali-G57 MC2 GPU handles graphics. Xiaomi offered 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage, or 8GB with 256GB. The memory is LPDDR4X, and the storage is UFS 2.2. A microSD slot adds up to 1TB. In Geekbench 6, retail units typically score around 660 single-core and 1,660 multi-core.
This is a 4G-only phone, so it has no 5G support. It does include NFC, an IR blaster, dual speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Cameras
The rear camera system has three lenses. The main camera uses a 108MP 1/1.52-inch sensor with an f/1.9 aperture and 9-in-1 pixel binning. An 8MP ultra-wide camera covers a 118-degree field of view, and a 2MP macro camera handles close-ups. The front has a 16MP selfie camera. Both sides record video at up to 1080p at 30fps.
Battery and charging
A 5,000mAh battery powers the phone. It supports 33W wired charging, and Xiaomi includes a 33W charger in the box. There is no wireless charging.
Software and updates
The Note 12S shipped with MIUI 14 based on Android 13. Xiaomi’s official update list shows security support until May 2027. Xiaomi did not publish a promise for major Android upgrades.
Should you buy the REDMI Note 12S?
The Note 12S suits buyers who want an AMOLED screen and a light body at a low price. It also keeps a headphone jack and expandable storage. It lacks 5G, its video tops out at 1080p, and the main camera has no optical stabilization. The phone is no longer produced, so it is mainly an option on the used or clearance market. Buyers who need 5G may prefer newer REDMI Note models.
