Xiaomi Redmi Note 12: Everything you need to know

Xiaomi first revealed its Redmi Note 12 series phones last October in China, but now you can finally get your hands on them in Europe.

After an official launch event in Paris in late March, four handsets are now available: the Redmi Note 12, 12 5G, 12 Pro and 12 Pro+.

Despite the names being so similar, there are some key differences between them, something that’s reflected in the price variation. The Redmi Note 12 series includes a basic budget smartphone, premium mid-ranger and plenty in between.

But a few other Redmi Note 12 variants have been released in China and India. Here’s everything you need to know about all of them.

When will the Redmi Note 12 be released in Europe?

Xiaomi announced the first four phones in Redmi Note 12 series in China on 27 October: the Redmi Note 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro+ and 12 Explorer Edition. The Note 12 Speed Edition then arrived in late December.

Then, on 5 January, Xiaomi extended the launch to India. However, only the Redmi Note 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro+ made it to the country initially.

We then had to wait until 23 March for a European launch. Explorer and Speed editions haven’t made it here either, but the three handsets above have been joined by a 4G-only version of the regular phone. The latter launched in India on 30 March.

The 12, 12 5G and 12 Pro+ were released on 24 March, but we had to wait until 4 April for the 12 Pro. All four are now available, with UK retailers listed below:

• Redmi Note 12 – Xiaomi, Argos, Very, Amazon
• Redmi Note 12 5G – Xiaomi, Argos, Very
• Redmi Note 12 Pro – Xiaomi, Very, O2
• Redmi Note 12 Pro+ – Xiaomi, Very

The Redmi Note 12 Turbo then launched on 28 March, before the Note 12R Pro on 29 April. It looks like

As usual, none of the devices will be coming to North America.

How much does the Redmi Note 12 cost?

Now that the phones have launched in Europe, we have starting prices for all five models in the regions where they’re being sold. Remember, some devices have the option for more expensive configurations:

• Redmi Note 12: From £219/€249/₹15,499/¥1,199
• Redmi Note 12 5G: From £279/€299 (about $350/¥2,400/₹28,500)
• Redmi Note 12 Pro: From £339/€399/₹24,999/¥1,699
• Redmi Note 12 Pro+: From £449/€499₹25,999/¥2,199
• Redmi Note 12 Explorer Edition: From ¥2,399 (about $330/£285/€330/₹27,500)
• Redmi Note 12 Speed Edition: From ¥1,699 (about $230/£200/€230/₹19,500)
• Redmi Note 12 Turbo Edition: From ¥1,999 (about $290/£230/€265/₹23,900)
• Redmi Note 12R Pro: ¥1,999 (about $290/£230/€265/₹23,900)

For context, here’s how much last year’s phones cost:

• Redmi Note 11 – £199/€199
• Redmi Note 11S – €249
• Redmi Note 11 Pro – £269/€329
• Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G – £319/€369
• Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G – £369/€449

The big price increase on the Pro+ reflects the addition of several new premium features.

What are the Redmi Note 12 specs and features?

With a total of seven different phones in the Redmi Note 12 series, it’s worth exploring each in more detail:

Redmi Note 12

The Note 12 is a pretty basic budget phone, but it doesn’t look bad by any means. It’s also the least like the other phones in the series though, and the only model to have differences between its Chinese and European/Indian models, though these variations are primarily limited to the cameras.

It’s powered by the entry-level Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip, with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage in China and Europe, though it’s capped at 6+128GB in India.

Like all the phones in the series you can expect a 6.67in OLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), a 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and support for HDR10+, HDR10, and Dolby Vision.

Despite the OLED screen, it still uses a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, but one perk is you still get a 3.5mm headphone jack.

While there is a 5000mAh battery, it’s paired with slightly sluggish 33W wired charging.

As for the cameras, on the Chinese model the 48Mp main rear camera is joined only by a 2Mp depth sensor. The Indian and European models gets an extra 8Mp ultrawide on the rear.

There’s a difference on the front too: in China there’s a basic 8Mp selfie camera, while the Indian and European variants jump up to a 13Mp sensor.

Like all the phones in the series, it runs Android 13 with MIUI 14. That’s upgraded from MIUI 13, which the phones initially launched with.

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
• 4/6/8GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 5000mAh battery
• 33W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 48Mp main camera
  • 8Mp ultrawide (Indian and European models)
  • 2Mp depth sensor
• 8/13Mp selfie camera (China/India & Europe)
• 5G (option for just 4G)
• Wi-Fi 6
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• IP53
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

A 4G-only version of the Redmi Note 12 is also available in Europe. While you lose the 5G support, you gain a more powerful Snapdragon 695 chipset and 50Mp main camera rather than 48Mp.

Redmi Note 12 Pro

The Pro is second main phone in the series, and the most basic of the Pro variants.

Like all the other Pro models, it’s powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chip, combined here with 6, 8, or 12GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. It packs the same display as the entry model.

The 5000mAh battery should deliver decent longevity, with fairly nippy 67W wired charging too. However, this is one of the main compromises you’re making compared to the 120W on the Pro+.

The other big difference is the camera, where the Pro uses the 50Mp Sony IMX766 sensor for its main camera, at an aperture of f/1.9 and with OIS. The other lenses are identical across the range though: an 8Mp ultrawide camera and 2Mp macro camera, with a 16Mp selfie camera on the other side.

• MediaTek Dimensity 1080
• 6/8/12GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 5000mAh battery
• 67W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 50Mp, f/1.9 main camera with OIS
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 2Mp macro
  • 16Mp selfie camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• IP53
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

Redmi Note 12 Pro+

The Pro+ doesn’t change the formula too much. Performance is the same, with the exception that RAM is only available in 8 or 12GB, with storage locked to 256GB.

The battery is the same as the Pro, but charging is faster at 120W.

The camera also gets a major upgrade: the main sensor here is the 200Mp Samsung ISOCELL HPX, at a much wider f/1.65 aperture. 200Mp camera sensors are still new, so it remains to be seen how well this camera will hold up, but with the ability to combine 16 pixels into one, it should offer a definite step up from the Pro’s camera.

• MediaTek Dimensity 1080
• 8/12GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 5000mAh battery
• 120W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 200Mp, f/1.65 main camera with OIS
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 2Mp macro
  • 16Mp selfie camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• IP53
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

Redmi Note 12 Explorer Edition

The China-only Explorer Edition is almost identical to the Pro+, but with two key changes.

First up, it features a significantly smaller 4300mAh battery, so won’t last as long.

But that’s to fit in the absurdly fast 210W wired charging support, one of the fastest you’ll find on any phone.

It also only ships in a single 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration.

• MediaTek Dimensity 1080
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 4300mAh battery
• 210W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 200Mp, f/1.65 main camera with OIS
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 2Mp macro
  • 16Mp selfie camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• IP53
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

Redmi Note 12 Speed Edition

The Speed Edition arrived after the above in China, and while the name suggests it’s all about fast charging, it’s actually far from the fastest in the range.

In fact, it’s pretty close to the regular Pro model, but with tweaks to the chipset and camera. For one, it’s powered by the Snapdragon 778G instead of a MediaTek chip.

As for cameras, it jumps to a 108Mp main camera – though sadly without OIS – though this is accompanied by similar 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro units.

At launch, it was also the first phone in the series to ship with Android 13 and MIUI 14 in China.

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G
• 6/8/12GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 5000mAh battery
• 67W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 108Mp, f/1.9 main camera
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 2Mp macro
  • 16Mp selfie camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• IP53
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

Redmi Note 12 Turbo Edition

The Turbo Edition is the most recent phone to arrive, and it looks set to remain exclusive to China. It’s also likely to be the final phone in the Redmi Note 12 series.

Many of the key specs here are unremarkable, such as the same 6.67in, 120Hz OLED display, 5000mAh battery with 67W charging and a 64Mp main camera. Like all the other Redmi Note 12 phones now, it runs Android 13 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 skin.

But the headline feature here is that it’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, a chip which was announced just a few days before the phone. It’s a 5G SoC which supposedly delivers similar performance to the flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 from 2022, despite being designed for mid-range phones.

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2
• 8/12/16GB RAM
• 256GB/512GB/1TB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 5000mAh battery
• 67W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 64Mp main camera
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 2Mp macro
  • 16Mp selfie camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6E
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

Redmi Note 12R Pro

Another handset that looks set to stay in China is the Note 12R Pro. It drops down to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and loses the third camera lens on the back, but it’s relatively similar to some of the more expensive phones.

At its ¥1,999 price point, the inclusion of a 120Hz Full HD+ OLED display and 5000mAh battery is impressive. Charging speeds are slower, than the Turbo and Speed Editions, but in line with the standard 4G and 5G models.

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• 6.67in 120Hz OLED
• 5000mAh battery
• 33W wired charging
• Camera:
  • 48Mp main camera
  • 2Mp macro
  • 16Mp selfie camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 802.11ac
• Bluetooth 5.1
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Android 13 with MIUI 14

You may also be interested in our guides to the best budget phones and best mid-range phones to see what the Redmi Note 12 handsets are up against.