-
Redmi
Redmi Note 12 Pro+
Our top choice
The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ offers a huge amount of flagship features at an affordable price point. This includes a massive 200MP main camera, 120W HyperCharge tech and a lovely 120Hz AMOLED display. It looks good doing it, too, impressive stuff.
Pros
- 200MP main camera
- Blazing-fast 120W charging
- Excellent price
Cons
- Lots of bloatware
- No MicroSD support
-
Redmi
Redmi Note 12 Pro
Excellent value
The lack of a 200MP snapper means this phone is unlikely to get the same amount of attention, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. It still has an impressive main camera, charges quickly, and offers an almost identical experience elsewhere.
Pros
- Exceptional value
- Great design
- Solid main camera
Cons
- Software bloat
- No MicroSD support
Redmi’s Note 12 Series is now available across the globe, this time around, there are two Pro models, the Note 12 Pro and the Note 12 Pro+.
Outwardly, they look very similar, and they’re both powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080 SoC. So, what’s the difference?
There are a few key areas that set these phones apart, and the right model for you all depends on your priorities and your budget.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at these affordable performers to see which one is deserving of a place in your pocket. Let’s dive in.
Specs, price and availability
The Redmi Note 12 series was announced in October 2022, initially launching exclusively in China. Then in January 2023, Xiaomi held an event in India to announce the global launch of these phones.
Finally, these attractive handsets made their way to Europe in March, where the Redmi Note 12 Pro retails for €399 / £339 and the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ goes for €499 / £449.
-
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ Redmi Note 12 Pro SoC MediaTek Dimensity 1080 MediaTek Dimensity 1080 Display 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz RAM 8GB /12GB 6GB / 8GB Storage 256GB 128GB / 256GB Battery 5000 mAh 5000 mAh Operating System MIUI 14 MIUI 14 Front camera 16MP f/2.45 16MP f/2.45 Rear cameras 200MP f/1.65 + 8MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 50MP f/1.88 + 8MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 Dimensions 162.9 x 76 x 8.9 mm 163.0 x 76.03 x 7.98 mm Colors Midnight Black / Polar White / Sky Blue Midnight Black / Polar White / Sky Blue Display type AMOLED AMOLED Weight 210.5g 187g Charging 120W HyperCharge 67W Turbo Charge IP Rating IP53 IP53
Design and build
Both the Redmi Note 12 Pro and Pro+ share a similar design, the cameras are situated in the same position and the button layout remains the same across both models. Both phones feature a headphone socket, and we’re always pleased to see that included.
The main difference in the design is that the Pro+ has slightly curved edges on the rear panel, whereas the Pro has a completely flat back. Both models have flat displays on the front, so it’s only around the back that you’ll notice a difference.
In practice, they feel similar in the hand, but the Pro+ might be marginally more comfortable to hold, due to the curved edges. There’s something to be said for the Pro’s flat design, though, it looks very attractive and reminds us of the iPhone – which is rarely a bad thing.
Another differentiator is the colour options available for each model. We have the Midnight Black Note 12 Pro and the Sky Blue Note 12 Pro+ in for testing, and both look striking in their own right.
The Sky Blue colour is our favourite, it shifts and changes to different shades of dark and light blue depending on the ambient lighting, it’s a great look. Midnight Black is a more subdued effect, with extremely glossy reflectivity. It looks great, but it’s an absolute fingerprint magnet, which we find a little irritating.
Display
Both phones feature flat-fronted 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED displays with zippy 120Hz refresh rates. As far as we can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any difference between the two models.
Both benefit from adaptive refresh rate technology and have support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ as well as the DCI-P3 colour gamut.
They max out at 900 nits in high brightness mode, which is more than enough for the majority of situations, but you may begin to struggle in direct sunlight on very bright days.
The Note 12 Pro+ lists Corning Gorilla Glass 5 in its specifications, whereas the standard Note 12 Pro doesn’t mention which glass is used. This may be an area where the screens differ, but in our testing, we haven’t been able to tell the difference.
Hardware and battery
Both phones run on MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080 processor, the same one that’s used in the Samsung Galaxy A34. It’s not a flagship gaming powerhouse, but it will more than satisfy the majority of people’s needs.
In day-to-day use, we found that the processor keeps things feeling snappy and responsive, and we rarely noticed any slowdowns. It’s only when you load up a graphically intensive game like Genshin Impact that you’ll start to see the difference between this chip and a top-tier flagship. Of course, you can run games like that on these devices, you’ll just be stuck with 30fps on low presets.
Both phones have the same 5000 mAh battery on board, and therefore the battery performance is similar on both devices. We found that we could squeeze about a day and a half of use from a charge, but that’ll drop if you’re taking a lot of photos or gaming. In any case, we never had the phone conk out before bedtime, which is all that really matters.
The differentiator here is the charging speed. The Pro+ benefits from lighting-fast 120W charging, while the standard Pro has a 67W wall adapter. In reality, both phones charge very quickly, making them extremely easy to live with, but if you want the absolute fastest speeds, then the Pro+ is the model for you.
Cameras
The biggest difference between the Redmi Note 12 Pro and Pro+ is the main camera. It’s a whopping 200MP on the Pro+, the sensor is made by Samsung and it’s very similar to the one that’s featured on the flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is astonishing at this price point.
The Note 12 Pro, meanwhile, features a more modest 50MP sensor but it’s still a performer. The Pro uses Sony’s IMX766 sensor, which is optically stabilised, and has impressed us on devices like the Asus Zenfone 9 and Nothing Phone (1) in the past.
In reality, you’ll rarely use either of these sensors at their maximum resolutions, instead, the phones will use a process called pixel binning to allow for better low-light capture and more manageable file sizes.
We haven’t been able to thoroughly put these cameras through their paces just yet, but we’d expect better clarity and detail from the Pro+. Also, you have the option to take extremely high-resolution images that you can crop in on, to act as a kind of digital zoom. This will be far more effective on the Pro+ than the standard model.
Elsewhere, the camera array is the same on both models, and it’s a bit of a lack-lustre affair. There’s an 8MP ultra-wide that lacks detail compared to the main camera along with a fairly useless 2MP macro snapper.
Around the front, you get a 16MP punch-hole selfie camera on both devices. This has an f/2.45 aperture and is capable of shooting at up to 1080p 60fps.
Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Note 12 Pro+: Which should you choose?
In our view, it’s clear that the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is the superior device. It has a more impressive main camera and charges faster as well as coming with a slightly more comfortable design.
Redmi
Redmi Note 12 Pro+
Editor’s Choice
Packing an incredible 200MP main camera, along with a lovely 120Hz AMOLED display and lightning-fast 120W charging, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ offers exceptional value for money.
However, elsewhere, these two phones are identical – and the standard Note 12 Pro costs less money. So you can get pretty much the same experience while saving yourself some cash, so long as you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of image quality.
Redmi
Redmi Note 12 Pro
Good alternative
You might not get that headline-grabbing 200MP sensor, but elsewhere the standard Note 12 Pro offers an almost identical experience. If you’re looking for great value, look no further.
In any case, these devices offer exceptional value for their respective price points, so it’s hard to go wrong with either option. As always, when it comes to which one is best for you, that depends on your personal priorities, and your budget.