Smartphone cameras are big business these days, and a handful of companies have decided that a 200Mp prime lens is the way to go.
This includes Xiaomi, which put a 200Mp sensor in its flagship 12T Pro handset in 2022. Now the firm has repeated the trick on the more affordable Redmi Note 12 Pro+, one of four new Redmi phones that are launching in Europe .
With a starting price of £449 / $499, the Note 12 Pro+ is one of the most affordable 200Mp phones to date. Getting such a premium feature in a mid-range handset is truly impressive.
It’s worth noting that you probably won’t take many photos at 200Mp. While possible, the large file size means the 256GB of on-device storage will fill up quickly, and that can’t be expanded via microSD.
Instead, the default 12.5MP photos will be a better choice for most people. They use a process called pixel binning, which merges 16 separate shots into one with more detail. In brief tests, photos from the 12 Pro+’s main lens are impressive, but not quite class-leading.
Xiaomi
I’m concerned about the quality of the other two lenses, even though this is a mid-range device. There’s a huge drop in quality when using the 8Mp ultra-wide (with a 119° field of view) and 2Mp macro lenses, as I would be hesitant to use them. These were among the main weaknesses of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+, so it’s a shame they weren’t fixed.
The 16Mp front camera is solid, however, while the display is one of the highlights. It’s a 6.67-inch, 2400X1080 OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 900 nits of advertised peak brightness. At this price, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better screen.
But there’s no in-display fingerprint sensor, with Xiaomi opting for the side-mounted physical version instead. There’s also a face unlock option – both are fast and reliable.
The processing power comes from MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080, a chip specifically designed for mid-range phones. With 8GB of RAM, the Note 12 Pro+ can handle any day-to-day situation with ease. Only the most demanding apps and games will be a challenge.
A 5,000mAh battery is pretty standard these days, but it’s the 120W fast charging that’s more exciting. Xiaomi claims you can get a full charge in 19 minutes, but there’s no built-in wireless charging.
Xiaomi
Like all the latest Xiaomi phones, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ runs the company’s MIUI 14 software. This is based on Android 13, but looks very different from the version on Pixel phones. Xiaomi now offers three years of Android updates and four years of security updates for most of its phones, and the 12 Pro+ should be one of them.
Redmi Note 12 Pro
Although the standard Redmi Note 12 Pro has a lot in common with the Plus version, there are downgrades in some key areas.
The main rear camera is the most obvious, though its 50Mp lens will hopefully still work. The 8Mp and 2Mp ultra-wide macro sensors remain, as does the 16Mp selfie camera.
Xiaomi
Charging drops to 67W, while cheaper models drop RAM to 6GB and storage to 128GB. It’s also much lighter at 187g (vs. 210g), but the same phone in all other areas including processor and screen.
The starting price of £339 / $399 means it compares favorably to most of the best mid-range phones.
Redmi Note 12 and Note 12 5G
Not content with two new phones, Xiaomi has two more if you’re looking for something even more affordable. Impressively, the new Note 12 (£219/$249) and 12 5G (£279/$299) retain the same 120Hz OLED displays as the Pro+, but there are compromises in other key areas.
Among the most notable are the cameras, with a 50Mp primary lens on the regular model and 48Mp on the 5G version. The latter is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, while the standard Note 12 upgrades to the more capable Snapdragon 685 but drops 5G support.
Xiaomi
Both phones also only have 33W charging and a 13MP front camera. However, at these affordable prices, they seem like budget-competitive phones.
Xiaomi has also announced the European launch of the Redmi Watch 3, its latest budget smartwatch. It features a 1.75-inch OLED touchscreen, extensive workout tracking, and up to 12-day battery life. For £99.99 / $119 it seems like a decent all-rounder.
The Redmi Note 12, 12 5G, 12 Pro+ and Watch 3 will all be available on March 24, both through Xiaomi and select third-party retailers. But the release date of the Redmi Note 12 Pro remains to be confirmed.
