Redmi 12 5G FAQs: Price, Display, Camera, Specifications, Everything Else You Need To Know

Redmi 12 5G price starts at Rs 11,999 for the basic 4GB+128GB storage model.

Redmi 12 5G has two cameras on the back — a 50-megapixel primary snapper and a 2-megapixel depth camera.

Source : Xiaomi

It has been a long time since Xiaomi made waves with a device priced below Rs 15,000, especially since its iconic Redmi Note series got "more expensive" a few years ago. The Redmi 12 5G however has changed that. The phone, which Xiaomi claims will usher in a '5G Revolution' in India is very notable for offering a lot of features at a price that is surprisingly affordable — classic Redmi territory. As this is being written, the phone seems to have received a very impressive response in the market as well, with very strong initial sales. But what is so special about the Redmi 5G and should you be considering queuing up for it? 

We attempt to answer all your queries about the latest Redmi offering:

Q: Let's cut to the chase: What’s so special about the Redmi 12 5G?

Well, the fact that it is perhaps the first relatively affordable 5G phone without too many compromises. Phones that offer 5G at sub-Rs 15,000 price points generally come with compromises made to keep that price low — the processor might not be up to the mark or the design might be too plain (or reflect the price tag). 

But that is not the case with the Redmi 12 5G. This is a phone that has remarkably new compromises for its price tag, making it rather unique in the affordable 5G segment. 

Q: What is the price of the Redmi 12 5G?   

The Redmi 12 5G is available in three RAM and storage variants. It is priced as follows:

4GB+128GB: Rs 11,999
6GB+128GB: Rs 13,499
8GB+128GB: Rs 15,499

There are some offers (generally from banks) which make the device even more affordable. 

Q: There's a lot of hype around the Crystal Glass design of the Redmi 12 5G. Does it actually look good?

It definitely does. Glass backs are a rarity at this price point. The Redmi 12 5G not only has Gorilla Glass 3 on its display (which has a punch hole notch, rather than a water drop one, which is often seen at this price) but also a flat glass back and straight sides. 

The phone has a clean, elegant finish to it, with even the cameras on the back having metallic rings around them. The Redmi 12 5G is a tall phone but is impressively slim at 8.17 mm, and is just under 200g in weight. It is available in Jade Black, Pastel Blue and Moonshine Silver, and all three look very classy. 

The frame of the phone is plastic but has a sturdy feel to it and the phone comes with IP53 splash resistance, which is also rare at this price. The only real sign of its being a budget device is perhaps the slightly large bezel ('chin') beneath the display.

Q: The display is said to be the biggest on a Redmi phone. But it is an LCD and not an AMOLED. Does this affect its performance? 

At 6.79 inches, the display is indeed the largest seen on a Redmi phone. Mind you, it does not look massive because there are plenty of phones with 6.7 and 6.75-inch displays around — the difference is more prominent on paper than in reality. It is a good quality display though, with FHD+ resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, decent brightness and very good colour handling. 

It not being an AMOLED display is definitely not a deal breaker. We would say it is better than some AMOLED displays we have seen at similar price points and great for watching and reading content.

Q: This is the first phone in India to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor. What kind of performance does it deliver? 

The Redmi 12 5G is indeed the first phone in India to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor. It is definitely not a gaming beast but is good enough to handle casual games and even something like Asphalt and other high-end games with a few changes in graphics settings. The display is good and the single speaker delivers decent volume. 

The phone handles daily tasks like web browsing, mail, and social networking very smoothly. Multitasking is generally good, but stutters will creep in if you keep too many apps open. Overall, this is one of the best-performing chips in its segment, if not the best. 

Q: What kind of cameras does the phone come with? How well do they perform?

The Redmi 12 5G has two cameras on the back — a 50-megapixel primary snapper and a 2-megapixel depth camera. At the front, it has a 8-megapixel selfie camera. Camera performance from the 50-megapixel sensor is decent enough for social media needs, especially in good light conditions. 

The colours might seem a little faded, but you get plenty of detail. Low light performance is not really too good, but it seldom is at this price. The front camera turns out reasonable selfies and is good for video calls. You are not going to get pathbreaking photography or videos from this, but the cameras are adequate — as is usually the case at this price. 

Q: Does it have expandable memory? Can we use a microSD card slot in it?

Yes, the Redmi 12 5G does support expandable memory. You can expand memory up to 1 TB using a microSD card. Just remember that you will have to sacrifice one of the two SIM card slots for this.

Q: How big is the battery? Does it last for a day? 

The Redmi 12 5G has a 5,000mAh battery. It comfortably gets through a day and a half and can even go to two days if handled carefully.

Q: Does the phone support fast charging? Does it have a charger? 

The Redmi 12 5G comes with 18W charging, which is brisk enough but not super fast in this era of crazy fast charging. The phone comes with a 22.5W charger in the box (although it will charge the phone at 18W only). It takes about two hours to charge the phone from zero to 100 percent. 

Q: What about audio output? 

The Redmi 12 5G has a single speaker at its base. It delivers decent audio and has a reasonably high volume. It also comes with a 3.5 mm audio jack, so you can plug in your wired headphones for a better audio experience. 

Q: It is marketed as a 5G phone. Does it work well with 5G networks?

The Redmi 12 5G comes with dual SIM support and both SIM card slots support 5G. It picked up Jio and Airtel without any problems, and delivered very good speeds. 

Q: What about the software? Which Android does it run on?

The Redmi 12 5G runs on MIUI 14 on top of Android 13. MIUI 14 on the phone comes with a number of third-party apps and features.  While it is not 'clean' like stock Android but very good for the segment, as users get more functionality out of the box. It all ran smoothly in our experience with the phone.

Q: Does it have a fingerprint scanner? And an infrared port?

Yes, on the side, on the home/ power button. It works very smoothly and faster than many in-display scanners. It also has an infrared port, so you can actually use the phone as a remote to control televisions and air conditioners. 

Q: Is Redmi 12 5G worth buying?

Yes, if you want a 5G capable phone without too many compromises and have a tight budget. This is not a flagship, but it punches above its price. 

The only other phone which can be compared with it is the Poco M6 Pro, which has been released after the Redmi 12 5G and has very similar specs. It starts at Rs 10,999 but with lesser storage. Another option is the Samsung Galaxy F14 which also has a FHD+ display and actually has a larger 6,000mAh battery, but does not have as good a processor and is actually a little more expensive, starting at Rs 12,999.