Redmi Note 12 5G is launching soon, specs suggest a great deal for budget buyers

The Redmi Note 12 5G is launching alongside the Redmi Note 12 Pro and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus on January 5. Xiaomi’s marketing focus is currently focused on the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus with its 200MP camera sensor, but it is this basic model that could change things for the budget smartphone buyer. This will be the first basic model from the Redmi Note series to gain 5G support. And this one is going to be a big deal for the budget segment, if Redmi goes for a sub-Rs. 20000 starting price.

The biggest change with this year’s Redmi Note series is that Xiaomi is bringing it unchanged from the Chinese market. Hence, this is the actual Redmi Note that China and world gets to experience; not a watered down variant like the Redmi Note 11 series and Redmi Note 10 series.

Redmi Note 12 5G specs at a glance

The Redmi Note 12 5G in China makes use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chipset, which brings support for 5G network connectivity. In China, Xiaomi is offering up to 256GB UFS 2.2 storage and 8GB LPDDR4X RAM. This itself is a big upgrade over the Redmi Note 11 4G model that launched earlier this year.

Then there’s the display. Xiaomi is giving the Redmi Note 12 a 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display, measuring 6.67-inches. This is another step-up from the previous 90Hz OLED display used on the 4G models. There are only a few devices in the sub-Rs. 20000 segment that offer a big and bright OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Other than these upgrades, the Redmi Note 12 5G retains its standard 5000mAh battery and gets Xiaomi’s 33W wired charging solution. The camera system on the back consists of a 48MP main camera, a 2MP portrait camera, and a 2MP secondary camera, while the selfie camera is an 8MP sensor.

Redmi Note 12 5G expected pricing

The Redmi Note 12 5G leaks haven’t given anything on the pricing yet. However, we expect the phone to have a starting price of less than Rs. 20,000. This could put it on par with several entry-level 5G devices from Motorola, Samsung and Realme.