Xiaomi Redmi 12C

The Xiaomi Redmi 12C, launched in early 2023, is a budget-friendly smartphone targeting the entry-level market. It offers a large display, a substantial battery, and a focus on core functionality.

Build Quality

The Redmi 12C measures 168.8 mm in height, 76.4 mm in width, and 8.8 mm in depth, weighing 192 grams. The construction is primarily plastic, as expected in this price range. Its design includes a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for security. The device is available in Mint Green, Graphite Gray, Ocean Blue, and Lavender Purple.

Screen Quality

The device features a 6.71-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1650 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 268 ppi. The screen is protected by scratch-resistant 2.5D curved glass. While not the sharpest display, the 500 nits typical brightness makes it adequate for most indoor and some outdoor conditions. The screen's contrast ratio is 1500:1. It includes a water drop notch design, housing the front-facing camera. The display does not feature HDR support.

Camera Performance

The Redmi 12C features a dual rear camera setup, with a 50MP primary sensor (f/1.8 aperture) and a 2MP macro lens (f/2.4 aperture). The main camera provides features such as digital zoom, autofocus, touch focus, phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and various shooting modes like panorama, HDR, and face detection. The video capability is limited to 1080p at 30fps. The selfie camera is a 5MP sensor, with an unknown aperture. There is no optical image stabilization or slow motion video recording capabilities. The DxOMark score for the mobile camera is 45, with a photo score of 50 and video score of 43, which places the camera performance on the lower end, typical for its class.

Software Experience

The Redmi 12C runs on Android 12. The device's software experience will be influenced by Xiaomi's custom user interface, MIUI. The presence of NFC for contactless payments is a feature not always found on budget phones.

Battery Performance

The phone is powered by a 5000mAh Li-Ion battery. It supports 10W fast charging via its microUSB 2.0 port. Wireless charging is not supported.

Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, the Redmi 12C uses the Mediatek MT6769Z Helio G85 (12 nm) chipset with an Octa-core CPU (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU. RAM options include 3GB, 4GB, or 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM, paired with 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. The phone scored 225154 on the Antutu v10 benchmark. There is no SD card slot for storage expansion. Other hardware features include an accelerometer, and ultrasonic virtual proximity sensor. This device does not feature any gaming buttons or advanced cooling systems.

Connectivity

The phone supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with dual band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Display capabilities. Bluetooth 5.1 LE provides wireless audio connectivity. GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo are included for location services. It features a dual SIM setup, accepting a micro SIM and a nano SIM. Network bands supported include 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G. It utilizes a microUSB 2.0 port, supporting USB charging, mass storage and USB OTG, but not USB host functionality. The device does not have USB Type-C.

Value for Money

The Redmi 12C positions itself as a very affordable device. Available configurations include: 3GB/64GB, 4GB/64GB, 4GB/128GB and 6GB/128GB. Prices vary based on the configuration and retailer and average from $80 to $145. Given its low price, the phone offers a large display, sufficient battery life, and a capable if not remarkable chipset. The inclusion of NFC provides additional functionality that elevates it above some of its competitors in the same price range. It is a sensible choice for those needing a low-cost phone for basic tasks.