Redmi’s Note series has been the cornerstone of its success in the global market, creating countless bestsellers. Recently, the brand launched the Note 12 series. With 5G technology on the rise, Redmi announced the Redmi Note 12 5G, followed by a 4G-only version of the smartphone. The Redmi Note 12 4G, which was launched in India a few days ago, is priced at Rs. 14,999 and features the new Snapdragon 685 chipset, while other specifications are similar to the Note 12 5G. This comparison will explore the differences in price, design and specifications between Redmi Note 12 4G and Redmi Note 12 5G.
Redmi Note 12 4G vs Redmi Note 12 5G: Price, Availability in India
To begin with, the Redmi Note 12 4G has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 14,999 for the 6GB/64GB variant and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB/128GB variant. The smartphone is available in three colors namely Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue and Lunar Black.
Conversely, the Redmi Note 12 5G is priced at Rs 17,999 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage base model and Rs 19,999 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. The phone is available in three colors – Frosted Green, Matte Black and Mystic Blue.
Redmi Note 12 4G vs Redmi Note 12 5G: Design, Display, Performance and Camera
design
The Redmi Note 12 4G and Redmi Note 12 5G blend in well with the Note 12 series and share similar design features. Both the smartphones have a plastic frame, polycarbonate back and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front. The difference between the two devices is on the back; The Note 12 4G has a flat back, while the 5G model has a slightly curved shape that improves grip. The devices have similar dimensions, but the Note 12 4G is lighter, weighing 183.5 grams, compared to the Note 12 5G, which weighs 188 grams.
Both smartphones have an IP53 water and dust rating, volume buttons on the right, a power button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner on the bottom and a 3.5mm audio jack on top, an IR blaster and a main speaker. With USB Type-C port. below.
An offer
Both the phones share similarities when it comes to the screen. Both feature a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. In our review of the Redmi Note 12 5G, we noted that the screen’s visibility under sunlight was comparable to other devices in this price range, and that its peak brightness was over 1,000 nits. The OLED panel showed excellent color accuracy and viewing angles, which are important characteristics for a high-quality display. The design of the panel is contemporary, with a small hole in the middle for the selfie camera. However, the large chin size was the only drawback, which we hope will be reduced in the next version.
Processor, RAM and Storage
The Redmi Note 12 4G is equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 SoC, which is built on the popular Snapdragon 680 chipset and is the first smartphone in the market to use this particular chip. While the exact performance numbers of the Snapdragon 685 are not known, we can expect similar performance to the Snapdragon 695 5G SoC as it is built with a 6nm process. The Note 12 4G is paired with 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of UFS2.2 internal storage.
On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC, also built on a 6nm process. The phone packs up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS2.2 internal storage, expandable via microSD card. During our tests, the Note 12 5G scored 366,146 points in the AnTuTu benchmark and 635 and 1,991 points in the Geekbench single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.
Programming
Although both the devices belong to the same series and were launched within a few months, they come with different OS versions. The Redmi Note 12 4G comes preloaded with the latest MIUI 14 based on Android 13. On the contrary, the Redmi Note 12 5G comes with MIUI 13 based on Android 12.
However, both devices promise to receive two future Android version updates and three years of security updates. This means that the Redmi Note 12 4G will receive updates up to Android 15, and the Redmi Note 12 5G will receive updates up to Android 14.
Photo tool
Where the Redmi Note 12 4G and Note 12 5G differ from each other is in their camera setups. The Redmi Note 12 4G comes with a triple camera setup with a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro lens. The device has a 13MP camera on the front for taking selfies and video calls.
On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 5G has a triple camera setup that includes a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro lens. Like the Redmi Note 12 4G, the Note 12 5G also sports a 13MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
Neither device comes with optical image stabilization (OIS) support, but the camera app for both devices offers a number of AI filters and video modes for users to use.
Battery
The Redmi Note 12 4G and Redmi Note 12 5G have a large 5000mAh battery that can easily withstand a day’s use. It comes with a 33W fast charging capability that allows the battery to be recharged within an hour.
“Professional coffee fan. Total beer nerd. Hardcore reader. Alcohol fanatic. Evil twitter buff. Friendly tv scholar.”
