Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery is a powerful and feature-packed smartphone that is sure to captivate gadget enthusiasts. With its stunning OLED display, boasting 1 billion colors and Dolby Vision support, the visuals come to life in vibrant detail. Powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 1080 chipset and equipped with 8GB of RAM, this device ensures smooth multitasking and seamless performance. The standout feature of the Redmi Note 12 Discovery is its incredible 210W wired charging capability, promising a 66% charge in just 5 minutes and a full charge in a mere 9 minutes. This device is available in a sleek black color variant and is priced at around 380 EUR, making it an attractive option for those seeking a flagship-level smartphone at an affordable price.

Design and Build Quality

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition boasts a sleek and premium design that exudes a sense of sophistication. Its physical appearance is characterized by a glass front and back, complemented by an aluminum frame, which not only enhances the aesthetics but also adds to its durability. The device measures 162.9 x 76 x 9 mm (6.41 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) and weighs 207.5 g (7.34 oz), making it lightweight and easily portable. The slim form factor and minimal bezels contribute to a larger screen-to-body ratio of approximately 86.8%, providing an immersive viewing experience.

In terms of ergonomics, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition is designed to offer a comfortable grip, allowing for convenient one-handed usability. The back panel features a smooth texture, further enhancing the device's premium look and feel. The finishing touches are meticulously crafted, ensuring a high-quality fit and finish.

The construction of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition reflects robustness and sturdiness. It is built to withstand everyday wear and tear, and it even has an IP53 rating, making it dust and splash resistant. The placement of buttons and controls is well thought out, ensuring easy access and intuitive operation. Additionally, the device features a USB Type-C port and supports OTG functionality, adding to its versatility.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition exhibits a combination of aesthetics, durability, and functionality. With its sleek design, premium materials, and attention to detail, it offers a visually appealing and user-friendly experience to gadget enthusiasts.

Display

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery comes with a 6.67-inch OLED display, boasting a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 86.8%. This size offers a spacious viewing experience for multimedia consumption and gaming. With a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a pixel density of around 395 ppi, the display delivers sharp and detailed visuals. The OLED technology employed ensures vibrant and punchy colors, and the display supports 1B colors, providing a wide color gamut. The device also features Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, enhancing the dynamic range and contrast for an immersive viewing experience.

In terms of brightness, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery offers 500 nits of typical brightness and can reach up to 900 nits with HBM (High Brightness Mode), ensuring good visibility even under direct sunlight. The display is equipped with an anti-reflective coating, reducing glare and improving outdoor visibility. Additionally, the device features adaptive brightness, which automatically adjusts the screen brightness based on ambient lighting conditions.

The Redmi Note 12 Discovery sports a notch design, housing the front-facing camera. The bezels surrounding the display are relatively slim, contributing to a more immersive visual experience. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, which adds durability and safeguards against scratches and minor impacts.

Other notable features of the display include wide viewing angles, allowing for comfortable viewing from various orientations, and an always-on display option, providing quick access to notifications and essential information without fully waking up the device. Additionally, the device offers a blue light filter, reducing eye strain during prolonged usage, and supports screen calibration for users who prefer customizing the color accuracy to their preference.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery's display offers a good balance of size, resolution, color accuracy, and brightness levels, making it suitable for various multimedia and gaming purposes.

Performance

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery boasts impressive performance capabilities thanks to its powerful chipset and optimized system. Equipped with the Mediatek MT6877V Dimensity 1080 processor, this device delivers excellent CPU benchmarks and processor performance. With an octa-core configuration, including 2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 and 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, it can handle multitasking with ease and offers smooth app loading speeds.

In terms of gaming, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery offers a satisfying experience. The Mali-G68 MC4 GPU ensures efficient graphics processing, resulting in smooth gameplay and impressive graphics scores. The device's gaming capabilities are further enhanced by its high refresh rate OLED display, which measures 6.67 inches and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ technologies. This display, combined with the powerful chipset, allows for an immersive gaming experience with vibrant visuals.

The Redmi Note 12 Discovery also excels in system optimization and thermal management. Users can expect a lag-free performance and a smooth user experience, even when running resource-intensive applications. The device's performance metrics are impressive, as shown in benchmark tests and synthetic benchmarks.

The chipset's efficiency is a notable feature of the Redmi Note 12 Discovery. It balances performance and power consumption effectively, ensuring that users can enjoy extended usage without compromising on performance. The device is equipped with a large 4300 mAh battery, which supports 210W wired charging. This enables quick charging times, with the device reaching 66% charge in just 5 minutes and a full charge in 9 minutes.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery offers exceptional performance across various aspects. Its powerful chipset, efficient GPU, and optimized system provide a smooth and lag-free user experience, whether it be for multitasking, gaming, or general usage. With its impressive performance metrics and fast charging capabilities, this device proves to be a reliable companion for tech enthusiasts and gamers alike.

Software and User Interface

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery runs on the Android 12 operating system with Xiaomi's MIUI 13 user interface. MIUI 13 offers a highly customizable experience, allowing users to personalize their device according to their preferences. The software provides a user-friendly interface with smooth animations and intuitive navigation. It offers a range of features and optimizations to enhance the overall user experience.

One notable aspect of the software is the presence of pre-installed apps. While some users appreciate the convenience of having essential apps pre-loaded, others may consider them as bloatware. However, the MIUI 13 allows users to uninstall or disable pre-installed apps, giving them more control over their device's storage and performance.

MIUI 13 also brings various customization options, including themes, icon packs, and wallpapers, allowing users to personalize their device's look and feel. The interface is clean and visually appealing, making it easy to navigate through different settings and apps.

Additionally, MIUI 13 introduces several software optimizations for improved performance and efficiency. It offers advanced power management features to optimize battery life and reduce power consumption. The software also includes security enhancements, such as built-in privacy controls and app permissions, ensuring the user's data is protected.

Overall, the software on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery provides a user-friendly experience with a customizable interface, allowing users to tailor their device to their liking. The presence of pre-installed apps may be a matter of personal preference, but the ability to uninstall or disable them offers flexibility. With its optimizations and security features, the software ensures a smooth and secure user experience.

Camera

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition boasts an impressive camera setup that promises exceptional image quality and versatility. The device features a triple camera setup, with a primary 200 MP lens offering a wide aperture of f/1.7 and a focal length of 24mm. This combination allows for excellent low-light sensitivity and the ability to capture sharp and detailed images even in challenging lighting conditions. The camera also features optical image stabilization (OIS), which helps in reducing blurriness and ensuring steady shots.

The Redmi Note 12 Discovery's camera performs exceptionally well in daylight photography, capturing natural colors with great accuracy and maintaining a good level of sharpness and detail. The device's large sensor size and advanced image processing capabilities contribute to a wide dynamic range, enabling it to handle high-contrast scenes effectively. In indoor and outdoor photography, the camera continues to impress, delivering clear and vibrant images.

The camera offers various shooting modes, including portrait mode, HDR, panorama mode, pro mode, and AI scene recognition. These features provide users with a range of options to enhance their photography experience and capture stunning shots in different scenarios. The device also supports video recording in 4K resolution, ensuring high-quality videos with excellent detail and clarity. Video stabilization technology helps in reducing camera shake, resulting in smooth and stable footage. Additionally, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery offers slow-motion video and time-lapse capabilities, allowing users to explore creative possibilities in their video recordings.

Overall, the camera of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition proves to be a capable and versatile imaging tool, delivering impressive image quality, especially in low-light conditions, and offering a range of features to enhance the photography and videography experience.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery comes equipped with a Li-Po 4300 mAh non-removable battery. The standout feature of this device is its impressive charging capabilities. It supports 210W wired charging, which allows for a remarkable charging speed. It is advertised to charge up to 66% in just 5 minutes and reach 100% in 9 minutes. This fast charging technology ensures that users can quickly top up their battery and get back to using their device without any significant downtime. Additionally, the device supports PD3.0 (Power Delivery 3.0) technology, further enhancing the charging efficiency. It is important to note that the battery capacity is relatively average, but the fast charging capabilities compensate for it. The battery performance and optimization features of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery are impressive, making it a reliable choice for users who prioritize long-lasting battery life and quick recharging times.

Connectivity and Networking

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery offers a wide range of connectivity options to ensure seamless communication and internet access. With support for GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, and 5G networks, this device is compatible with various network providers. It also features dual SIM capability, allowing users to easily switch between two different SIM cards for added convenience. In terms of wireless connectivity, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, ensuring fast and reliable internet access. Bluetooth 5.2 is also included, enabling users to connect to other devices wirelessly and transfer data with ease. Additionally, NFC functionality allows for quick and secure mobile payments and file sharing. For data transfer and charging, the device utilizes a USB Type-C 2.0 port. GPS is available for accurate navigation, while a mobile hotspot feature allows users to share their internet connection with other devices. Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery offers a comprehensive range of connectivity features, ensuring users stay connected and enjoy fast data speeds in various scenarios.

Additional Features

• Standout features: The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition offers a range of standout features that enhance the user experience. With its OLED display, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ support, users can enjoy vibrant and immersive visuals. The device also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth and fluid scrolling and gaming.


• Water and dust resistance: The Redmi Note 12 Discovery is equipped with an IP53 rating, making it resistant to dust and splashes. This feature provides added durability and peace of mind for users, allowing them to use the device in various environments without worrying about damage from water or dust.


• Advanced sensors: In addition to the standard accelerometer and gyroscope, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery comes with a comprehensive sensor suite. These advanced sensors enable various features such as motion sensing and environmental sensing, enhancing the device's functionality and user experience.


• Wireless charging: The Redmi Note 12 Discovery supports wireless charging, allowing users to conveniently charge their device without the need for cables. With Qi wireless charging compatibility, users can simply place their device on a compatible wireless charging pad to begin charging.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition is a powerful smartphone that offers competitive features in the market. When comparing it with related gadgets, some notable competitors include the Samsung Galaxy A52s, Realme GT Neo2, and OnePlus Nord 2.

In terms of specifications, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition stands out with its 6.67-inch OLED display, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision HDR10+. This feature-rich display puts it on par with devices like the Galaxy A52s and OnePlus Nord 2, which also offer vibrant and immersive screens.

Under the hood, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition is powered by the Mediatek MT6877V Dimensity 1080 chipset, offering excellent performance for multitasking and gaming. This places it in direct competition with the Realme GT Neo2, which also features a Dimensity 1200 processor for seamless performance.

Camera enthusiasts will appreciate the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition's triple-camera setup, headlined by a 200 MP primary sensor. This high-resolution sensor allows for detailed and sharp photos, comparable to the camera capabilities of devices like the Samsung Galaxy A52s and its 64 MP main camera.

One of the standout features of the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition is its blazing-fast charging capability. With 210W wired charging, the device can charge up to 66% in just 5 minutes and reach 100% in 9 minutes, as advertised. This charging speed surpasses competitors like the Realme GT Neo2 and OnePlus Nord 2, making it an attractive choice for users who value quick charging.

In terms of pricing, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition is positioned competitively, offering great value for money. Priced around 380 EUR, it falls within the same price range as its competitors, making it a compelling option for consumers looking for a feature-packed smartphone without breaking the bank.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition holds its ground against its competitors in the market. With its impressive display, powerful performance, excellent camera capabilities, and fast charging, it offers a compelling package for users seeking a high-quality smartphone experience.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition offers impressive features and specifications that make it a tempting choice for potential buyers. With its vibrant OLED display, powerful Mediatek chipset, ample storage, and high-resolution camera setup, this phone delivers a premium user experience. Additionally, the IP53 rating ensures protection against dust and splashes. However, it is worth noting that recent reviews have raised concerns about the advertised charging metrics not being fully met in real-world tests. Despite this, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition remains a compelling option for those seeking a feature-packed smartphone at a relatively affordable price point.