If you look around on Xiaomi’s website, the number of smartphone models is confusing. The Redmi Note series alone counts 5 devices this year. One of these, the Redmi Note 12S, is immediately recognizable in real life simply because it is much smaller than other models in the series. It is also a fairly light smartphone at 176 grams; it only weighs 4 grams more than the even more compact Zenfone 10.
You don’t have to sacrifice on storage for the Redmi Note 12S, as you can buy the model with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB mass storage at Amazon US in Ice Blue ($218), Onyx Black ($214.75) or Pearl Green ($213.75). The storage is not slow eMMC flash, but rather UFS 2.2. Unfortunately, the memory controller does not fully utilize the speed potential.
Otherwise, the smartphone delivers good performance for its price range, even if the SoC MediaTek Helio G96 is a little old. It is usually sufficient for everyday use and some difficult tasks such as image editing can be carried out quite quickly. The system only reaches its limits in very complex apps and multitasking.
A few things annoy us about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S, such as the PWM flickering of the otherwise great AMOLED screen, which cannot be mitigated by DC dimming. Or the sloppy tracking that has us going through walls or over rivers time and time again in our route recording. The system ads and the many pre-installed third-party apps are also a nuisance.
The smartphone charges very quickly with 33 watts and the battery also lasts for a long time at almost 16 hours in our WLAN test. The case has a somewhat plain design and is only made of plastic, but it is sturdy.
Those wanting to know more about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S are advised to take a look at our detailed review with its numerous benchmark tables and test results.
I initially wrote about gaming laptops when I joined Notebookcheck in 2009. I was then involved with the setup of the comparison portal Notebookinfo and worked with social media concepts for large companies like BMW and Adidas, while also returning to work for Notebookcheck in 2012. Nowadays, I focus on smartphones, tablets, and future technologies. Since 2018 I have been Managing Editor for mobile device reviews, working alongside my colleague Daniel Schmidt.
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
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