As expected, Xiaomi has launched the latest additions to its Note series — which is now in its 12th iteration — at a launch event in China.

(Update, April 17: Our Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G review is up!)

(Update, March 14: The Redmi Note 12 series’ global launch date is revealed!)

There’s the vanilla Redmi Note 12 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, and Redmi Note 12 Explorer Edition, with the latter setting the new gold standard for fast charging at a mind-blowing 210 watts. That said, Xiaomi says it only takes 9 minutes for the Explorer Edition’s 4,300mAh battery to reach 100%, and five minutes to go from zero to 66%. For comparison, the top-end Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is capped at 45 watts and requires around 70 minutes, or more than an hour, for a full charge.

Notably, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus and Note 12 Explorer Edition also bring the industry’s first smartphone cameras built around the 200-megapixel Samsung Isocell HPX image sensor, which should be capable of capturing bright and detailed pictures even in low light, thanks to its large 1/1.4-inch sensor size, 16-to-1 pixel binning, QPD autofocus, and f/1.7 aperture lens with optical image stabilization.

In China, the new Note 12 series models are priced as follows:

• Redmi Note 12 5G
  • 4GB/128GB: ¥1,199 (around $166 in U.S. dollars or P9,602 in Philippine pesos)
  • 6GB/128GB: ¥1,299 ($180 or P10,402)
  • 8GB/128GB: ¥1,499 ($207 or P12,004)
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥1,699 ($235 or P13,605)
• Redmi Note 12 Pro
  • 6GB/128GB: ¥1,699 ($235 or P13,605)
  • 8GB/128GB: ¥1,799 ($249 or P14,406)
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥1,899 ($263 or P15,207)
  • 12GB/256GB: ¥2,099 ($290 or P16,809)
• Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥2,099 ($290 or P16,809)
  • 12GB/256GB: ¥2,299 ($318 or P18,410)
• Redmi Note 12 Explorer Edition
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥2,399 ($332 or P19,211)

Open sales in China for the Redmi Note 12 5G, Note 12 Pro, and Note 12 Pro Plus begin November 1, while the Explorer Edition will go on sale from October 31. At launch, Xiaomi will offer the Redmi Note 12 series in four color options, namely Midnight Dark, Time Blue, Mirror Porcelain White, and Shallow Dream Galaxy. Additionally, the Note 12 Pro Plus has a YIBO Design color variant with a unique two-tone rear cover.

Besides sharing the same 200-megapixel Isocell HPX sensor on the back, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus and Redmi Note 12 Explorer Edition have identical ultrawide and macro cameras. They’re likewise powered by MediaTek’s new Dimensity 1080 5G chipset and sport 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED displays with 10-bit color and Dolby Vision support.

Compared to the Explorer Edition, the Note 12 Pro Plus’ charging speed goes down to 120 watts, but its battery capacity is increased to 5,000mAh, which to us sounds like a fair compromise considering the longer battery life it will likely offer.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro has nearly identical specs as the two pricier models above it, sporting a 6.67-inch OLED screen with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It comes equipped with a Dimensity 1080 SoC as well, and, like the Note 12 Pro Plus, pairs the processor with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of non-expandable storage.

Finally, the regular Note 12 5G packs the same OLED display as its stablemates, but uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip instead, alongside 33-watt USB-C wired charging instead. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 brings a few performance improvements over last year’s Snapdragon 480 Plus, including up to 10% improved graphics and up to 15% faster CPU performance. It’s likewise the first Snapdragon 4 series chipset to feature a Qualcomm Spectra 12-bit Triple ISP.

Redmi Note 12 Explorer Edition 5G specs

• 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
• 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor with 5G
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• Triple 200-megapixel main, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro cameras
• 16-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 4,300mAh battery with 210-watt fast charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Black color option

Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G specs

• 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
• 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor with 5G
• 8GB/12GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• Triple 200-megapixel main, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro cameras
• 16-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 5,000mAh battery with 120-watt fast charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Black, blue, white, YIBO Design color options

Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G specs

• 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
• 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor with 5G
• 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• Triple 50-megapixel main, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro cameras
• 16-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 5,000mAh battery with 67-watt fast charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Black, blue, white, purple color options

Redmi Note 12 5G specs

• 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
• 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor with 5G
• 4GB/6GB/8GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• Dual 48-megapixel main, 2-megapixel macro cameras
• 8-megapixel front camera
• Side fingerprint reader
• 5,000mAh battery with 33-watt fast charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Black, blue, white color options

Main image via Weibo

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