Xiaomi today lifted the covers off the latest devices in its popular Redmi Note lineup. The all-new Redmi Note 12 series includes four phones -- the regular Redmi Note 12, the Redmi Note 12 Pro, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, and the Redmi Note 12 Pro Discovery Edition. All four devices in the lineup offer impressive hardware at attractive price points, which should land them a spot in our list of the best cheap Android phones this year.

Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus Discovery Edition

The Redmi Note 12 Pro Explorer Edition is the most premium device of the lot, and it brings some unique innovations to the table. It is among the first devices on the market to feature a 200MP primary camera, and it also offers 210W wired fast charging support. Xiaomi claims that you can charge its 4,300mAh battery from 0-100% in just 9 minutes, which is absolutely bonkers.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus Discovery Edition.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro Explorer Edition packs MediaTek's Dimensity 1080 5G chipset paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. It sports a 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 900nits of peak brightness. The 200MP Samsung HPX primary camera on the device has an f/1.65 aperture, a 7P lens, ALD coating, and OIS. It's accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 16MP selfie shooter.

Other noteworthy features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, an X-axis vibration motor, NFC, an IR blaster, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the software front, the device runs MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box.

Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus

The regular Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is pretty much the same as the Discover Edition model, but it differs in terms of battery capacity and fast charging capabilities.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus in all colors on black background.

Instead of a 4,300mAh battery and 210W fast charging support, the regular model packs a larger 5,000mAh battery pack and 120W wired fast charging support. The remaining hardware specifications are the same.

Redmi Note 12 Pro

The Redmi Note 12 Pro is another small step down from the Pro Plus variant. It features the same display, SoC, and battery capacity, but its camera setup and fast charging capabilities aren't as impressive.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro in all colors on black background.

The device features a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera instead of Samsung's 200MP HPX sensor, and it only offers 67W wired fast charging support. The rest of the camera hardware remains unchanged.

Redmi Note 12

The Redmi Note 12 is the cheapest device in the lineup and has quite a few differences compared to the other three models. While it packs the same 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED display as the other three models, it features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC, a 48MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, an 8MP selfie shooter, and 33W wired fast charging support.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 in all colors on black background.

However, the phone retains the 5,000mAh battery, IR blaster, 3.5mm headphone jack, IP53 dust and water resistance, and the side-mounted fingerprint scanner from the other models. The device also runs MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box.

Pricing & Availability

Xiaomi is currently offering the new Redmi Note 12 lineup in China only. The devices are available in the region at the following prices:

  • Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus Discovery Edition: Starts at CNY 2,399 (~$332)
  • Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Starts at CNY 2,199 (~$304)
  • Redmi Note 12 Pro: Starts at CNY 1,699 (~$235)
  • Redmi Note 12: Starts at CNY 1,199 (~$166)

Xiaomi has not shared any plans to launch the devices in international markets at the moment. But we expect the company to bring the Redmi Note 12 lineup to more regions in the coming months. We'll make sure to let you know as soon as we have more details.