Redmi 12C Review: Best Phone Under Rs. 15,000 in Nepal

Redmi 12C Review: TechLekh Verdict

Overall, the Redmi 12C provides exceptional value for money. Its standout feature is its performance, thanks to the Helio G85 chipset. No other entry-level phone can compete with its price-to-performance ratio.

Furthermore, its camera, display, and battery are reasonably good for the price. It would have been even more valuable if Xiaomi had included a USB-C port and the latest Android operating system.

Nevertheless, given its offerings and price, the Redmi 12C is hands down the best phone you can buy under Rs. 15,000 in Nepal at the time of publishing this review.

The Redmi 12C is an entry-level phone released by Xiaomi in Nepal in early April 2023, alongside the Redmi Note 12 series.

The Redmi Note 12 series offers a range of value-for-money smartphones with balanced specifications. However, starting at Rs. 22,999, these devices may not fit within the budget of those seeking a more affordable option.

On the other hand, the Redmi 12C is specifically designed for individuals in search of an affordable entry-level smartphone. It starts at Rs. 13,499 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant. For Rs. 14,499, you can upgrade to the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage option. Additionally, there is a higher-end variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, priced at Rs. 16,999.

Now, let’s explore what this phone has to offer at its price point. Is the Redmi 12C a good purchase considering its features and affordability, or are there better alternatives available? This is my Redmi 12C review and I will try to answer all your questions.

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Redmi 12C Review

Excellent Performance

• Mediatek Helio G85 (12nm)
• Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
• Mali-G52 MC2
• 4GB RAM, 64GB storage

Let’s begin the review by discussing one of the most intriguing aspects of the Redmi 12C: its exceptional performance.

Typically, entry-level phones tend to compromise on the processor, often equipped with inferior options. However, the Redmi 12C breaks away from this trend.

Xiaomi has provided MediaTek’s powerful Helio G85 chipset with the Redmi 12C. Previously, getting a phone with this chipset would have cost around Rs. 20,000. Yet Xiaomi has managed to include it in a phone priced under Rs. 15,000. So, it is safe to say that the Redmi 12C offers the best chipset in its price range.

And that is directly reflected in its performance. I have the 4GB RAM variant with 64GB storage. For Rs. 14,999, the performance of this phone is excellent.

Being an entry-level phone, it is understandable that the Redmi 12C may not provide the same level of speed as higher-end devices. However, it still effortlessly handles everyday tasks and commonly used applications like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. The phone is very responsive for the price.

Gaming

For gaming as well, the Redmi 12C is highly impressive. It goes without saying that lighter games like Subway Surfers, Candy Crush, and Clash of Clans run smoothly without any hiccups.

The real test lies in handling more demanding games such as PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty. While you may not be able to play these resource-intensive games at the highest graphics settings, medium settings should be achievable.

To provide specific figures, in PUBG Mobile, you can set the frame rate to “Ultra.” By choosing the “Ultra” frame rate and balancing the graphics settings, I was able to achieve 40 fps. For smoother gameplay, you can opt for the “Smooth” graphics setting.

For gyro gamers, unfortunately, the Redmi 12C does not include a gyroscope sensor. Even if it did, it wouldn’t offer the best quality considering its price point.

Moving on, when it comes to Call of Duty, you can enjoy the gameplay at a smooth 60 fps with medium graphics quality and high frame rate settings.

As mentioned earlier, just a year ago, this level of gaming experience was only available in phones priced above Rs. 20,000. Now, you can have it for under Rs. 15,000.

Taking that into account, the gaming performance of the Redmi 12C, especially for an entry-level phone in 2023, is truly excellent.

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Design

• 168.76 x 76.41 x 8.77 mm
• 192 g

Now that we have covered its performance and gaming capabilities, let’s shift our focus to the design aspect.

The build of the phone is average. As is typical with entry-level phones, it has a plastic back with a textured pattern, specifically diagonal stripes, providing a comfortable grip.

When looking at the back, you’ll notice a fingerprint sensor positioned below the camera. Not all phones priced under 15K provide a fingerprint scanner, so that’s definitely a plus for the Redmi 12C. Moreover, the fingerprint sensor functions as intended — fast and reliable.

Coming to the usual ports and buttons, the power and volume buttons are located on the left side, while the 3.5mm headphone jack is positioned on the top.

At the bottom, you’ll find a speaker, a microphone, and a Micro-USB port. In 2023, Xiaomi should have provided a USB-C port, but considering it is an entry-level phone, this omission can be forgiven.

Regarding the speaker, it offers sufficient loudness. However, the audio quality aligns with what you would expect from a budget phone, which is to say, it is mediocre.

Display

• 6.71 inches IPS LCD
• 720 x 1650 pixels
• 500 nits (typ)

The display on the Redmi 12C is satisfactory. It has a large 6.71-inch IPS LCD display. It does not support a high refresh rate, but for the price, you can’t complain much.

The resolution is limited to just HD+, which is sufficient for everyday tasks and watching videos. While it may not offer the same level of sharpness as more premium devices, this is to be expected within this price range.

It is important to note that the phone only holds Widevine L3 certification, meaning you won’t be able to stream HD content on popular platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. However, surprisingly, it does impressively support playback of up to 1440p videos on YouTube.

The brightness is also decent. You might encounter some difficulties when using the phone in bright environments or outdoors, otherwise, it is sufficient.

Camera

• Rear Camera: 50 MP, (wide), PDAF
  • 0.08 MP, QVGA, (depth)

• Front Camera: 5MP

Now, let’s talk about the camera. The Redmi 12C features a 50MP main camera, which is accompanied by a depth sensor.

Normal Photos

The shutter is fast when taking photos. Additionally, the quality of photos taken with the main camera is quite decent. Considering it is an entry-level phone, I am genuinely pleased with the level of detail it manages to capture in its photos.

The dynamic range on these phones is noticeably poor, as is often the case with devices in this category. They tend to struggle when attempting to expose both highlights and shadows within the same frame.

Nevertheless, the colors in the photos are generally acceptable. It has that earthy tone that we normally see on Xiaomi phones.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with the camera performance of the Redmi 12C, especially for under Rs. 15,000.

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Front Camera

The 5MP front camera is also surprisingly decent. The face tone is good, and the beauty mode does not overdo the skin smoothing.

While the front camera manages to capture good details, it does suffer from the same limitations as the back camera in terms of dynamic range. Nevertheless, when considering both cameras as a whole, I am overall satisfied with their performance.

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Videos

• 1080p@30fps

For videos, it can capture 1080p at 30fps. The video is mediocre with average details. Since it lacks any kind of stabilization, the footage is very shaky.

OS & Battery

• Android 12
• MIUI 13

In terms of the operating system, the Redmi 12C is powered by MIUI 13, which is based on Android 12.

Android 13 has been available for quite some time now, and Android 14 is just around the corner. It would have been better if this phone shipped with Android 13 out of the box, but, unfortunately, it does not.

The system comes with 43 pre-installed apps, including three third-party applications: Facebook, Snapchat, and Netflix. Additionally, ads are occasionally observed within the OS.

Moving on to the battery, the Redmi 12C excels in this aspect. With its impressive 5000mAh capacity, it can easily last for over a day, and even up to two days, without breaking a sweat.

However, one downside is that it can become tedious when the battery drains, as it only supports 10W charging. The charging time is quite slow, taking nearly 3 hours to fully charge the device from zero.

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So, this is my Redmi 12C review. What do you think about the phone? If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!