Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G Review: King of specs but not segment ruler anymore

tech.hindustantimes.com:

A Redmi Note device is never the perfect phone and yet, a simple comparison with its competition crowns it the segment's king. Over the years, the Redmi Note phones have shown what most budget smartphone buyers truly seek and how Xiaomi manages to serve them just right. Countless attempts from Realme, Samsung, Motorola and Oppo have gone in vain – the Redmi Note continues to be the spec and value king. In 2023 though, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus changes this.

Xiaomi is calling the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus the Super Note. Tall claims but the spec sheet and the inflated price tag suggest there are lots of upgrades under the hood. The phone brings a 200MP camera sensor to this sub-Rs. 30000 segment, all while not compromising on the basics. There is a solid midrange chipset, a large capacity battery, a superfast charging solution, and a superb display. Sounds great, but the competition has splendid phones to offer for similar prices.

Is this most expensive Redmi Note worth buying? I used it for a few days to find out.

The last few iterations of the Redmi Note have looked splendid (the most memorable one being the Redmi Note 7 Pro). In 2023 though, the most loaded Redmi Note looks too generic. Strip it off the Redmi badge and this phone looks almost identical to the slew of Realme, Oppo and Vivo phones from the last few months. Even the colour gradient is lacking and most of you would need a good looking protective case to make a style statement. That's not good for a phone that costs Rs. 30000; have you looked at the Nothing Phone (1), Google Pixel 6a, and iQOO Neo 6?

While the design is generic, the build quality is good. Plastic frame holding glass panels on the front and back is what Redmi does best. I am glad to see a screen