Xiaomi makes some of the best budget and flagship phones around, but you shouldn’t ignore what the company is doing in the mid-range market.
Its Redmi sub-brand has existed there for a while, although the Note 12 Pro+ takes things to the next level. For just £449, you get premium features such as a 200Mp camera, 120Hz OLED display and 120-watt charging.
Fortunately, all three are genuinely impressive, while the rest of the phone is good enough to compete with many flagships. Compromises are inevitable at this price point, but they shouldn’t be dealbreakers for most people.
DESIGN
The Note 12 Pro+ has a sleek, premium design which could easily pass for a device costing twice the price.
It starts with Xiaomi’s choice of materials: plastic on the sides, but glass on both the front and back. The latter is a pleasant surprise, as it’s by no means a standard feature on mid-range handsets. A matte coating limits the build-up of fingerprint smudges, allowing the phone to shimmer attractively as light hits it.
That’s particularly apparent on the Iceberg Blue model you see in photos, but the effect on Arctic White and Obsidian Black versions is similar. While there’s no Gorilla Glass protection here, the back of the 12 Pro+ feels impressively durable and grippy. A clear silicone case is included in the box, but you might not need it.
However, the IP53 rating is a bit of a disappointment. It protects against dust
